Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on December 25th 2002 by Trevor Jennings.
This tune has been added to 61 tunebooks.
Also known as Cathaoir An Phiobaire, Cathaoir An Phíobaire, The Catholic Boys, Duck's Leg, The Duck's Leg, The Leg Of The Duck, Pipers Chair.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Piper's Chair, The
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Gmaj
DGG GFD|Dcc {d}cBc|ded c/2B/2AG|FAG FED|
DGG {A}GFD|Dcc {d}cBc|ded {d}cAF|1 AGF G2F:|2 AGF GBd||
|:~g3 agf|d2g {a}gfg|GFG ~=f3|A2B cBA|
GBd g2g|d2e fdc|B/2c/2dB {d}cAF|1 {B}AGF GBd:|2 AGF G2F||
A famous old tune, well worth appearing on this site.
# Posted on December 25th 2002 by Trevor Jennings
Piper's Chair
I love this tune. Also known as the Duck's Leg. There's a good midi version of it at http://www.contemplator.com/tunebook/midimusic/ducksleg.mid
# Posted on April 6th 2005 by Doghearty
Micho Russell's Version
This tune seems often associated with Micho Russell. According to Pat Mitchell, the title in fact refers to a rock formation on the cliffs near Doolin, West Clare, and the source of the version which appears in Breathnach's Ceol na Rince can be traced back to Micho. Luckily enough, you can listen to Micho himself playing this tune on Mary Custy and Eoin O'Neill's duet album. Here's almost what he plays:
K: Gmaj
GAG GFD|c2c cBc|d/e/dd cAG|A2G FED|
DGG GFD|c2z cBc|ded cAF|1 AGF G2G:|2 AGF G2z||
g2z agf|d2g gfg|GBd fef|A2B cBA|
GBd g2f|d2e fdc|Bdd cAF|AGF G2z:|
I guess somewhat odd use of F natural in Trevor's transcription comes from piper Willie Clancy, who learned the tune from Micho.
# Posted on April 10th 2005 by slainte
Piper's Chair
This was the title of a radio play by Michael Butt broadcast this afternoon on BBC Radio 4. It was about Mozart and his meeting with some Irish musuicians. Unfortunately, I only got the last 15 minutes or so, but it seems that Mozart used this tune in one of his own compositions - not unusual for classical composers of all eras to use folk music thus. Piano, whistle and fiddle were used for the incidental music (i.e. this tune) and the musicians mentioned in the voice-over end credits were Neil Brand, Sonja Slanny (spelling?), and Clive Bell.
The play can be accessed on the internet for the next 7 days from www.bbc.co.uk, and go to the Radio 4 section.
Trevor
# Posted on December 24th 2005 by Trevor Jennings
The Piper's Chair is a relatively new name for this tune as far as I know. I heard the tune itself was originally a song melody called "The Catholic Boy."
# Posted on December 25th 2005 by slainte
The Piper's Chair (aka. the Catholic Boys)
This afternoon I suddenly realised this jig bears some similarity with "The Eavesdropper": http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/389 It might be accidental though.
# Posted on April 21st 2006 by slainte
Cathaoir an Phíobaire
The Piper's Chair is not as much a 'rock formation' but a chair sized chunk of stone that, according to Micho Russell, was used by the piper to sit on when dances were held in the field where the rock is located.
Now, I remember during the eighties the Piper's Chair going missing, some people had rolled it down the hill. It's still in it's present location, about a quarter of a mile North of Poll na nGall.
Seamus Ennis collected the tune during his 1948 trip to Doolin from Paddy Killoughery (not Paddy Killourhy the fiddler, another one). There's a fine recording made by Ennis on that occasion of Paddy lilting the tune.
# Posted on July 26th 2010 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Peadar O´Loughlin and Maeve Donnellyo plays Piper´s chair
A wonderful set of tunes from Custy´s in Ennis on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfYQxAxSPe0
# Posted on February 27th 2011 by bowflow
The Piper's Chair
Blog post, including a few recordings and photos:
http://piperschair.blogspot.com/2011/01/pipers-chair-is-piece-of-natural-stone.html
# Posted on February 27th 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski