Yeah Mick - I was fortunate to have heard Al Purcell play in St. Louis before his own passing. My clearest memory of the performance was Purcell's relating the story of a worldwide moment of silence that had been observed when Dag Hammarskjöld was tragically killed in an airplane crash in the Congo.   

Purcell informed us that the world's radios went briefly into a silence that was eventually punctuated by the solitary sound of an Irish air on the Uillean pipes. (In his St. Louis performance, Purcell then played that haunting air for us.) I am sorry that I cannot recall the name of the tune at this time (shame on me).

Anyway, Al's story and piping made for a very poignant moment. When you cast Purcell's story into the context of its occurance - it certainly seems like a important moment for The Music at a time when - from a popularity perspective - The Music was in eclipse.