Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP (Sep 2013)

Subject: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 04:07 AM

From the Cork Pipers' Club:

Tomás Ó Canainn RIP. Great character, wit, time to chat to anybody and of course knowledge and grá of traditional music.
Removal tomorrow (Mon) at 6pm in Glanmire [Cork].

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 04:17 AM

He was a vital presence in our musical community and is utterly irreplaceable. A true Renaissance man - fluent in several languages, a writer and composer as well as musician, singer, storyteller, and one of my all-time favourite people to play with. His Tuesday night session was my first port of call when I moved here, and many a good time was had in his front room.

My deepest condolences to Helen and their daughters, and a parting glass to the man himself.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: MartinRyan
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 04:39 AM

A few years ago, I was asked to do a presentation/workshop on the Irish Song Tradition to some visiting American students. I was a bit unnerved to find the previous speaker had been Tomás Ó Canainn! Rest in peace.

Regards

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 05:09 AM

Lovely man and great Knowledgs

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 05:27 AM

I'm very sorry to hear this. Condolences to all who knew him.

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 07:25 AM

I wil never forget the great contribution Tomas and his colleagues in NA Fili made to my first Loughborough festival in 1976, nor the charm of his personality. A fine man. Sad to see him go, but very glad that I knew him.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 07:48 AM

Worth seeing:

Se Mo Laoch Tomás Ó Cannainn

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 08:51 AM

Not only was he all that, Bonnie, but he was also an engineer, which gave rise to the odder names of some of his compositions- the Laplace Transform springs to mind. Many of his compositions were beautifully simple, ideal when I was a beginner back when he was only 40 or so.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 09:04 AM

I never met him, but I loved his book of Slow Irish Airs. May he rest in peace.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 11:02 AM

To be precise he was a mechanical engineer and did his phd here in Liverpool. Plus he was a bloody good poet, and he had a deep and extensive knowledge of ethnic music. Somewhere at the back of my mind is a recollection of reading a very scholarly paper he wrote on Arabic music.

A rare combination of rare talents.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP
From: Felipa
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 11:06 AM

every time I look at Mudcat these days I learn of the death of someone else I've met and admired. His contributions to Irish music, song and architecture ( I came across Tomás once in Royal Ave, Belfast, working as an engineer on a site - the Bank buildings I think) will live on

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP (Sep 2013)
From: Mick Tems
Date: 18 Sep 13 - 06:58 AM

When I was organiser at Llantrisant Folk Club, I booked Tomas and Na Fili at the Cross Keys pub; to see and hear this university lecturer and dean singing and playing the uilleann pipes so expertly was one of my unforgettable and most moving experiences. Matt and Tom both contributed in full to the Na Fili magic - it was just a wonderful sensation that will be etched on my brain for always.

Mick Tems

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP (Sep 2013)
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 18 Sep 13 - 07:08 AM

Glad to see this thread back at the top after its cat nap. More here:

RTÉ news

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0916/474586-uilleann-piper-tomas-o-canainn-dies-aged-82/

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP (Sep 2013)
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 18 Sep 13 - 07:08 AM

Glad to see this thread back at the top after its cat nap. More here:

RTÉ news

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0916/474586-uilleann-piper-tomas-o-canainn-dies-aged-82/

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP (Sep 2013)
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 18 Sep 13 - 07:16 AM

Sorry. The page took forever to load and I thought had frozen, so I clicked twice (which is sometimes necessary, other times not). Tomás would probably get a chuckle out of the mischief though - he was a great tease.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP (Sep 2013)
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 18 Sep 13 - 08:43 AM

Very sad news - his book of slow airs is an object lesson in tunebook production, and his other writings on ITM were all very informative and clear-headed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP (Sep 2013)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Sep 13 - 07:26 AM

I have his book of slow airs, too. One day I played "The Month of January" from it on my flute, and a friend said, "That's so beautiful, it gives me chills."

The world is a little poorer for his loss.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tomás Ó Canainn RIP (Sep 2013)
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Sep 13 - 10:02 AM

He learnt Japanese good enough to have a conversation after only six months!!