Tom Ryan Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Last night's Geantrai TV program on TG4 was hosted by Noel Hill from a pub in Corofin in County Clare. There's great playing by Noel and also some wonderful flute and fiddle playing by such players as Kevin Crawford, James Cullinane, Peadar O'Loghlin, Maeve Donnelly, and others. It's fabulous music. A wonderful bonus is that at the beginning of the program, there's a short clip of a very young Noel playing on a television program, and seated next to him, though not playing, is none other than Seamus Ennis, whom I assume was the host of that show. You can access the program by Googling TG4 and following the web tv link to "Ceol - Cartlann" The Geantrai program is dated yesterday, January 9. (All the speaking is in Irish.) Enjoy. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiamh Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Thanks Tom, very enjoyable program. Great to see Peadar O Loughlin and I love watching Maeve Donnelly iin restrained mode, although she seemed to forget about that right at the end. Interesting to note that Noel H leaned over to the right while playing as a child, and now leans over to the right when talking to the camera - the latter effect being more than a little comic. (Yes I know he was leaning on a railing but they only showed his head.) NH is a wonderful player of course, but does anybody else besides me find the extreme tina-shaking vibrato in the slow pieces simply ghastly? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Johnson Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 NH is a wonderful player of course, but does anybody else besides me find the extreme tina-shaking vibrato in the slow pieces simply ghastly? Steve I'm sure you have some company, but I for one appreciate the fact that he can find more in a tune than most people will ever realize is there. Noel once said "Music without emotion isn't music." You may not appreciate the way he chooses to express what he feels in the music. Taste is an individual thing, and if it doesn't resonate, I hope there are other players who do connect with you better. What you find Ghastly though, I find exquisite, and don't find how he leans or tilts his head remarkable or understand why it would be comical. But then what do I know . Dana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3838 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 How do you follow the link? It got me nowhere. To the selling site of "irish traditional concertina with 30 keys". Never knew that Stagi with 30 keys is Irish traditional concertina. Does it only support Windows and Mac? I'm on Linux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce McCaskey Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 How do you follow the link? It got me nowhere. To the selling site of "irish traditional concertina with 30 keys". Never knew that Stagi with 30 keys is Irish traditional concertina.Does it only support Windows and Mac? I'm on Linux. I don't know about Linux, but going to http://www.tg4.tv/ should get you started. Then click on "Ceol - Cartlann" and select the "Geantraí - 9 /1/2007" program as described at the start of this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter Laban Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 (edited) NH is a wonderful player of course, but does anybody else besides me find the extreme tina-shaking vibrato in the slow pieces simply ghastly? Well, some would say he always manages to do that bit too much of everything he does When you see him play a concert he has the engineer put cathedral size reverb on his air playing on top of it so on it's own the shaking seems quite restrained. Edited January 12, 2007 by Peter Laban Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 I don't know about Linux, but going to http://www.tg4.tv/ should get you started. Then click on "Ceol - Cartlann" and select the "Geantraí - 9 /1/2007" program as described at the start of this thread. Bruce These instructions worked perfectly. Thanks for the clarification. Thanks Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence Reeves Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Has anyone figured out a way of archiving these programs? I would love to keep and burn to DVD. The show on Kitty Hayes with Dympna O'Sullivan was another keeper.It is also a great way to practice my Irish. Maith dom mo chuid Gaeilge bhriste. I know if the show were recorded for personal use on VHS,TIVO,or DVD recorder in Ireland there would be no copyright issues. Any tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaryK Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 NH is a wonderful player of course, but does anybody else besides me find the extreme tina-shaking vibrato in the slow pieces simply ghastly? Steve I'm sure you have some company, but I for one appreciate the fact that he can find more in a tune than most people will ever realize is there. Noel once said "Music without emotion isn't music." You may not appreciate the way he chooses to express what he feels in the music. Taste is an individual thing, and if it doesn't resonate, I hope there are other players who do connect with you better. What you find Ghastly though, I find exquisite, and don't find how he leans or tilts his head remarkable or understand why it would be comical. But then what do I know . Dana Personally, I find that Noel's techniques enhance the music for me. I don't think his vibrato is overdone, at least not in the airs I've heard him play. My only regret is that his bellows control is so masterful to pull off phrasing while playing vibratos and other embellishments that it is difficult to emulate. Takes lots of practice. On the TG4 video, there was one tune ("March of the King of Laois", I think) where it sounded as if he played a high drone note using vibrato, yet the melody line sounded unadorned without vibrato at the same time. Not sure if that is actually possible, but that is how the effect came across to me. It was beautifully done, however he did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce McCaskey Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 (edited) Has anyone figured out a way of archiving these programs? I would love to keep and burn to DVD. The show on Kitty Hayes with Dympna O'Sullivan was another keeper.It is also a great way to practice my Irish. Maith dom mo chuid Gaeilge bhriste. I know if the show were recorded for personal use on VHS,TIVO,or DVD recorder in Ireland there would be no copyright issues. Any tips? I don't know about copyright issues, but I've been archiving select tg4 programs including this one of Noel and the one of Kitty Hayes mentioned. I use the Replay AV program of the Applian Suite to capture the stream content. Once saved on a computer, standard video editing softare may be used to trim out commercials and such, and reformatted using a suitable video program (such as Replay Converter) to suit whatever disk or device you please. I've been putting mine on a video iPod. Edited January 12, 2007 by Bruce McCaskey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3838 Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 How do you follow the link? It got me nowhere. To the selling site of "irish traditional concertina with 30 keys". Never knew that Stagi with 30 keys is Irish traditional concertina. Does it only support Windows and Mac? I'm on Linux. I don't know about Linux, but going to http://www.tg4.tv/ should get you started. Then click on "Ceol - Cartlann" and select the "Geantraí - 9 /1/2007" program as described at the start of this thread. Operating system is not supported. I'll watch it from home, when my project is over. This stupid Linux! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiamh Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 I'm sure you have some company, but I for one appreciate the fact that he can find more in a tune than most people will ever realize is there. Well I'm all for emotion in music but I suppose I'm allergic to (what I consider to be) excessive vibrato in any music and on any instrument, or voice for that matter. I have always found that when players or singers or actors try to put too much overt emotion into something they actually reduce the emotional impact of the piece on the listener (at least on me anyway), partly because they make the listener acutely aware of the performer rather than the piece itself. It's a fine line to tread admittedly but for me Noel certainly crosses it on one of the tunes in the program. Then there is the question of the instrument. Trying to produce vibrato from a free-reed instrumentby shaking it strikes me as akin to a singer trying to do the same by jumping up and down... half-joking of course, but I don't think the vibrato produced is pleasing to the ear in the same way that it can be on stringed or woodwind instruments for example. But as you say it's a matter of personal taste, of course, I would never dispute that. I greatly admire and generally love listening to Noel, btw, and have done for decades. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence Reeves Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 Recording on an Apple with QuickTime Pro works. Thanks for the tip earlier. I can now burn to DVD and iPod export easily. Took an hour to figure it all out, but seems to be smooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Johnson Posted January 12, 2007 Share Posted January 12, 2007 I have always found that when players or singers or actors try to put too much overt emotion into something they actually reduce the emotional impact of the piece on the listener Then there is the question of the instrument. Trying to produce vibrato from a free-reed instrumentby shaking it strikes me as akin to a singer trying to do the same by jumping up and down... Steve I find your first point here a very good one and I love the second image! but I also find that the kind of vibrato you generate by doing what Noel does ( it isn't really shaking, but a very rapid and controlled expansion and contraction of the belows ) generates a vibrato in loudness, instead of pitch which is what we are used to in voice and string instruments. I don't think of it as the same thing, simply something the concertina is capable of. I like it because it can be done with any degree of intensity at low volumes or higher ones. It really reminds me more of a piping ornament, but with more control available over volume level and overall shape. Regarding string vibrato, I was pleased to find a wonderful baroque violinist who did a couple really wonderful CD's of Bach, but with no vibrato at all. Rachel Podger is her name, but I really loved hearing the instrument free of the constant vibrato that most modern violinists use. Gosh she is good! Dana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reid Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 In this episode of Geantraí, anyone know the name of the flute player with the shaved head? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryo Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Hi Michael, That's Garry Shannon as in brother to Sharon and Mary and if the stories are true, responsible in some ways for starting them all off on the musical road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3838 Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 At last I watched the program. I generally don't get too high or Irish music, and honky shrill of high end (why?) concertinas make me re-connect with my animal ansestry, but watching Noel Hill play is entirely different deal. Very interesting. I didn't know he speaks Irish. What a language! Even wierder than Russian. Truly ancient sound to it. I especially liked the tune, when he shakes the bellows. No, it's not vibrato, it's the infamous accordion bellows shaking. more akin to singng and jumping, but I think it's well done and quite in place. The rendering of the tune was remarkable and would have been way better, if not for that cheesy electro-organ, playing Oom-pa-Oom-pas. I thought 70es are behind us by now. Good program and awsome language, I keep watching and listening to the seaking, over and over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter Laban Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 (edited) t. I greatly admire and generally love listening to Noel, btw, and have done for decades. Steve I think it depends on context a bit. Noel Hill and Tony Linnane played a reunion gig in Ennis last year. First both played eight sets on their own (albeit with their accompanists) Linnane played wonderful if maybe slightly introverted and complex music, Hill rolled out the big ego with what I think as just that bit too much of everything and heavily overstated airs, aiming as Steve says quite a bit for the obvious with broad concertinashake and huge reverb (and a blanket of Brian McGrath's keyboard wrapped around it all) and to be honest I didn't enjoy most of his set much at all. When the two came together after the break they just lifted off and things were about bringing the duet playing together, Linnane all smiles almost levitating a few inches above his chair and Hill toning himself down to suit the duet. That was magic and I don't think you'll find much better. We get a bit more exposure to him though and get to hear a lot (and I mean a lot) more fine concertinaplayers regularly, which probably changes your outlook as well. And generally I also think less is more and for great emotional and subtle concertinaplaying I'd prefer players like Yvonne Griffin, her music never fails to move me. So there you have it, personal taste and all that. Which doesn't mean to say I don't think Hills a great musician, understatement is just not part of his vocabulary. I'll be taking my son to his bi-weekly class with him in a few hours. Edited January 13, 2007 by Peter Laban Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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