Hello Listers,
I recently picked up a used tape by Billy Clifford ‘Irish Traditional Flute Solos and Band Music from Kerry and Tipperary’. I hadn’t heard of him before, and his playing is quite nice. Does anyone know if there are more recordings of him? Also, what type of flute he played? The flute he’s playing on the cover looks to have a raised wooden lip plate, and an unusual keywork system.
Sincerely,
-George Grasso
Soquel, CA
Billy Clifford was part of the Star of Munster Trio with his parents John & Julia Clifford and there is a Topics LP which may be available on Ossian as a casette. He also recorded an LP for Gael Linn of duets with his mother around the early 80s and they also have a track or two on the O’Riada Retrospective live double LP also on Gael Linn. As far as I know none of the recordings are issued on CD.
As far as Billy’s flute - it is a Radcliffe system (as played by Paddy Taylor and Paddy Carty) and their playing that style in London when Billy was growing up may have been an influence - or it may just be coincidence.
The last I had heard of Billy he was living in Tipperary Town. It’s about six years since Julia died and she was in poor health for quite a while before that so we didn’t see that much of her locally, so that information is a bit dated.
Ken
[ This Message was edited by: kenr on 2003-02-16 16:44 ]
On 2003-02-16 16:42, kenr wrote:
The last I had heard of Billy he was living in Tipperary Town. It’s about six years since Julia died and she was in poor health for quite a while before that so we didn’t see that much of her locally, so that information is a bit dated.
Stil correct. I spoke to him a few days ago, regarding a possible track for Wooden Flute obsession 2. I don’t know how easy it would be to get a track licensed from those older recordings. Nothing on CD, but he is willing to record a new track. I am trying to locate a studio near him in Tipperary for this. He can record to mini-disc (I don’t know what kind of mike he’s got).
Kevin Krell