Friday 25 December 2015

Swallow's Nest (reel): Brendan (eile)

Swallow's Nest (reel)

I first came across this beautiful reel, named as Paddy O'Brien's,  on The Cat That Ate The Candle (1994) by John Carty & Brian McGrath. It is credited to John Carty on www.irishtune.info but I've recently learned that is in fact a tune called The Swallow's Nest composed by Paddy O'Brien the elder from Tipperary. I've come across several versions of the tune but, for me at least, Carty's mid-paced banjo version is unbeatable. In truth, I find it tough enough to play and 'make a hames of it' more often than not, but I'll stick at it.


The Warbling Robin (barndance): Breandan (eile)

The Warbling Robin (barndance)


Another barndance! The Warbling Robin (or Ceiliúr na Spideoge, in Irish) was composed by the Connemara flautist Marcus Hernon and recorded The Grouse In The Heather / An Chearc Fhraoigh (2000). It has been recorded on banjo by John Carty on I Will If I Can (2005). Here's my go at Carty's version.

Sunday 20 December 2015

Far From Home (barndance): Brendan (eile)

Far From Home (barndance)

Given to me by Brian McGrath, Far From Home or Far Away from Home is a lively barndance that was, apparently, one of the last tunes recorded by Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman in 1944. He was in ill health at the time and died the following year.

The tunes has been recorded under a variety of names: as Michael Coleman's on Johnny Óg Connolly & Brian McGrath Dreaming up the Tunes (1998), as Far From Home on John Carty Yeah, That Is All (2001), as Johnny Gorman's on Matt Molloy & John Carty Pathway to the Well (2007) and as Paddy Shannon's on Mick Conneely & David Munnelly 'Tis What It Is (2012).

Here is John Carty on banjo and At The Racket performing the tune in Crocket's on the Quay, Ballina.


We had a new wooden floor laid this week so I'm taking advantage of the great acoustics in the empty room ...


 
 

Tuesday 8 December 2015

Battering Ram (jig): Brendan (eile)

Battering Ram (jig)

Between 1968 and 1978, my grandparents - Martin & Ellen Ferguson from Attymass, Co. Mayo - ran a pub called the Regent Hotel on Regent Street in the heart of Leeds. Within a short space of time, the pub became a sort of mecca for Irish musicians living in the city (and for local students interested in folk music). Over the years many noted musicians played there; Kevin Burke (fiddle), Martin Byrnes (fiddle), P. J. Hernon (button accordion), Paddy Ryan (fiddle), and Sean McGuire (fiddle) to name but a few. Indeed, the Music from Ireland tune-books, compiled by Dave Bulmer and Neil Sharpley, published in four volumes in the 1970s contains many tunes transcribed from musicians playing at the Regent Hotel.

Anyway, I recently came across some amateur recordings done in the pub in the early 1970s. They are beautifully atmospheric, featuring the sound of the crowd and even the ringing till! And if you listen carefully you can hear a great mix of West of Ireland and West Yorkshire 'brogues'. Here is the Battering Ram, live from the Regent Hotel, with a selection of contemporary photographs:


I had a fair idea how to play a simple version of this three-part jig but Brian McGrath recently shared some ideas on ornamenting the tune with stops, chords, and cuts so here it is ...





Sunday 29 November 2015

The Morning Thrush (reel): Brendan (eile)

The Morning Thrush (reel)

I've been taking banjo lessons at Gannon's Music Shop, Spiddal, this past while with Fermanagh's Brian McGrath. A gentleman and all-round virtuoso, Brian takes his time with every tune, giving the background story, recommending recordings and suggesting various ornamentations. Last week we looked at the Morning Thrush, a three-part reel composed by the Dublin piper James 'Jimmy' Ennis (1885-1965), father of piper and music collector Séamas Ennis.  

Here is a detailed account of the multi-talented James Ennis, which appeared in the Irish-language paper An Claidheamh Soluis (‘The Sword of Light’) on the 18 January 1913: 

 

‘Native of the Nail in North County Dublin. Comes of a musical family. “The Ennises all play music”. Was a boy prodigy on the flute. Plays all sorts of whistles, piccolos and flutes with equal facility. Prizewinner in flute-playing, fiddling, war-piping and union-piping. The only two instruments he could never manage are the melodeon and the piano! Himself, his brother, and Eamonn Ceannt were the first war-pipers of the new dispensation to visit London. Did so in full war-paint many years ago. All members of Cumann na bPíobairí. Played at one of the big League concerts—Queen’s Hall, I think. Result, consternation and a horrible caricature by way of a drawing in the Sketch. . . Champion dancer. Can run a whole concert by himself. At Bristol, I think, Séamas provided 11 items and delighted all. Champion footballer, plays for Keatings. Played hurling for same team till they disbanded. Now plays for his native Naul, one of the best junior teams in Dublin. Cyclist, felt in bad health some years ago, so proceeded to ride between Naul and his office daily—Naul is only 19 miles from the GPO—till he recovered. Fine Irish speaker, spent at least two holidays of later years at Ros Muc. Still in the early twenties with his future all before him. Could teach half of the best of the pipers. If there’s another such all-round artist knocking about I haven’t met him’.

