I want to buy some Seamus Ennis recordings (I have one by Willie Clancy and one by Leo Rowsome, so seems logical to complete the trinity). I saw on amazon two albums, “the bonny bunch of roses” and “two centuries of celtic music” which seem to have the exact same tracks (and even similar cover art!). Is there any difference between the two in terms of liner notes or recording quality? I also want to get the “40 years” album, but I wanted something with some of his whistle playing and singing as well.
The Wandering Minstrel is my favourite of his commercial recordings. Great passionate playing.
If you can get “40 Years” thats a great one too. Great songs and stories to boot.
Those were recorded by Ciaran MacMathuna for RTE in O’Conor’s in Doolin, not Miltown. Jim is referring to Breandan Breathnach’s recording made at Quelly’s during the Miltown Fleadh of 1957.
Ah, those were different occasions, Peter? Was the Doolin the stuff he recorded shortly before almost killing himself in the car wreck? Breathnach transcribed lots of the Quelly’s stuff for Ceol Rince Vol. 2 - says it’s Miltown Malbay 1959 in the index. Is there more of the Ciaran Doolin stuff floating around? I snagged the set of hornpipes from CeolNet before it shut down, that’s more great piping.
If you don’t have any qualms about Peter Kennedy’s business practices (search here for his name and you’ll get the story) his Folktrax label has some great Ennis music - Music at the Gate, and the Pied Piper of Dublin. These titles seem to change occasionally though.
There’s another Folktrax CD with one bit of Seamus and Peter playing for dancers - anybody have that? Another one, the Fairy Piper I think, has a 20 minute story about St. Peter, the contents of Outlet’s Ennis LP (uncredited), and then some great vintage Seamus - Frieze Britches.
Buy the Return from Fingal now - RTE tend to suddenly remove items from their catalog, it’s fortunate they’re reprinting this now. Also the 40 years has lots of vintage Seamus that’s absolutely smokin’ amazing, alongside of later recordings - hard to tell what’s what.
And go to Ross’s Music Site for some great downloads.
An Ri na bPiobairi. “We’re Not Worthy!”
I only picked out the Folktrax albums that I could ascertain were completely Ennis and had piping. He appears on many others, due to the confused method that he and Kennedy employed for mashing songs from various countries together on the silliest pretexts. The albums four albums I got are:
Sliabh na mBan - FTX 374
The Fairy Piper - FTX 302
Rocking the Cradle - FTX 169
Music at the Gates - FTX 079
The Bonnie Bunch of Roses album has been kicking around for years, and has been reissued under various titles by several bargain-basement type production companies. See the Discography at the back of the book The Master’s Touch from NPU for the gory details. The version that I have, called Uilleann Pipes, Tin Whistle and Folk songs of Ireland, had no album notes, so I don’t know if you would be missing anything in buying one version versus another. The thing I would check on when comparing versions of this a;bum is to ensure you buy the one that has the most tracks on it. Mine has 13 tracks.
The MacMathuna session was done in O’Conor’s in Doolin in the presence of Leo Rowsome, Ennis sr and others (hence some nervousness in Ennis jr’s playing) I have about 20-30 minutes of that including some whistle playing and as Harry here once said an opportunity to hear Ennis play the flute.
Breandan did his bit In Queally’s and you’re right it probably was different year altogether. The company was didfferent, Ennis was living in Miltown and he was with friends and really on the top of his form, you can hear Clancy slagging him on his reg playing. Kitty tells me Josie Hayes was there too for the occasion.
The private, informal, small concert recordings are all great. While LP/CD listening is essential, those other recordings (of Seamus et al) get more of my listening time.
