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Theme Of The Month For November, 2014: Something Irish


Jim Besser

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I’m not an Irish traditional music player - I may be the only person to ever flunk out of a Noel Hill school. Not really, but the point stands: I have little to no expertise in this genre.

 

That doesn't mean I don't like the music; there are some truly fantastic tunes out there in ITM land, and some amazing players, Noel being just one of them, and more than a few right here on concertina.net. I enjoy tunes played in genuine ITM style - and Irish tunes adapted to other genres.

 

So that's this month's challenge: record and share the Irish tune of your choice- jig, slip jig, slide, reel, hornpipe, air, waltz, a common session tune or an obscure one, something from O’Carolan - in short, whatever interests you. If you need inspiration, spend some time onThe Session Web site, which has a fantastic collection of Irish tune notation.

 

And it doesn’t have to be in true ITM style. So choose your tune, choose how you want to play it, and let’s see what turns up!

Edited by Jim Besser
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This has been ignored till now so I thought I would post something. My default style for playing Irish tunes on G/D anglo, no attempt to be authentic:

 

That was great. Dusty Window Sills is one of my all time favorites.

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This has been ignored till now so I thought I would post something. My default style for playing Irish tunes on G/D anglo, no attempt to be authentic:

 

That was great. Dusty Window Sills is one of my all time favorites.

 

Thank you. A few more, sorry for the lack of light, a dismal day.

 

http://youtu.be/cES4kEchBK4

 

http://youtu.be/6dKEmbkFwB4

 

http://youtu.be/uZtvG24eghU

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This has been ignored till now so I thought I would post something. My default style for playing Irish tunes on G/D anglo, no attempt to be authentic:

 

http://youtu.be/yse_AJN-OYs

I find no fault in your default. :)

 

Great listening, all of them.

Even prompted me to try playing along on more than one. B)

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This has been ignored till now so I thought I would post something. My default style for playing Irish tunes on G/D anglo, no attempt to be authentic:

 

That was great. Dusty Window Sills is one of my all time favorites.

 

Thank you. A few more, sorry for the lack of light, a dismal day.

 

http://youtu.be/cES4kEchBK4

 

http://youtu.be/6dKEmbkFwB4

 

http://youtu.be/uZtvG24eghU

 

 

Very nice, all. Glad to hear some O'Carolan!

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Two tracks for this months theme;

 

Firstly the Air Valencia Harbour (also called" the song of the books") the tragic tale of the loss of the school master's books during a short voyage across the harbour in a small boat, which capsized. The song written by said school teacher, whilst he awaited a new suit of clothes after the dunking! This is in the genre of the Sean Nos song traditions. I learned this from the playing of Seamus Ennis.

Played on 56key Baritone /Treble Aeola (Wheatstone English).

 

https://soundcloud.com/geoff-wooff/valenciamp3

 

 

Second track;

 

A Hornpipe the name of which I have forgotten ( no doubt someone will inform us) played on a 46key Wakker Hayden Duet with the idea of emulating the robust style of the older Anglo players I met in Co.Clare. A certain ' along the rows' flavour with some octave playing.

 

https://soundcloud.com/geoff-wooff/itmduet3mp3

Edited by Geoff Wooff
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For something different, I wanted to try a slow, non-dance tune. For me, playing is always much harder when I don't have dancers to watch, and this was no exception.

 

I first heard Miss Hamilton, a 18th Century Irish harp tune, played on button accordion by John Williams on his Steam CD. He has another instrument doing a wonderful drone that I tried - and failed - to replicate. Gotta change keys to do that on my G/D.
Here's some background on the tune from the Comhaltas site: http://comhaltas.ie/.../miss_hamilton/

 

I plan to keep working on it to smooth out the rhythm and try some different chords and harmonies.

 

Played on a 30 button Jeffries G/D Anglo.

Edited by Jim Besser
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I have never played in the Irish style, and am not certain what it entails. I just played this melody only and tried to keep a good rhythm.Hope this qualifies as "Irish Style":)

 

https://soundcloud.com/ariaqueezehammer/merrily-kiss-the-quaker-3

 

 

My second Irish selection I played in my usual harmonic style. I tried to have my Anglo G/D concertina sound like bagpipes. The song is often played much faster, but Ken Kolodner plays it on the hammered dulcimer in a slow , melodic style that I tried to emulate.

 

It is the March of the King of Laois

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUdgFzgN10o

Edited by Daria
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I have never played in the Irish style, and am not certain what it entails. I just played this melody only and tried to keep a good rhythm.Hope this qualifies as "Irish Style":)

 

https://soundcloud.com/ariaqueezehammer/merrily-kiss-the-quaker-3

 

You're making amazing progress on that Morse G/D!

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I have never played in the Irish style, and am not certain what it entails. I just played this melody only and tried to keep a good rhythm.Hope this qualifies as "Irish Style":)

 

https://soundcloud.com/ariaqueezehammer/merrily-kiss-the-quaker-3

 

You're making amazing progress on that Morse G/D!

 

Thanks so much. This TOTM forum has been such a good learning tool for me.

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Two tracks for this months theme;

 

Firstly the Air Valencia Harbour (also called" the song of the books") the tragic tale of the loss of the school master's books during a short voyage across the harbour in a small boat, which capsized. The song written by said school teacher, whilst he awaited a new suit of clothes after the dunking! This is in the genre of the Sean Nos song traditions. I learned this from the playing of Seamus Ennis.

Played on 56key Baritone /Treble Aeola (Wheatstone English).

 

https://soundcloud.com/geoff-wooff/valenciamp3

 

 

Second track;

 

A Hornpipe the name of which I have forgotten ( no doubt someone will inform us) played on a 46key Wakker Hayden Duet with the idea of emulating the robust style of the older Anglo players I met in Co.Clare. A certain ' along the rows' flavour with some octave playing.

 

https://soundcloud.com/geoff-wooff/itmduet3mp3

 

Those were both really nice.

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Some really nice stuff this month. I like it all but I am surprised that, so far, we have had no real die-hard ITM breakneck Anglo playing.

 

Going out on a limb here and I will probably get shot down for this suggestion, but listening to Geoff's Valentia Harbour this is not the first time that a Sean Nos tune has reminded me of Portuguese Fado. I really know nothing about either genres but they both have a sad, mournful slow sound. Maybe they both use the same flatted scales?

 

Anyway, great stuff from Geoff, Wolf and all of the others. Thank you.

 

Don.

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