Irish trad tunes we love

Subject: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Stu
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 12:14 PM

As far as I am concerned, the people who wrote these tunes were geniuses on a par with Beethoven, Lennon & McCartney, Burt Bacharach etc

Kid on the Mountain

Man of the House (NaConnery's version of this- the set starts with Tuttles/Ships are Sailing is possibly one of the greatest piece of recorded Irish music I have heard)

Maid Of Mount Cisco

Farewell to Erin

Connachtman's Rambles

Out in The Ocean

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Paul Burke
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 12:38 PM

Boys of Ballisodare.
Brogan's Ferry.
The Leitrim Fancy.
The Scholar.
Anne Fishfluke.

and many others. But those are some of the big ones.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 01:22 PM

Going to the well for water.
Every time I hear it I want to dance the Ballyvourney jig set. It's an ear-worm of tune - never leaves your head.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: ard mhacha
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 04:56 PM

The Chieftains playing, O`Callaghans and Byrnes hornpipes, Aislin Gheal Sean O `Riada on harpsichord, An Cuileann and Ardai Cuain played by Geraldine O`Grady violin.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Scoville
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 05:07 PM

I don't even know if these are Irish or trad but they tend to turn up at what passes for Irish sessions here:

Gravel Walk

Morrison's Jig

Ships are Sailing (I'm going to master that sucker on dulcimer if it's the last thing my left hand ever does . . . )

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Tootler
Date: 18 Oct 06 - 06:07 PM

Boys of Bluehill
Tenpenny Bit
Carrickfergus
Ned of the Hill (I won't attempt to give the Gaelic title)
(I'm a sucker for slow airs)

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Stu
Date: 19 Oct 06 - 04:06 AM

What about polkas?

Denis Murphy's?

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Paul Burke
Date: 19 Oct 06 - 04:30 AM

The ones I really like are those that seem to have a lot of "space" in them, it's difficult to describe, but the Mooncoin jig (and more so, its single- jig sister, the Irish Girl) is a good example. they stand beein played solo, quitely, slower than normal.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Oct 06 - 07:38 AM

Rodneys glory.chief O neills favourite,Banish misfortune,Riding on a Wagon of Hay, The Blackbird, the Hunt, NewCentury.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: GUEST,eoin o'buadhaigh
Date: 19 Oct 06 - 07:48 AM

the corkscrew! makes me feel good after I play it.(as my kids used to say) all tickly inside!
eoin

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: GUEST,twaggle
Date: 19 Oct 06 - 09:03 AM

that lovely old tune,   MOLLY MADOOGLES MUFF

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: clueless don
Date: 19 Oct 06 - 09:19 AM

Some favorites:

Derry Craig Wood
The New Custom House
Dinky's
The Moving Cloud
The Dublin Reel

And that's just reels!

Don

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Scoville
Date: 19 Oct 06 - 10:26 AM

Again, no clue if these are actually Irish:

Black Nag
Haste to the Wedding
Whiskey Hornpipe ("Off to California" in the U.S.--one of the few hornpipes that has yet to be converted to a reel once it emigrated.)

Is "Riding on a Wagon of Hay" the same as "Riding on a Load of Hay"? Great tune.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 12:48 AM

The Wonder Hornpipe, enough accidentals in it to seriously bugger the guitarists [ unless they know it well ]

eric

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: clueless don
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 08:40 AM

To my 19 Oct 06 - 09:19 AM list I would also add "The Green Hills of Tyrol" (the reel, not the bagpipe tune. It is also sometimes called "Tripping Down the Stairs", and on occasion "The Green Fields of Antrim") and "Craig's Pipes".

Don

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: GUEST,TIA
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 10:28 AM

Mist Covered Mountain
Rights of Man
Musical Priest
Hut on Staten Island (Scottish perhaps?)
Athyll Highlander (again Scottish?)
Chatteing Magpie

Brainworms All

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 10:54 AM

TO SCOVILLE ITS A POLKA, byLiz carroll [trad style]

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Scoville
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 12:28 PM

Ha ha--my bad. All I know is it uses the jig/hornpipe strum on dulcimer and it ain't a reel. There are no genuine hornpipes in the U.S. any more, anyway, so I should have known.

