Ballyknock Rambler (Gerdie Commane's)

[Takayuki YAGI]

I recently bought a CD called "Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part" by Isao and Masako Moriyasu.

One of the tunes on the CD is titled "Ballyknock Rambler" composed by Gerdie Commane.

(Ballyknock is the townland where Gerdie lived.)

 

I was talking about it with a friend yesterday and found out that it was included on the "Two Gentlemen" CD as an unnamed tune following "Lads of Laois".

 

On thesession.org it was listed simply as "Gerdie Commane's".
https://thesession.org/tunes/7602
Anyway it is a lovely tune indeed.

 

[Peter Laban]

It IS a lovely one.  And it's been nagging me all morning because it sounds very familiar, it's like a few other tunes in places. Can't put my finger on it quite yet.

 

Here are the two gentlemen, at the launch of their recording:

 

[Takayuki YAGI]

Thank you Peter for the lovely photo.
It will be 17 years next month since Gerdie passed away. I will keep playing this tune as well.

[Peter Laban]

Joe will be gone 15 years on 10 march  next spring.

 

The world is different with that generation gone.

 

 

One evening I was driving my son to his karate class in Ennistymon. I had the windows of the car  rolled down and we were playing the Two Gentlemen of Clare music on the CD player (my son was ten, eleven  or so and learning the concertina at the time). On the backroad near Moonagh lake we met an old Renault 4. I recognised the car..  We pulled over to let each other pass. It was Joe Ryan. He had the window open as well and as he passed, he heard the tunes in the car.  'Lovely Music' I said as he drove past, he smiled and was gone again. That's a good memory.

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Peter Laban

[Robin Harrison]

May I ask who the gentleman is, in the right of the image; he looks a lot younger than the two "elders".

[Takayuki YAGI]

2 hours ago, Peter Laban said:

The world is different with that generation gone.

I cannot agree more. And thank you for sharing your good memory.

I didn't get a chance to meet Joe Ryan, but I had a great time chatting with Gerdie in 1999 or 2000.

 

16 minutes ago, Robin Harrison said:

May I ask who the gentleman is, in the right of the image; he looks a lot younger than the two "elders".

If my memory serves correctly, that is Sonny Murray.

[Peter Laban]

On 11/3/2022 at 11:23 PM, Robin Harrison said:

he looks a lot younger than the two "elders".

Looks can be deceiving, Sonny Murray was born in 1920. Joe Ryan in 1928, Gerdy Commane was the eldest of the three,  born in 1917.

 

 

 

Quote

Isao and Masako Moriyasu

I am pretty sure I saw them in Ennis just now, when I went for a coffee. In town for next week's Tradfest, I assumed.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Peter Laban