Of those who have this, what comments have ye?
Anyone have Lesl Harker’s e mail address to order the compilation.
Being a big Mike admirer, I realy feel the need for a companion CD…(or set, I guess)…can’t seem to get the “feel” between these tunes and the dots from the “studio” recordings…(well, most of them anyway)
…not that I can do much better w/ others…
I like it. If nothing else, it’s a lot of tunes in a relatively small book for those of us who practice somewhere that isn’t at home and have trouble remembering what we wanted to play when no one else is around to start tunes. It’s interesting to see where the breaks for breathing are, though I hardly ever end up breathing in those places. 
I don’t have it, but I have seen it. For someone who likes to read the dots it is a great resource.
I have several other tune books. I like the Rafferty book because it has tunes written down the way a flutie plays them. This has helped me identify the right flute “idiom” so I don’t end up trying to replicate my banjo ornaments on the flute.
It is also a nice big compilation of tunes that includes a few I haven’t seen anywhere else.
About the only “weakness” is that some tunes are quite different to the “usual” way I have heard them played (e.g. Maid behind the Bar). This is not really a weakness at all, because it reflects the diversity of styles and learning networks in the folk process.
Its a great book i believe, and a must for all beginner and some advanced flute players,
I dont need it as i have more tunes in my head than they could write in five books,
Quite right. They’re not just ‘tunes’, they’re transcriptions of Mike’s playing.
I think I’m right in saying that at leat 42 of the tunes appear on Mike’s various CDs, and while some of them he plays on the pipes (“Down the Back Lane/O’Shaughnessy’s” springs to mind) the tunes are still transcribed from his fluting.
Lesl’s done a fantastic job of ‘conservation’ as well, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a Volume 2 (and quite possibly an accompanying CD as well) in the foreseeable future.
In addition to all this, the notes sections at the back of the book provide some interesting and amusing anecdotes concerning the tunes and how and where Mike got them.
With regard to some of the settings being ‘different to the usual way they’re played’, Mike Rafferty (and thus the tunes in this book) has a direct and eminently ‘traceable’ lineage back through the tradition, so when it comes to the question of ‘authenticity’ or ‘setting’, any snoots that might feel the need to be cocked should probably be directed at ‘the usual way’ found in sessions (courtesy of Mel Bay in all likelihood) rather than towards Mr Rafferty, methinks.
whats wrong with replicating some banjo ornamentation on the flute?
Flutes look silly with ribbons and tinsel dangling off the end.
You said it ! (the michievous Mr Bay in particular…for copyright reasons)
I always thought that the authentic version of the tune is the way the strongest player in the session is playing it.
You gonna say that Glinjack’s version or Andy Mcgann’s version of a tune is better or worse than Rafferty’s?
Nope. But I have heard enough (and watched enough) of Mike at close range to believe he’s the most economical (or ergonomical as well, I suppose) player I’ve ever seen…you could cojecture that that relates well to a historical imperitive (Achmed’s Razor) 
I’m joining in with Jack. I do wish for that CD set!!!
…“Clamber, clamber, clamber …”
About the only “weakness” is that some tunes are quite different to the “usual” way I have heard them played…
That’s precisely one of the book’s great strengths! This isn’t your “Five Million Irish Session Favorites”…it’s real music as played by one of the greats.
Edited to add that Ossian USA has it, as well as Mike (and Mary) Rafferty’s recordings.
www.ossianusa.com
Yep. One of my three favorite tune books–along with Jeff Titon’s book of Kentucky fiddle tunes and the Dungreen Collection of Cape Breton Tunes–because of the generous amount of info included in the transcriptions and intro material.
Wow thanks guys n dolls!
There is a page my family has put up …[snip]
edit 14 aug 06: The Mike Rafferty tune book now has its own web page thanks to Brad Hurley:
http://www.firescribble.net/rafferty/index.html
I have mentioned the point of a tunes-cd to the Raffertys and don’t really have much to report yet.. “maybe” and “if I have time” is all the answer I’ve had so far basically. But at least they know it’s wanted!
I’ve encountered numerous sessions where the players wish they played the tunes “that way”. This was one of the main reasons I compiled the book - I was spending a fair amount of time trying to remember to send someone the notes for the way I had the tunes..
Ps. There also are quite a few sessions where the tunes are being played just the way they are “in the book”. (I’ve already been threatened with “no, no, in the book it goes BA-B…”!)
L –
And from the looks of it, your daughter’s as cool and funny as you are.
P.S. And I still love the Book; as far as not only learning tunes but learning FROM tunes (especially for those of us in the provinces), it’s the berries.
Thanks Cat. But as for the daughter - more nice and funnier! 
Thanks Lesl - I wasn’t complaining - just noting for other readers’ benefit.
PS On the website, perhaps your daughter might want to reduce the size of the background graphic? 384 Kb takes a long time to download! A tiled background usually works faster.