I’m going to be visiting relatives for Christmas and I’d like to play them something on my pipes (I’m pretty sure none of them have seen uilleann pipes in real life). Can anyone suggest a Christmas song I couold play for them? I’ve only been playing a few months, so nothing too complicated, but it diesn’t have to been overly simplistic, either . Anything would be good – something Irish or just a song that sounds good on the pipes. Bonus points if it’s something I could play along with a cello and/or piano.
On a Horslips album (circa 75-don’t EVEN START), they did “deck the halls” in jig time; can’t remember the orignal tune name- would mean starting up the “record player”. Its a neat tune- has some longish rolls to play- at that moment in time it was the fiddle. Have a good time, see you in Jan 04 at the club meeting
There is a traditional tune “Christmas Eve” that is nice on the pipes. For a more western feel and a tune everyone will (or should ) recognise how about “Silent Night” … good tune for checking the tuning of your pipes too!
Isn’t there some story about “Christmas Eve” being the name someone made up for Tommy Coen’s reel #1 as a disrespectful act on a radio show… I don’t know the details…
Most Christmas carols are fairly easy to play on the pipes (was it David Daye who said that the only music that was difficult to play on the UP’s was Irish dance music?). “We Three Kings” comes to mind, but anything in D or G would be simple enough to play along with a piano or cello (mind the equal temperment on them dang keyboards!)
Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Angels We Have Heard on High, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Away in a Manger(Flow Gently Sweet Afton), I Saw Three Ships, and lot’s of others work well on U.P. My favorite, Oh Holy Night doesn’t sound too nice unless you have keys on the chanter(G#).
Marc
. Anything would be good – something Irish or just a song that sounds good on the pipes. Bonus points if it’s something I could play along with a cello and/or piano.
) recognise how about “Silent Night” … good tune for checking the tuning of your pipes too!
As Bono put it… “the Irish have the passion of the Italians, without the style”