Any recordings of these fine old ladies?

[Dan A]

Hey guys! For a while I've been on the warpath trying to run down a few recordings of historic concertina players in Munster, and I figured I'd ask around here to get it settled.

 

First, I know there are recordings of Ella-Mae o'Dwyer on the Clare Concertina Styles record, done on a German it sounds like. I also happened to catch the video of herself playing for Tony MacMahon which went up on youtube a while ago, apparently from one of the 'Come West Along the Road' programs. There also seem to be a few recordings of unknown provenance on the Comhaltas Archive site - they're listed as 'Unknown and T. Smith' as concertina player and recording engineer, respectively. Having listened to them, the instrument, style, and a few snippets of a woman laughing and talking makes me think these might be Mrs. o'Dwyer as well. First, does anyone know for sure if these are her? And second, are there any other recordings of her floating around? Her playing on the Clare Concertina CD certainly informed my playing style, and I'm very keen to consider what she does similarly or differently playing in that video clip, evidently on a different instrument.

 

Second, more than a few of us are aware of Ellen Galvin, the last pupil of Garrett Barry and a champion fiddle player. The biographies always note that as a young woman particularly, Nell was known to play both fiddle and concertina, and at the fleadh when she was only 18 she won first place on both instruments (that would have been around 1900 I suppose). I have long listened to the extant recordings of her fiddle playing, but by any chance had she ever been recorded on concertina? I know Michael Tubridy will be at the Northeast Piper's Tionol in October, and I'll surely ask him as well, but if anybody here has happened to hear anything, I'd be quite keen to know about it myself. Hearing her fiddle playing very seriously changed the way I listened to and thought about Irish music, and I'm wondering if her concertina playing mightn't do the same!

 

The third lady I'm chasing is somewhat lesser in fame than these two (all are fairly obscure by now, I suppose). Padraig o'Keeffe, other than being a fiddle teacher, also made quite some headway on accordion and concertina as well - his mother, I understand, was a concertina player in her day. But furthermore, Padraig's sister was known to play the concertina: Nora o'Keeffe, later married and known as Nora Carmody. In a small article on Padraig's life (by Peter Browne as I recall) it was mentioned that a few private recordings were taken of Padraig and Nora playing in duet, some rare old polkas and marches amongst the tunes. I'd give my left thumb to hear that mighty music! I have emailed Peter Browne at his rolling wave email address, but have not heard a response; he surely gets plenty of questions and requests. Would anyone here, being dedicated to the squeezy boxy arts, know aught of these tapes of Nora's concertina playing?

 

A big batch of mysteries and old thickets for you all!

Thanks,

Dan

[Erin Hart Paddy OBrien]

Hello Dan - was just enlightened about Richie Piggott's archive site that has a home recording of Padraig and Nora O'Keeffe playing together, making a recording of a family gathering to send over to her son who gad emigrated to America. The recording is from 1958.

 

https://www.richiepiggott.com/padraig--norah-orsquokeeffe--glountane-near-castleisland-co-kerry-1958.html

[LR71]

Years ago I was given dubs of field recordings of well known fiddlers - Junior Crehan, Paddy Canny, Paddy Fahy, etc., made by a visiting American in the early 70s.  The person who sent me this also said there were recordings of younger fiddlers - Peoples, P Glackin, "Tony Smith." Who's Tony Smith, I  asked.  My correspondent said don't bother, he's terrible.  I told him I'll be the judge of that!  But nothing doing. 

 

Eventually I figured out it was Antóin Mac Gabhann he was talking about.  Look up Kevin Delaney recordings, I think they're online.  Perhaps that's who this T Smith is.

 

Didn't know about that Richie Piggot site, will have to have a listen when I'm home.  I assume you know about the Handed Down Sliabh Luachra archives?

 

Nice to have someone interested in Irish music here.

[Peter Laban]

50 minutes ago, LR71 said:

Look up Kevin Delaney recordings

There's something odd about that. I got copies of the collection during the later 1990s from the Uni of NC ($2.50 for a cassette copy). It was always Chris Delaney and only recently he became 'Kevin' for reasons that are beyond me.

 

Anyhow, it's worth checking the ITMA catalogues for recordings.  There are some Dwyer recordings floating around.

 

I have a rake of Nell Galvin recordings but have yet to hear her play the concertina.

 

Ritchie Piggott has built a great collection around his project documenting the Chicago players of the previous century. His book is a milestone. Not a great deal of concertina playing though.

 

Also, Doireann ní Ghlacaín and Sara Flynn did a project around several female players, resulting in their recording 'The Housekeepers'. I have been at a presentation they did, very interesting stuff.  I there was a recording of Nora Hurley, a life long frifnd of EMO'D, included in the talk, nice tunes she had too. That may lead you to some of the players you were asking about, or at least to more information about them.

 

Only just now noticed the OP was from 2011. Ah well.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Peter Laban

[Clive Thorne]

If someone is performing under a different name (e.g. Kevin rather than Chris) then it is sometimes a way of working round contractual constraints.

[LR71]

Oh, it is a 12 year old question, isn't it.  Well, we're talking about it now?

 

Hadn't looked at those Delaney field recordings in a while.  You do see Tony Smith, fiddler.  Also some tape they've digitized, "Willie Clancy, Tony Smith."  Hmmm!  Among a lot of other interesting items.  Was Antóin just rolling tape, or playing with Willie? 

 

The Housekeepers is a great record!

[Peter Laban]

18 hours ago, Clive Thorne said:

If someone is performing under a different name (e.g. Kevin rather than Chris) then it is sometimes a way of working round contractual constraints.

This is an academic doing fieldwork, not a performance. The collectio  existed for years before the name change, that is why it puzzles me. But I suppose he decided at one point he wanted to be known by a different first name.

 

1 hour ago, LR71 said:

Was Antóin just rolling tape, or playing with Willie? 

Delaney, Chris or otherwise, visited his informants at home and mostly recorded them playing on their own. Willie played solo, at least on the tapes that were available during the nineties.  I have most of the typed index sheets that used to accompany the tapes at the time, although I am not sure at this stage where some of them are.

I remember someone remarking Delaney didn't get the best from his subjects and I think I agree with that. There's enough to enjoy though. While I haven't listened to the tapes for more than 20 years, I remember them as having some enjoyable moments. The very young James Kelly showed he already had his sense of melodic variation,for example, or at least I remember that was one of the things that struck me at the time.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Peter Laban

[Stephen Chambers]

On 10/28/2023 at 11:14 PM, Erin Hart Paddy OBrien said:

Hello Dan - was just enlightened about Richie Piggott's archive site that has a home recording of Padraig and Nora O'Keeffe playing together, making a recording of a family gathering to send over to her son who gad emigrated to America. The recording is from 1958.

 

https://www.richiepiggott.com/padraig--norah-orsquokeeffe--glountane-near-castleisland-co-kerry-1958.html

 

Many thanks, that was a joy to hear - especially after we've only just come home from spending the long-weekend at the  Patrick O'Keeffe Traditional Music Festival, in Castleisland!