 

In 1913, James Ennis won first prize for the Morning Thrush at Feis Cheoil na hÉireann. Here, his son, Séamas, gives the background to the composition before playing the tune on the pipes:

 

 

I became interested in the tune after seeing footage of a young Brian McGrath playing the tune on the music series Come West Along the Road: 

 

 

Probably not a good idea posting my first attempt in such close proximity to Brian's masterful version but nonetheless here it is:

 

 

I'll keep at it over the next few weeks and hope to show some improvement this side of Christmas.  

Friday 27 November 2015

Mayor Harrison’s Fedora (reel): Brendan (eile)


Mayor Harrison’s Fedora (reel):

Mayor Harrison’s Fedora, or simply The Fedora, appeared in Francis O’Neill’s Dance Music of Ireland (1907), a collection of jigs, reels, hornpipes and other dance tunes.


The tune is name after Mayor Harrison of Chicago and his trademark fedora (like the one Indiana Jones wore in Raiders of the Lost Ark). Carter Henry Harrison Junior served as Mayor of Chicago from 1897 to 1905 and again from 1911 to 1915. In fact, it was Mayor Harrison Jr. who appointed Francis O’Neill Chief of Police for Chicago in 1901.

 Carter Henry Harrison wearing his trademark fedora, 1924

Harrison Junior’s father – Carter Henry Harrison Senior – served as Mayor of Chicago between 1879 and 1887. Just months after his re-election to a fifth term in 1893, he was assassinated by a deranged Irishman named Patrick Eugene Prendergast.
  
Anyway, enough of the background history ... the three-part, sometimes two-part, reel has been widely recorded but perhaps the most influential version appears on The Banks of the Shannon (1973), a Comhaltas EP recording of Tipperary accordion player Paddy O’Brien with the Clare fiddler Séamus Connolly. There's a nice recording by Matt Molloy and Seán Keane from Contentment is Wealth (1985).


And a lovely banjo version (though in a different key) by Angelina Carberry on An Traidisiún Beo (2005).


Any here's my go at it ... hoping to pick up a bit of speed with a bit more practice. 

Saturday 21 November 2015

Bantry Bay - Breandán (Fiddle)

This is a lovely hornpipe.  I had heard it a song before - 'I met her in the Garden where the pratties grow', it's a Liam O'Hara staple.  However, this is the first time that I attempted to learn it as a tune and I decided to go at it on the fiddle first.  I will stick on a banjo version again soon.

First up - enjoy Count John McCormack's version of the song, 'I met her in the garden where the pratties grow'


And my version...


Friday 20 November 2015

Mist Covered Mountain & Scatter the Mud: Breandán

Right, I know I put these up a few weeks ago as fiddle versions but to show how truly dreadful I am on two instruments, here they are again, this time on banjo - one after the other.

Now, lest ye forget, there is a major first here for this blog:  the very first time that two tunes have been played in the one sitting.  And, though it was a mighty struggle, I feel these were the two best placed for that initiation... As December approaches, at this juncture I need to assess how best I can achieve this feat of being able to play a session next October - should I concentrate on fiddle or banjo?  Decisions...

By the way, thanks to the entire family for helping out on this one!

Monday 16 November 2015

Plains of Boyle (hornpipe): Brendan (eile)

Plains of Boyle (hornpipe)

I'm on a roll (quantity rather than quality) and have parked the Stack of Barley for the moment and recorded another hornpipe instead - the Plains of Boyle. The tune is named after an area east of Boyle, Co. Roscommon, which is long since known for the quality of its pastures for "fattening horned cattle". In fact , it is said that the plains of Boyle would "fatten a bullock and a sheep to the acre"! 

I'm led to believe that the tune is also sometimes jokingly referred to as Roscommon Airport or Roscommon Air Force or Trans-Roscommon Airways (AeroPlanes of Boyle ... get it!?). There's not an airport within an asses roar of Boyle!

Anyway, there's a great article (HERE) about the tune by Eddie, a musician and teacher based in Kansas, so I'll not cover the same ground. All I'll say is that there's an interesting early recording of the tune by Leitrim flautist turned piper Michael Gallagher (c. 1890-1972) from 1924 (HERE). It has been widely recorded since too: Paddy Killoran & James Morrison, From Ballymote to Brooklyn (1929), Johnny Cronin & Joe "Banjo" Burke, Cronin and Burke (1977); Paddy Glackin and Paddy Keenan. Doublin' (1978); Brian Rooney, Leitrim to London (2002) and Matt Molloy & John Carty with Arty McGlynn, Pathway to the Well (2007) to name but a few.

