Two reels played by N Holmes (flute) and Dave Wood (guitar)
Belfast Traveller is an excellent Irish reel, Blaydon Flatts probably started as a hornpipe as it is still played as such by Northumbrian pipers and others. It was always said to be a James Hill (a Scot from Gateshead) but 'Some more delving into manuscripts has revealed that this is a composition of Abraham Mackintosh (born 1769) who, like James Hill, was a Scottish fiddler and composer living in Tyneside. This tune appeared in the Lister manuscripts, which were published around the same time as when James Hill was producing his compositions'.

Belfast Traveller Blaydon Flats (reels) N Holmes - Flute. Dave Wood - Guitar

Two reels composed by Martin Matthews of Cº Durham. My take on Martin's exquisite tunes. They could be traditional if we didn't know better. Arranged by Louis Bingham - cittern and guitar & N Holmes - flute. Thanks goes to Martin Matthews for allowing me to use these tunes.

Judge's and Peel Bothy, Reels N Holmes, Louis Bingham (By Martin Matthews)

Cronin's, Fleming's New Leaf & Brefni O'Reilly's - Three Reels

N Holmes - flute
Dave Wood - bouzouki
Reed Ingram-Weir - bodhran
Recorded between 2005 and 2022!

N Holmes and Dave Wood My Maryanne M Rocheford's St Andrew's Reels

Irish Jig played on a Holmes McNaughton Pink Ivory eight keyed, simple system flute.  Dave Wood accompanies on guitar.

N Holmes & D Wood A Trip To Galway

Three reels by N Holmes (Holmes McNaughton ABW eight key flute) Paul Ruane (Fiddle) Dee Ruane (Box) Dave Wood (Guitar)

Wild Irishman Set

Paul Dee Ruane Wood & Holmes Maud Miller

Lynne Tocker wrote these two jigs and is kind enough to let me use them too. N Holmes plays a Holmes McNaughton pink ivory eight key flute.

Lynn Tocker Jigs Paddy Connolly Buys One Gets One Free

Dave Wood Shona Mooney & N Holmes (Holmes & McNaughton eight key flute) recorded early this century

Laird Of McNabb N Holmes, David Wood & Shona Mooney

A Waltz, a version of a track that is to appear on Paul Archer's record of tunes that he has written. (mostly traditional sounding)
N Holmes Bb Ormiston Eight Key Rudall Copy & Bass Prog
P Archer Fiddle & Guitar
Frank Porter Bandonion (KB)
(written and arranged by Paul Archer)

Vimy Ridge Bb Flute by Ormiston (written and arranged by Paul Archer)

A better mix than the earlier posting. A brace of reels played on a Bb (B Flat) Flute - eight keys.
Lots of use of the foot extension on this set.

Scotch Mary & Paddy O'Brien's reels on Bb Flute (made by Ormiston) Guitar - Dave Wood.

N Holmes plays F Pratten Perfected Flute on Bob Fox 2000 album "Dreams Never Leave You". Song Accompaniment.
The song is called The White Cockade and is arranged and sung by Bob Fox. The other members of the band on this track is Fairport Convention

White Cockade by Bob Fox, Fairport Convention and N Holmes F Pratten flute by Boosey

A track that the guitar was recorded for in 2003, I had forgotten about it but recently found it and quickly recorded the flute to it.
I used a Holmes - McNaughton Pink Ivory Rudall copy for this set.


McElvogue's - Paddy Fahy's (Molloy's Dream) May 2015

This is a tune on a newly made F Pratten perfected (Boosey) copy made by Ian Corrigan. I've chosen this tune deliberately as it uses all six keys (using what would be Bb fingering on a D flute)

Acrobat Hornpipe, F Pratten Corrigan Copy 6-Key version

An early rehearsal tape, developing this song by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Bob Fox main Artist and arrangement

A Place in your Heart by K & A McGarrigle by Bob Fox Paul Ruane & N Holmes

A brace of reels on a Mopane F Pratten copy of my original Boosey made by Ian Corrigan of Durham. I Corrigan is a Flute, Whistle and Pipe maker.

Tap Room reels on Corrigan F Pratten (Mopane) Oct 2015 (D Wood guitar)

An old rehearsal tape from 1992. Bob Fox sings this marvelous traditional song. Primarily arranged by Bob with contributions from Paul Ruane (Fiddle) and N Holmes (Flute) This was a first play through of an arrangement.

The Snow it Melts the Soonest - Bob Fox Paul Ruane N Holmes

Martin Matthews - Durham UK is a tenor banjo player. A marvelous set dreamed up by Martin. I was thrilled to be asked to play on this set. This track is to appear on Martin's next "Wall to Wall" CD series. Recorded by Sean Taylor.

The track Bog Cotton starts with the Christmas Walk jig in C, and is followed by the Bog Cotton Jig/ Reel in Em, both are written by M Matthews.  The info re musicians instruments etc  are as follows, MM acoustic guitar, N Holmes whistles and flute, Dan Foster fiddle, Sean Taylor fretless bass, Cajon and Hammond organ. It's not finally mixed yet.

The flute used is a Holmes McNaughton blackwood eight keyed flute.

