Tatter Jack Walsh Tune By Mary Macnamara

[Lars]

Was wondering if any one of Mary's students know the details of this tune? I have it in the key of G but it sounds as if she plays it (from the Blackberry Blossom CD) in the key of Bb. Or is she using an A/E concertina?

Anyone know?

 

Lars

[Bruce McCaskey]

It seems to me that either in the CD insert or on her website Mary noted the concertinas used for each track on this CD. It was from her website that I first learned Shandon Bells and that she used something other than a C/G to record it (I think it was a G/D but it's been a year or more since I read it so that detail is a little fuzzy).

 

I don't seem to be able to readily locate my copy of the CD though so I can't confirm from that source, and Mary's website has been down for at least several weeks. I'm not sure what's going on there but I hope she gets it restored since it had a lot of interesting material.

 

Edited to add:

 

Found my CD, but didn't see anything useful in the insert about the concertinas used so the information I'm thinking of must have been on the website. I tried reviewing an archived version of her website but that didn't work as well as I'd hoped, I was only able to locate part of the site's original content, and while I found material related to this CD, I didn't find anything useful in answering your question.

 

Maybe someone else can come up with something more helpful.

 

Bruce

Edited March 5, 2006 by Bruce McCaskey

[JimLucas]

Was wondering if any one of Mary's students know the details of this tune? I have it in the key of G but it sounds as if she plays it (from the Blackberry Blossom CD) in the key of Bb. Or is she using an A/E concertina?

Lars, do you mean Ab/Eb? That would make more sense. If she used the fingering that most folks use on a C/G to get it sounding in D (the key in O'Neill's Music of Ireland, where it's called Father Jack Walsh), then that fingering on an Ab/Eb would result in it sounding in Bb. That fingering on an A/E would have it sounding in B-natural.

 

It seems to me that either in the CD insert or on her website Mary noted the concertinas used for each track on this CD.

This Topic suggests it was her web site. My own comment in that thread seems to imply that the web site said the entire CD was recorded on a G/D. Lars' mention of the key he hears for Tatter Jack Walsh suggests otherwise, since played with the standard fingering on a G/D it would sound in the key of A, not Bb. I hope her web site is back up soon, so we can check what it actually says.

[Guest]

Unfortunately Mary's website has been down for over six months, and her email address no longer works either. I also hope that it is back up and running soon.

 

Cheers

Morgana

[Lars]

Was wondering if any one of Mary's students know the details of this tune? I have it in the key of G but it sounds as if she plays it (from the Blackberry Blossom CD) in the key of Bb. Or is she using an A/E concertina?

Lars, do you mean Ab/Eb? That would make more sense. If she used the fingering that most folks use on a C/G to get it sounding in D (the key in O'Neill's Music of Ireland, where it's called Father Jack Walsh), then that fingering on an Ab/Eb would result in it sounding in Bb. That fingering on an A/E would have it sounding in B-natural.

 

It seems to me that either in the CD insert or on her website Mary noted the concertinas used for each track on this CD.

This Topic suggests it was her web site. My own comment in that thread seems to imply that the web site said the entire CD was recorded on a G/D. Lars' mention of the key he hears for Tatter Jack Walsh suggests otherwise, since played with the standard fingering on a G/D it would sound in the key of A, not Bb. I hope her web site is back up soon, so we can check what it actually says.

 

Thanks everyone....I can almost swear that her recording is exactly 2 whole steps down from the G version, so maybe it's Eb? The Blackberry Blossom CD doesn't give you the instrument info like her first CD does... I'll check again after I get this valve glued back on my instrument

If she's having hosting issues, I'd be happy to host her site as my hosting account has 3 spaces and only one is being used. No charge or strings....If any of you know her pass on the info.

 

Lars