In terms of banjo recordings from which to draw inspiration, there is also John Carty & Brian McGrath, The Cat that Ate the Candle (1994) and Stevie Dunne, Stevie Dunne Banjo (2013). And here is the latter artist performing the Plains of Boyle at the launch of that same album:


And here's my slower version ...

Sunday 15 November 2015

Bantry Bay (hornpipe): Brendan (eile)


Bantry Bay

Named after the bay separating the Beara and Sheep's Head peninsulas in West Cork, the traditional music collector Chief O'Neill described this tune as "one of the most delightful traditional hornpipes in existence." O'Neill picked up the tune from a fellow Chicago policeman and flautist Patrick O'Mahony from West Clare. Known as Big Pat, O'Neill recalled that "the 'swing' of his execution was perfect, but instead of 'beating time' with his foot on the floor like most musicians he was never so much at ease as when seated in a chair tilted back against a wall, while both feet swung rhythmically like a double pendulum" (Irish Folk Music: A Fascinating Hobby, 1910). 

Here is a 1927 recording of Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman (1891-1945) and Longford fiddler Packie Dolan (1904-1932) playing Bantry Bay after the Stack of Barley (the next tune on my list).


  And here's my attempt ...


And now onto the Stack of Barley!

Saturday 7 November 2015

Scatter the Mud: Breandán

This time I got the family in on the act!  This is another tune that I'll do a banjo version of once I get a bit more time to practice the art of plucking the tune!  Until then, here's a quick and very ropey version on the fiddle, featuring my three year old Murty!

Scatter the Mud:  Breandán/Fiddle

Mist Covered Mountain - Breandán

I'm falling well behind Brendan eile in this project, and finding it very hard to get a space in my world to practice and record - with two little buggers aged 6months and 3 years running around the house and a new business to run.  However, here's a fiddle take on Mist Covered Mountain - covered so well on banjo by McGowan.  I will do a banjo take on this again when I get a clear run at it!

Mist Covered Mountain

Tuesday 3 November 2015

The Galway (hornpipe): Brendan (eile)

 The Galway (hornpipe)

A great hornpipe with a lot of scope to practice triplets. It has been widely recorded; for example, Andy McGann and Paul Brady It's A Hard Road to Travel (1977) and Seamus Tansey and Jim McKillop To Hell with the Begrudgers (1998).


There are also two great banjo recordings from which to draw inspiration; Kieran Hanrahan Plays the Irish Tenor Banjo (1998) and John Carty I Will If I Can (2005). I've been working from the latter on which John Carty plays the hornpipe using a capo on the first fret. I've also been using Enda Scahill's Irish Banjo Tutor - book and CD - for chord ideas. It's still a bit rough around the edges but it will have to do for now (as work beckons).



Monday 2 November 2015

Scatter the Mud (jig): Brendan (eile)


Scatter the Mud (jig)

Seeing as I have been learning Mist Covered Mountain along with Scatter the Mud from Brian McGrath's album Pure Banjo (2009) I thought I might as well post the latter tune too.

I have no idea of the origins of this jig but it features in Francis O'Neill's Music of Ireland (1903) so it was certainly known in the 19th century. Chief O'Neill was a Cork-born, Chicago policeman and multi-instrumentalist who collected thousands tunes from Irish musicians in the US and from a variety of printed sources; these were published in several now-famous volumes. Anyway, enough of the history (or lack of). Here's my stab at it ...




Mist Covered Mountain (jig): Brendan (eile)



Mist Covered Mountain (jig)

A beautiful jig by the Clare composer and fiddler Junior Crehan (1908-1998); he also composed two of my favourite tunes – Farwell to Miltown Malbay (reel) and Caislean an Oir (hornpipe). Mist Covered Mountain (sometimes Mist on the Moutnain) was inspired by Slievecallan (or Mount Callan) which could be seen from Crehan’s Ballymakea home in West Clare.

The Mist-Covered Mountain - Slievecallan from Ballymakea, Co. Clare

Here is some footage of Junior Crehan in which he recalls composing the tune before playing a few bars. Pure magic!

The popular jig has since been recorded by Matt Molloy (Matt Molloy, 1976), De Danann (Mist Covered Mountain, 1980), Kevin Burke (Up Close, 1984), Martin Hayes (Martin Hayes, 1992) and numerous others.  

I picked up the tune from Brian McGrath’s album Pure Banjo (2009), on which he follows with Scatter the Mud. Here he is playing these two tunes (with a third – the Yellow Tinker reel) in Tom Cussan’s banjo shop in Clarenbridge, Co. Galway, a town famed for its Oyster Festival. 



For anyone learning tunes from YouTube, if you click on “settings” (the nut-shaped symbol to the lower right of the video) and then click “speed” you can slow down the video, which I find particularly handy for picking out ornamentation.

So here's my attempt, which I'm happy enough with for a change. 


You'll find ABC, tab and sheet music HERE on www.thesession.org