In Memory of Seamus Ennis (1919-1982)

Subject: In Memory of Seamus Ennis
From: Fiolar
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 08:35 AM

Apologies for being a bit late. The 20th anniversary of the death of Seamus Ennis, probably one of the greatest Irish pipers and music collectors occurred on October 5th. He died of cancer aged 69 and was a sad loss to the music community world wide. His recordings are still great favourites of mine.

Subject: RE: In Memory of Seamus Ennis
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 09:21 AM

Lomax, Ennis, Henderson. An era has definitely passed. And the world is considerably poorer.

Subject: RE: In Memory of Seamus Ennis
From: Kaleea
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 02:36 PM

I think it was about a year ago that I got a nice CD of Seamus Ennis which Green Linnet offered, I thoroughly enjoyed! And to think that once I thought that I was the only person who actually listens to recordings of pipe players!

Subject: Lyr Add: EASTER SNOW (Christy Moore)
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Oct 02 - 03:22 PM

EASTER SNOW
(Christy Moore)

CHORUS
Oh the easter snow
It is faded away,
It was so rare and beutiful,
Now it's faded back into the clay

Those days will be remembered
Beyond out in the Naul,
Listening to the masters notes
As gently they did fall.
OH.....the music
As Seamus he did play,
But the thaw crept over the mantle white
And turned it back into the clay.

CHORUS

He gazed at the embers in reflection,
He called up lost verses again,
He smiled at a roguish recollection,
While his fingers gripped the glass to stem the pain.
When knocked on his door would always open,
With a welcome he'd bid the time of day.
Though we came when the last flakes were melted,
While they lay upon the ground we stayed away.

Subject: RE: In Memory of Seamus Ennis (1919-1982)
From: The Sandman
Date: 30 Jul 22 - 07:17 AM

1951, he joined the BBC. He moved to London to work with producer Brian George. In 1952 he married Margaret Glynn. They had two children, Catherine (growing up she became a famous organist[5]) and Christopher. His job was to record the traditional music of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and to present it on the BBC Home Service. The programme was called As I Roved Out and ran until 1958.

Subject: RE: In Memory of Seamus Ennis (1919-1982)
From: GUEST,Allan Dennehy
Date: 07 Sep 26 - 05:15 AM

I believe he was 63 when he died.

Subject: RE: In Memory of Seamus Ennis (1919-1982)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Sep 26 - 05:49 AM

Yes, he was born in 1919. Seven years ago there was a lot done around his centenary.

Subject: RE: In Memory of Seamus Ennis (1919-1982)
From: GUEST,Jon Dudley
Date: 11 Sep 26 - 05:39 AM

Dear Seamus...such a gentleman, he was recruited as has been said to record songs and dialect for the BBC along with Peter Kennedy, Bob Copper and others. He and Bob struck up a great friendship and he appears playing the tin whistle on the 1971 Aquarius documentary film about the Copper Family. Whilst on collecting trips he would sometimes stay at 'The Castle', opposite Bob's club, 'The Central', and Bob recalled that the phone would ring and Seamus' wonderful brogue would intone the words "Hello, is that you Bob?, I'm feeling the need of a drink upon me"...he and Bob would then swap endless songs and stories...oh to have been a fly on the wall.

Subject: RE: In Memory of Seamus Ennis (1919-1982)
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 12 Sep 26 - 09:25 AM

Seamus Ennis started his official collecting career during the Irish Emergency' for the Irish Folklore Commission, and was approached later to carry on the work with 1947 equipment.

   About his 1942 activities, he said 'I was given an oul' stub of a pencil, a penny jotter and a rusty bicycle & told to get out to the West & collect what remains of our music before the next wave of jazz from America sweeps it all away'.

In 1948, he was given mobile equipment which enabled him to record musicians in their kitchens rather than drag them up to Dublin to a clinical studio in Dublin.
   He recorded widely, mostly in Ireland, and in early 1948, visited the village of Drumkeerin in Co. Leitrim.
There he met a local fiddle player called Joe 'Lacky' Gallagher & recorded him at length. Now I moved to Drumkeerin some years ago and became involved with the John McKenna Society, set up to honour the memory of the great local flute player, and his legacy of US recorded 78s.
   I soon became aware that the Society had already issued a CD with a full hour of the Seamus Ennis recordings from 1948 of Joe 'Lacky's music, which the society still have available.

You can acquire this CD, the 'Leitrim Cake' from johnmckenna.ie
as well as the amazing double CD 'Buck from the Mountain'- an amazing collection of John McKenna's complete works.

Subject: RE: In Memory of Seamus Ennis (1919-1982)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Sep 26 - 11:07 AM

We organised English tours for him in the early 1970s, mainly so that we would be able to book him at our folk club in Lewes and on both tours he stayed with us which was at that time was a 3rd story flat in Brighton. which was one of the tours included an evening at the Coppersongs Folk Club mentioned by John Dudley above.
Two of many memories from those days:-

* Seamus went to one of the windows of the flat and threw it wide open and then sat precariously over a long drop to the pavement. "I am taking my place on the wooden window sill of Sillwood Place!" it was the sort of play on words that Seamus loved - but I was very pleased when he came back in.

* I had bought two copies of an album of his one for ourselves and the other for the raffle. He examined them carefully, rather disdainfully, I thought but he said nothing before offering to sign our copy which included thanks to Tina and I for arranging the tour and accommodating him.
Later on and the end of the interval at the evening of wonderful song and piping at the club, it was time to draw the raffle. Seamus jumped and asked if he could present the LP to the winner. When she came up to claim her prize Seamus loudly asked her she could give him a penny from her purse. She found one and gave it to him. Before he handed her the record He held the penny up and addressed the audience. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have now received more more money for this young lady than I have ever had from the.... " then looking down at the cover of the LP and spitting out the words -"EMBER RECORD COMPANY!"

Subject: RE: In Memory of Seamus Ennis (1919-1982)
From: GUEST,Vic Smith
Date: 12 Sep 26 - 11:11 AM

The above post at 12 Sep 26 - 11:07 AM was by me, Vic Smith.