Billy Clifford Recording

Irish Flute
1

Anyone have a source for the Billy Clifford et al recording, "Irish Traditional Flute Solos and Band Music from Kerry and Tipperary” either as Topic 12TS312 or Ossian: OSS 11?

The Ceol Alainn site doesn’t seem functional any longer.

Thanks and best wishes.

Steve

2

The Ceol Alainn audio files for Billy Clifford are backed up here:

http://ceolalainn.breqwas.net/download/Irish%20Traditional%20Flute%20Solos%20and%20Band%20M/

Move up the directory tree for the other artists.

3

Thanks very much Kevin.

Best wishes.

Steve

4

Really good stuff. It’s on YouTube as well with what I assume is the album cover:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3ms9p_nomo&list=PLUSRfoOcUe4b9uOl_txMYqk86VFW8OULT

Looks like he’s playing a Radcliffe system old flute. It’s got low tuning (A=435?). Minimum key tapping as well. Some of the best non-simple system Irish flute playing I’ve heard.

5

Mr. Clifford has a more recent (although undated) recording out{ Echoes of Sliabh Luachra). From the notes, it appears he plays both a Radcliffe flute and a Boehm. It’s interesting to compare/contrast his techniques with keyed and un-keyed simple system players. I’ve never seen a Radcliff in action nor have I played a Boehm so I don’t have any feel for how one ornaments “in an Irish style” with these.

Nice tunes and good playing though.

Best wishes.

Steve

6

He seems to have equal facility with both fingerings, as he recorded a selection of 14 tracks/takes, from which to choose one for Wooden Flute Obsession. We agreed on one using the Boehm, as the Radcliff was a bit noisier mechanism, perhaps needing some adjustment. I might “sample” a bit of them for a comparison, although I wouldn’t want to release for general distribution something he might not be entirely pleased with.

Looks like he used both flutes for different takes of:
The Portarlington/Connie O’Grady’s/The Eavesdropper
The Skylark/The Galtee Reel

On the other material, there well might have been a reason for choosing one or the other flute as more appropriate for particular sets of tunes.

7

I think there’s another very very rare recording of himself and Julia Clifford. I have a memory of coming across an lp of the two of them once but it came at a price beyond what I’d be willing to pay for any lp. So I let it pass, never seen it before or since but would be very interested in hearing it.

FWIW, I have only seen him play one flute as far as I can remember, the one in the pics below:

8

It would be interesting to see what that recording might have been. The "Irish Traditional Flute Solos and Band Music from Kerry and Tipperary” mentioned above includes some cuts with Julia Clifford and Catherine Ryan/Clifford. There is “Ceol as Sliabh Luachra” with Billy and Julia Clifford. There are a number of recordings that include the Star of Munster Trio. But it would be interesting to know if there is yet more hidden away.

That flute in the photos looks to be the Radcliffe. But on his more recent recording (why don’t they date these things?) he seems to alternate between the Radcliffe and the Boehm.

Thanks for the photos.

Best wishes.

Steve

P.S. I wonder if Mr. Clifford chooses his outfits to coordinate with microphone colors. :smiley:

9

I suppose it would be this one. And looking at the listing on the session.org you can see why posting photos on the internet is nto a good idea, they will get robbed and re-used without permission, credit or payment. Bloody robbers.

10

The flute in the photos above is a standard Böhm, not a Radcliff. (No “e”!)

11

Thanks Kevin and Jem for the clarifications.

Best wishes.

Steve

12

The recording with Julia “Ceol As Sliabh Luachra” can be downloaded here:

http://ceolalainn.breqwas.net/download/Julia%20%26%20Billy%20Clifford/Ceol%20as%20Sliabh%20Luachra/