Bog Cotton - Jig and Reel - Martin Matthews, Dan Foster, Sean Taylor & N Holmes

This is a track that I've just re-recorded this time with the help of Karen Tweed and with the original guitar and bouzouki accompaniment. It was first used on Wooden Flute Obsessions III CD. It starts with a laid back hornpipe known as Garrett Barry's. I think the second tune was composed by MacMaster (uncle of Natalie I presume) but has been through the mincer of the Durham Colpitts session and doesn't sound like anything I can trace. The final tune was composed by, close friend of all three musicians on this recording; Paul Ruane, for his daughter Orla Ruane in 1999 (approximately). Paul was a great fiddle player, a founder member of the Tyneside band Cuig. He died on the 3rd August 2016 at all too young an age. He taught me Orla's Reel shortly after he'd composed it and I've played it ever since.

Garrett Barry's Holland's and Orla's Reel. N Holmes, Dave Wood guitar, Karen Tweed accordion

A set of jigs that I got from Diarmuid O'Brien(fiddle) when he he was studying in the area in the late 90s. Dorus Mill (Daly)and the second tune which might be a version of The Shetland but the B part is different. Dave Wood guitar - N Holmes flute - Holmes McNaughton blackwood eight key Rudall copy

Dorus Mill And The Shetland Jigs D Wood N N Holmes

N Holmes - Holmes-McNaughton African Blackwood eight key flute

The Castle Jig (S Ryan) & Scotsman Over the Border

The Castle Jig & Scotsman Over The Border 2017 - Dave Wood guitar

A set of jigs; the first I learned in the late seventies at Leicester Irish Centre music session. The later jig I got from Des Hurley (Leeds) and Dairmuid O'Brien (Limerick). Dave Wood recorded this guitar part for me in 2002 or 3. I did record a flute to it at the time but I wanted to do this version using our own copy of a Rudall simple system flute - Holmes McNaughton eight key in African blackwood. Flute recorded Jan 2017. The Bodhran (2002) played by Reed Ingram Weir of Ingramsounds (PA and equipment hire - Newcastle)

Tell Her I Am - Holmes Wood Ingram-Weir

This is a slow air I got from a Christy Barry recording. He plays this tune using the same fingering on a D simple system flute but I thought I'd try it on a Bb Ormiston Eight Key Flute. It has the use the foot joint quite a lot which makes it trickier but well worth the effort.

Christy recorded it on Wooden Flute Obsessions 3. He plays a marvellous rendition full of feeling and emotion.

The image of the fiddle player is Chris Jordan of Bohola (Eire) and Newcastle UK. A long time friend and musician long gone RIP.

An Buachaillin Ban - Traditional Irish Slow Air Bb Flute

N Holmes Bb Flute (Ormiston - Rudall copy)
Martin Matthews Guitar
N Holmes Trillian Upright Bass (Prog)
This beautiful air written by my friend Gerry Kaley in approximately 1996 was originally conceived as an instrumental break in the song; The Penny Falls, also written by Gerry and recorded by singer Sean Keane. It has changed slightly in the course of arrangement. This version is how I heard it at its inception shortly after Gerry wrote it. It had several "working titles" and I remember it as The Penny Falls.

Thanks to Martin Matthews for the guitar accompaniment. 

https://soundcloud.com/holmesflute/sets/holmesflute-playlist-2

Tom Kaley's Air

Tom Kaley's Air 04082017 N Holmes Bb Flute

A song that Bob and I recorded with Fairport Convention in 2000. It is on Dreams Never Leave You, by Bob Fox - Songman in the West End's War Horse.

Ralph McTell told me (at Cropredy 2000) that this is the best arrangement of his song that he's ever heard.

Clare To Here, Fairport Convention, Bob Fox and N Holmes - A Whistle

Irish reels The Tempest and (Scots) Rachel Rae played on an eight key Holmes McNaughton African Blackwood Flute. Dave Wood played and arranged the guitar accompaniment.

The Tempest & Rachel Rae (reels) N Holmes, Dave Wood (Guitar)

Two reels I've played all my life but hadn't recorded until now 2018. The photograph attached is Chris Jordan (Newcastle & Bohola Co Mayo)

Jug Of Punch Eddie Kelly's Reels N Holmes, Dave Wood (guitar)

The Souvenir Hornpipe from (T Breen) Hornpipe  on Holmes McNaughton Rudall 8 Key

holmesmcnaughton.com

The Souvenir (from T Breen) Hornpipe  on Holmes McNaughton Rudall 8 Key

A brace of hornpipes by N Holmes (Holmes McNaughton D Flute) and Louis Bingham on Guitar and Cittern.

The accompanying image is a photograph taken on a recent hike on the Wicklow Mountains (Dublin & Wicklow) The Wicklow Way

Second Star &  Mathematician Hornpipes N Holmes, Louis Bingham 08062020

Hop Jigs 
Silver Slipper traditional
The Loom or Tommie Potts hop jig
The Broken Loom (N Holmes)
N Holmes - eight key, simple system flute
Louis Bingham Guitar, Cittern/Bouzouki

Hop Jigs; Silver Slipper, The Loom and The Broken Loom.

A track from the forthcoming CD release of 'Paul Ruane - Sound' with Dee Ruane, Celia Ruane, Eva Ruane, Louis Bingham, Dave Wood & N Holmes

Art; Karen Tweed

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