Reels

Written and sung by John Harrison with me supplying the fairy dust.

Truth Hurts

One of the 78 rpm recordings on our 2016 World Fiddle Day Playlist.

We hope to provide more information about this disc soon, This appears to be a test or radio pressing found in the David Giovannoni of the Dublin fiddle player Tommy Potts for the Irish Recording Company (IRC). The IRC was founded by Bill Stapleton in the years following WWII.

Item DG 78 00-178 in the David Giovannoni Collection at the Ward Irish Music Archives, Milwaukee.

Tommy Potts: Pigeon on the Gate/The Tarbolton (reels)

Musician : Dave Lees - Instrument: Paul Shippey "Tone" mandolin (2016) - Titles: An Comhra Donn / Cronin's
- I've known these tunes for so many years I don't remember any more where I got them. The second one in particular is a very common tune in sessions. 

An Comhra Donn / Cronin's

I know a lot of musicians (mostly, but not all, folkies) and nearly everyone is extremely concerned about the effects of Brexit. I'm old enough to remember having to get a work permit to do a gig in France, and have zero wish for that part of the 'good old days' to return.

To that end, a bunch of like-minded players put the enclosed piece together.  The last part of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy) has become a European anthem and seems an appropriate piece to play at this extremely troublesome time.

We hope you like it. PLEASE SHARE!

Folk4Yurp

Also: Twisting the Hayrope or Twisting of the Rope. Played as an air/slow hornpipe. Originally a song. Played as a slow air by uillean pipers like Seamus Ennis and Willy Clancy. Occasionally played as a faster hornpipe or a reel to suit dancing.

Casadh An Tsúgáin

Monalea is a village in Co. Offaly. The tune was composed by Colm O'Connell, the Sligo flute player, singer and lilter. I heard it being played by Dermot Byrne and Floriane Blancke just this week, early 2013. And if my memory is right, Josephine Marsh plays it as well.

Tom Ward's Downfall was a tune already popular in the 19th Century and collected by Francis O'Neill. It refers to the execution by guillotine of Irish mercenary Thomas Ward, who served as a Brigadier-General in the Revolutionary French Army of the North in the late 18th Century. He unfortunately became one of the many victims of the blind terror under Robespierre, just 4 days before it came to an end. More info : http://www.irishmeninparis.org/soldiers-and-politicians/james-o-moran-thomas-ward

The third and last tune is related to the playing of the late John Naughton, the East Clare concertina player from Kilclaren, Sliabh Aughty, on the Clare/Galway border.

Road to Monalea, Tom Ward's Downfall, John Naughton's

My try on arranging Turlough O'Carolans tune "Carolan's Concerto" in CGDGAD tuning.

Carolan's Concerto

Jigs from our new album due for release in July 2013. This track features Edel Fox (concertina), Neill Byrne (fiddle), Caoimhín Ó Fearghail (guitar) and Richie Lyons (bodhrán)

An Comhra Donn / Cronin's

Dave Lees

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Dick Glasgow

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