Well, well, what a nice set of tunes! Who was the concertina player again? I didn't catch his name - but didn't he have some nice touches in there, lovely. Thanks for posting.
"Junior Crehan composed it in E dorian."
How can you know that? I don't ask to be confrontational. I'd just like to know your source. And if you did know, would that be the preferred key for you? The "proper" key, if there even is such a thing, seems to be determined by the strongest players in the session.
I have played Sheep in a Boat in E dorian -- and in other keys as well -- with Junior Crehan's daughter, Angela Crotty. Keys are mutable. E.g., Brendan McGlinchey wrote Splendid Isolation in the key of G minor. But I've heard great players (Geraldine McNamara, for instance) play it in A minor. There are loads of other examples: McFadden's Handsome Daughters and The Fox Hunt, played in both G and A major.
The source of the information is Martin 'Junior' Crehan's grandson, Kevin. He recorded an album of Junior Crehan's compositions, and the sets that he used to play, working with his grandfather to arrange them as he would have played them. At that stage, Junior Crehan wasn't capable of playing at the level required for a commercial recording.
one of my favourites, I got in in e dorian from the 'Trip to Sligo', book in which it is titled Anach Cuain. I heard / read that this jig is based on a slow air of the same title concerning the sinking of a ship.
i remember it also as the air to a song recorded by Tríona ní Dhomhnaill on her first solo album on Gael-Linn. i think it was titled Phoenix Island. I'm only remembering snips of the lyrics, but the last line has stuck with me:
But youth and folly
makes young men marry,
and silly notions
makes no delay.
And what can't be curèd,
must be endurèd.
so fare thee well, darlin,
I must now away.
ring any bells?
FWIW, i learned sheep in the Boat in E, but i love playing this D version on the pipes. more interestin to my ear against the drones
sheep in a boat!
sheep in a boat!
Found this nice version of one of my fave tunes:
http://youtu.be/uYnwZ0fygNA
I understand this is a Junior Crehan tune, but i wonder in what key it was originally written. Does anyone here know? Thanks for your input...
cheers
# Posted on May 14th 2011 by pipewatcher
Re: sheep in a boat!
Well, well, what a nice set of tunes! Who was the concertina player again? I didn't catch his name - but didn't he have some nice touches in there, lovely. Thanks for posting.
# Posted on May 14th 2011 by john knoss
Re: sheep in a boat!
Tony O'Connell
# Posted on May 14th 2011 by pipewatcher
Re: sheep in a boat!
Sounded like 'I'd like to welcome Tony O'Connell to the stage here...'
Nice playing, thanks for the clip.
# Posted on May 14th 2011 by gam
Re: sheep in a boat!
Damn
# Posted on May 14th 2011 by gam
Re: sheep in a boat!
yep. and i cringed when she talked about drilling a thumbhole in her chanter to play the F naturals!
# Posted on May 14th 2011 by pipewatcher
Re: sheep in a boat!
Junior Crehan composed it in E dorian.
# Posted on May 14th 2011 by Dragut Reis
Re: sheep in a boat!
I love that tune! Junior Crehan is the best writer for music. Thanks for sharing!
# Posted on May 14th 2011 by pipersgrip
Re: sheep in a boat!
thanks for that, Smash the Windows!
# Posted on May 14th 2011 by pipewatcher
Re: sheep in a key...
"Junior Crehan composed it in E dorian."
How can you know that? I don't ask to be confrontational. I'd just like to know your source. And if you did know, would that be the preferred key for you? The "proper" key, if there even is such a thing, seems to be determined by the strongest players in the session.
I have played Sheep in a Boat in E dorian -- and in other keys as well -- with Junior Crehan's daughter, Angela Crotty. Keys are mutable. E.g., Brendan McGlinchey wrote Splendid Isolation in the key of G minor. But I've heard great players (Geraldine McNamara, for instance) play it in A minor. There are loads of other examples: McFadden's Handsome Daughters and The Fox Hunt, played in both G and A major.
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by David Levine
Re: sheep in a boat!
What's the recording? D minor? I want to play it in that key...
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by Earl Cameron
Re: sheep in a boat!
I play it in Edorian, but that is because I think it flows nicely on the flute that way.
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by pipersgrip
Re: sheep in a boat!
The tune is attributed to Junior Crehan, but it's based on the melody of an slow air called "Anach Chuain," which is usually played in Edor.
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by slainte
Re: sheep in a boat!
With a C chanter, you will end up playing E minor tunes in D minor.
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by slainte
Re: sheep in a boat!
The source of the information is Martin 'Junior' Crehan's grandson, Kevin. He recorded an album of Junior Crehan's compositions, and the sets that he used to play, working with his grandfather to arrange them as he would have played them. At that stage, Junior Crehan wasn't capable of playing at the level required for a commercial recording.
I prefer to play it in D.
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by Dragut Reis
Re: sheep in a boat!
Magic First jig there, one for the to learn list.
Thank's for posting this !
jim,,,
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by FIDDLE4
Re: sheep in a boat!
one of my favourites, I got in in e dorian from the 'Trip to Sligo', book in which it is titled Anach Cuain. I heard / read that this jig is based on a slow air of the same title concerning the sinking of a ship.
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by peter wsll
Re: sheep in a boat!
There's a whole family of jigs around the same theme : The Hole in the Boat, The Killaloe Boat, The Sheep in the Boat etc.
junior played several of them but not all were claimed in the book as his compositions.
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: sheep in a boat!
i remember it also as the air to a song recorded by Tríona ní Dhomhnaill on her first solo album on Gael-Linn. i think it was titled Phoenix Island. I'm only remembering snips of the lyrics, but the last line has stuck with me:
But youth and folly
makes young men marry,
and silly notions
makes no delay.
And what can't be curèd,
must be endurèd.
so fare thee well, darlin,
I must now away.
ring any bells?
FWIW, i learned sheep in the Boat in E, but i love playing this D version on the pipes. more interestin to my ear against the drones
# Posted on May 15th 2011 by pipewatcher
Re: sheep in a boat!
Here's a version of the Hole in the Boat, which also came from Junior. Sorry about the ego-linking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRGH0GqtTdo
# Posted on May 16th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: sheep in a boat!
Is that Peter Laban?
# Posted on May 17th 2011 by Joseph Tailyour
Re: sheep in a boat!
Delightful playing, thankyou Prof.
# Posted on May 17th 2011 by Joseph Tailyour
Re: sheep in a boat!
I enjoyed the clip of Tony O'Connell, excellent music.
# Posted on May 18th 2011 by Joseph Tailyour
Re: sheep in a boat!
Recently saw video of Martin Hayes playing the tune in C minor!
# Posted on May 18th 2011 by The Archivist