Sliabh Na MBan (The Mountain of the Women) - this is one of four beautiful Gaelic ballads that I came across in an Irish fiddle book. I used a low D penny whistle, along with reverb and a delay from digital software.

Photo of Ireland by Wayne D. Wardwell, Jr. (my father)

Sliabh Na MBan (The Mountain of the Women)

This small tune is about a Norwegian named Jørgen (George), a hat maker. Though a simple little tune, it has an interesting mood to it.

Photo by Annie Wardwell. Store front in Oslo, Norge.

Jørgen Hattemaker

Collected and sung by Alf Prøsen, sort of Norge's equivalent to America's Burl Ives, this is a song of an idyllic sailing trip out on Lake Mjøsa.

Annie and I rode the train past Lake Mjøsa on the way to Lillehammer in March one year right after Norge's largest snow storm. But it doesn't have to take much imagination to envision how beautiful a sailing trip one could take four or five months later in the gentle breeze and warmth of the sun. In either language, one can sense from the song the calm, pleasant trip the songwriter envisioned.

Photo by Annie Wardwell of Lake Mjøsa from the train to Lillehammer.

Så Seile Vi På Mjøsa - So We Sail on Lake Mjøsa

The story goes something to the effect that Turlough O'Carolan
(a.k.a. Carolan and known as Ireland's best known harpist and songwriter)1670-1737, was not feeling well and so went to a doctor who prescribed that he stop drinking. Saddened at this directive, O'Carolan began to feel worse and worse, until he found a doctor who gave him a prescription (receipt) to start drinking again. To which he immediately did, and soon after felt in much better "spirits!"

Photo by my dad of his pet Aussie, the late, great Sydney. She was Dad's great hiking companion.


Carolan's Receipt

This was a challenging jig in terms of trying to get the second part to match the tempo of the first part (the melody). A low D penny whistle was used for both parts, and then a reverb and delay were added afterward digitally.
 
Photo by Wayne D. Wardwell, Jr., my father. While it is not a four-leaf clover which is said to bring good luck as well as 'banish misfortune', still it is beautiful to hopefully bring some sense of good fortune.


Banish Misfortune

This is what I think of as a beautifully calm and graceful tune by Turlough O'Carolan, considered by many to be Ireland's greatest composure.

Photo of Paco (short for 'pajaro' or Spanish for 'bird'), one of my pet cockatiels. I often think of Paco as dressed in a grand military uniform, complete with hat with feathered topnotch, and yes, he did seem to impress Rosie, the only lady cockatiel in the group. 

Colonel John Irwin may or may not have had an impressive hat with a topnotch to impress the ladies, but we do know that he had a song to immortalize him, 

Colonel John Irwin

This is a challenging, clever jig to play.

Photo of the abbey at St. Andrews, Scotland by Wayne D. Wardwell, Jr., my father. I am not sure whether a window with or without glass would have more dust, but I imagine the remaining wall of the abbey hadn't been dusted for a while.

Dusty Windowsills, The

This is a set of three reels. The Firth of Cromortie has two parts, and is followed by Mrs. Webster and Sporting Molly with just a single melody line. A reverb was added afterward digitally.  (It was also re-posted after a second part was added to Sporting Molly.)

Photo by Wayne D. Wardwell, Jr. of the waters along Oban, Scotland similar to what the Firth (or bay) of Cromortie might look like.


Firth Of Cromortie, The - Mrs. Webster - Sporting Molly

This is a hornpipe with two versions. The first has the uneven 8th notes, and the second has the even-length 8th notes. 

Photo of a fisher's boat for a fisher's hornpipe. Photo by Wayne D. Wardwell, Jr., my father.

Fisher's Hornpipe

Irish tune by Rory Dall O ' Cathain in the 17th century and played on low D penny whistle. 

Photo: me with both of my own hands on a Baroque flute a few years ago.

Give Me Your Hand

This is basically a mashed four-part recorder arrangement of Pachelbel's Canon in D that was done in my life though Pachelbel's part was written back in the 17th century.

Photo by K. Wardwell

Pachelbel's Canon In D - In My Life

The Burning of the Pipers' Hut was played on a Low D penny whistle and due to some accidentals, the Crossing to Ireland was played on a tenor recorder.  A reverb was added later digitally.

Photo by Wayne D. Wardwell, Jr., my father, of a Scottish piper.

The Burning Of The Pipers' Hut  -  Crossing To Ireland

In 1980, I traveled from Paraguay through Bolivia and Peru up to the US and was introduced to the quena.  For 38 years, I have tried to figure out how to play it so I wasn't ashamed for anyone else to hear it. I still have much to learn, but I am starting to get a feel for it. 

The photo is a gorgeous view of Machu Picchu at sunrise, and the photographer placed it into the public domain.

Incan Tribute

Recorders and penny whistles - early music, Celtic and folk music.

Kim Wardwell

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