Seems a bit slow for a polka, though. Be a lot of time between polka "hops" to stay suspended in the air.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 01:46 PM

"Guest, TIA" scored one out of six (maybe, I don't know "Chattering Magpie"). "Rights of Man" is probably Scottish/Northumbrian, by James Hill. "Mist Covered Mountains" is an English translation of a Scottish Gaelic title of a song to the Northumbrian tune "Johnny's Too Long at the Fair". "The Musical Priest" is a reel-time version of William Marshall's "The North Bridge of Edinburgh" (which he also called "Belhelvie House" and "Miss Watson"). "The Hut on Staffin Island" is a recent tune by Phil Cunningham, "Staten Island" (if that was meant) is an 18th century Scottish tune originally called "Burns's Hornpipe" (dunno which Burns, it predates the poet). "The Athol Highlanders" is now a jig but was originally a slow march used as the rallying tune for the Duke of Athol's private army.

"Haste to the Wedding" is probably by James Oswald, who was Scottish. His version of it, "The Small Pin Cushion", is from about 1740, though there were earlier Scottish or English songs about pincushions (symbolizing women's pubic hair) from about 1700 and they might have used some earlier variant of the tune - it's hard to see how else Oswald could have come up with such a weird title. But no known Irish link until decades later - it starts being called "Carrick Fergus" in Scottish sources from around 1790.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 02:11 PM

there is also THE mist covered mouNtain, BY JUNIOR CREHAN,an enchanting tune.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: GUEST,TIA
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 04:08 PM

Wow Jack Campin. Sounds like I'm more of a Scottish music fan, eh?

They sure do get played a lot by Irish musicians (both in USA and Ireland herself).

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: GUEST,TIA
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 04:15 PM

I am reminded of comments in the bouzouki setup thread about the bouzouki not being originally Irish. I've read somewhere that, based on DNA evidence, the Irish themselves are probably Portugese, not Celtic. Alas, nothing seems "traditional".

Aha, found it!

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=qw1094736421617B264

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 04:17 PM

I love "The Bell of Belfast City" Don't know who it is by though.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 04:44 PM

"The Belle of Belfast City" is a children's game song found all over the British Isles with the name of the city changed to any that scans. I'd be surprised if anybody could place its origin in a specific century, let alone identify which kid thought it up and where.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 07:11 PM

Greenwood Laddie

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 08:36 PM

Chieftains are real musicians. Subject to that, how the $%^& do you tell one from the other?

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: TIA
Date: 20 Oct 06 - 11:37 PM

Was just playing The Mountain Road with the kids. Great tune. Bet I'm about to find out it's Scottish! :)

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: GUEST,Mike Miller
Date: 21 Oct 06 - 12:00 AM

"Carrickfergus" (If it didn't have a range like the Star Spangled Banner, I would sing it in my sleep).
The A part of "Victory".
"Eileen Aroon" (It is a melody that just draws the harmony out of you).

Almost every tune that I learned in Allen's Fiddler.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Stu
Date: 21 Oct 06 - 06:03 AM

The £42 Cheque

King of the Session - one of Tony "Sully" Sullivan's new tunes is an A dorian barnstormer.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Oct 06 - 06:09 AM

, DONAL OG, FactoryGirl, Greenwood Laddie, Blackwater side,the Job of Journeywork, Song Of The Books, CapeClear.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: GUEST,Back Row of the Session
Date: 21 Oct 06 - 06:10 AM

Mountain Road is supposed to be a Michael Gorman composition, so it's from London, not Scotland.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Kay D
Date: 21 Oct 06 - 06:21 AM

Hi, just joined this site. I have been trying to find lyrics for a couple of songs. One is Punch & Judy Man the other I am not sure.I am sure it is Irish. The chorus is Fare thee well fare thee well my Island my home. It starts with "On my fathers own land I was born to be free, born to te islands the boats and the see."
Can you throw any info my way, much appreciated.
Kay D

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 04:54 AM

Punch & Judy by John Pole
@displaysong.cfm?SongID=4817

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 06:24 AM

I think Kay D meant John Connolys song Mr. Punch and Judy Man.

eric

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 10:52 AM

Is the other one the Dark island, scots

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 11:48 AM

Eric - the Punch and Judy Man is by John Conolly - one 'n', two 'l's!

kitty

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Gurney
Date: 22 Oct 06 - 10:12 PM

Shebeg and Shemor.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: oggie
Date: 23 Oct 06 - 04:38 PM

Almost anything played by John Doonan, his 'Flute for the Feis' LP is a classic of timing and ornamentation and dancibilty.

oggie

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 Oct 06 - 04:22 PM

micheal gorman was Irish.

Subject: RE: Irish trad tunes we love
From: Paul Burke
Date: 25 Oct 06 - 03:18 AM

Appen he was, but (according to the story) he was living in London when he wrote the tune.