I’ve spent a lot of time plowing through junk to find nuggets. (to me a “nugget” is easy to play and beautiful to listen to). Here are 4 of them. Maybe others could share their nuggets too. I know this is subjective, but if we all limit ourselves to our 3 to 5 ABSOLUTE favorites we should see some good stuff. (I once spoke to two elderly lady harpists who have several CD’s published. They had never heard of the song Lament for Limerick. So good stuff can get by the best of us).
Carolan’s Welcome
Broken Pledge
Banish Misfortune
Trip to Skye
Right off the top of my head:
In the slow air category:
Slieve na gCua
Carolan’s Farewell to Music
Have You Been to Carrick?
Eanach Dhuin (Cuin)
Flight of the Wild Geese
Reels:
Sweeney’s Buttermilk
Jolly Tinker
Tarbolton
Woman of the House
Maid Behind the Bar
The Wild Irishman
Toss the Feathers
Jigs:
Green-eyed Lass
Kid on the Mountain (if you’re not sick of hearing it.)
Apples in Winter
Monaghan Jig
I go out of my way to find tunes I like the sound of. And I think I am picky. I could make this list really long.
Tony
Rolling Waves (aka Lonesome Jig), Joy of My Life, Man of the House, Worntorn Petticoat, Cis Ni Lithain, Halting March, Flagstaff of Memories, South Wind, Jimmy Mo Mhile Stor, Banish Misfortune, Her Long Black Hair.
Sorry - the old “hard core trad” tunes “move” me like a 4-banger moves a deisel semi. Though I will have to agree on one point: the tune “The Dark Hair at her Shoulders” that was passed my way reeeeal late at night in northern CA at an “Alto flute jam” I’m pretty sure is the same as “Her Dark Har”, “The Long Golden Hair…”, etc. - and it’s an absolute stunner.
I hope nobody takes this the wrong the way: But if you mean “Irish” as it is played in Ireland, than Banish Misfortune would probably sound a bit different.
If some clip doesnt sound irish it doesnt mean that it’s bad, it’s just good to point people out, like Bloomy did, to some real irish sounding stuff so that newbies and others don’t end up with a false sens of what true irish music sounds like.
On 2002-12-31 20:29, Azalin wrote:
…false sense of what true irish music sounds like.
You’re right, guys, we wouldn’t want to obscure the nature of true Irish music. I also don’t want to obscure the nature of this thread. Let’s let this drop and go on with the list. Perhaps I’ll come over to the Traditional Music Forum and we can talk it out over there.
If you’ll ask me again in three months you might get different answers, but…
The Knotted Cord - reel
The Yellow Wattle - double jig
Sporting Paddy - reel
Lilting Banshee - double jig
And this great march noone can tell me the name for.
Try Kusnacht (there’s supposed to be an umlaut over the u, but I can’t do that…) by Johnny McCarthy - the Kane Sisters (Liz and Yvonne) recorded it on their CD last year. It’s a really gorgeous waltz - yes, one of the few!
Deirdre
I’m into slow airs these days, so I’ll add to the list:
Fil, Fil, A Run O (lovely!)
Gile Mear
Eamonn a Chnoic
Buachaill on Eirne
An Boithrin Bui
Baidin Fheidhlimidh (just don’t ever ask me how to pronounce this one…play it I can; say it I can’t!)
Here’s what I’m obsessed by / working on in the Irish side these days:
Are You Ready Yet?
An Phis Fliuch
Lucky in Love
The Dairymaid
The Clareman’s
The King of the Fairies
O’Sullivan’s March
An Sean Duine
Dinny O’Brien’s
The Crib of Perches
The Creel of Turf
Alexander’s Hornpipe
On the “other side” I’m currently haunted by a neat little duet, the Adagio and Allegro from Sonata 1 by Loeillet.
Road to Lisdoonvarna
Eleanor Plunkett
Beauty in tears
King George IV (I think, the march that begins the 2nd Deanta album)
Another vote for Banish Misfortune
Given E=Fb’s criteria (easy to play and great sounding) I’d say:
Banish Misfortune
Baidin Fheidhlimidh
The Pearl (by Phil Cunningham of now-defunct Silly Wizard) - low whistle - drop-dead-gorgeous, very simple, slow and, yes, repetitive, but if you vary your ornamentation and play with a good fiddler, this is what your audience will be humming on the way home.
Ian
I’m currently haunted by a neat little duet, the Adagio and Allegro from Sonata 1 by Loeillet.