I heard a piper & fiddler play this at the session a few weeks back, and I loved that tune.
Two questions: Who has recorded the tune? I’d really like to learn it.
And also, they mentioned that it was an “old tune”? Would anybody know a bit of the history of it?
Thanks
It’s on the first Danu cd and Paddy Keenan & Paddy Glackin’s ‘Doublin’. I’m sure it’s on lots of others as well that I can’t think of off the top of my head.
Jo
Bloomy:
According to Ceolas: The Fiddler’s Companion
http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc/
“FRAHER’S JIG. Irish, Single Jig (12/8 or 6/8 time). D Mixolydian. Standard. AB (Mitchell): AA’BB’ (Taylor). The tune is sometimes paired with double jigs, with which it fits. According to piper Jimmy O’Brien-Moran, the tune can be traced to Edward Fraher, a Tipperary piper whose hey-day was the first half of the 19th century. Fraher’s neighbor and pupil, James Bourke of Kilfrush, Knocklong, County Limerick, learned the tune and in turn passed it along before he died in the 1920’s. Brother Gildas (1883-1960, AKA Patrick O’Shea, a piper and De La Salle brother) learned the tune from Bourke and Willie Clancy had the melody from Gildas. Sources for notated versions: piper Willie Clancy (1918-1973, Miltown Malbay, west Clare) [Mitchell]; set dance music recorded live at Na Píobairí Uilleann, mid-1980’s [Taylor]. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), 1974; Vol. 3, No. 59. Mitchell (Dance Music of Willie Clancy), 1993; No. 86, pg. 78. Taylor (Music for the Sets: Yellow Book), 1995; pg. 25. Paddy Glackin & Paddy Keenan - “Doublin’” (1978). Piping Pig Records PPPCD 001, Jimmy O’Brien- Moran - “Seán Reid’s Favourite” (1996).”
T
Willie Clancy had it from Gildas. Gildas was an avid collector of tunes and of sets of pipes. The pipes Fraher passed on to Bourke went on to Gildas who passed them on to Sean Reid from where they ended up with Jimmy O Brien-Moran who plays them until this day.
Tommy Reck had some tunes that came from the Fraher/Bourke connection including the reel which he called The Kilfrush AKA Kiss the Bride in the Bed. Another tune Reck got via Gildas and old John Potts was a nameless one which ended up as The Monks jig or The reverent Brother’s.
From Pat Mitchell’s liner notes to “Touch Me if you Dare” (the newish CD from Ronan Browne and Peter O’Loughlin):
Fraher’s jig “is a single jig much loved by Willie Clancy. He had such a reverence for the tune, in fact, that when I asked him to play it at a gig before a pub audience he refused, saying ‘Twould be pearls before swine, I’l play it for you another time!’ Willie got the tune from Reverend Brother Gildas who was taught to play the pipes by James Burke of Kilfrush, Knocklong, County Limerick who in tern was taught by Fraher, a piper, who was born about 1800. Can we come any closer to immortality in this life if we live on in memory like that?”
[ This Message was edited by: bradhurley on 2003-01-14 12:19 ]
It’s a great pipers’ favourite, as all those crans would suggest.
I haven’t played it for years. I played it once years ago in the presence of Paddy Keenan, and thought I’d done reasonably well. But later the same evening he played it, and I felt as if I’d played it in black and white, and he played it in colour. I’ve been embarrassed to play it ever since!
I do belive that it’s on a dervish album as well, but i cant remember which one.
FWIW, it’s also in Bill Ochs’ tinwhistle tutor book. It’s the tune he uses to teach low D crans.
Fraher’s Jig is the kind of tune that makes people want to play pipes in the first place.
Further to Peter’s wondeful history of Jimmy O’Brien Moran’s pipes there a couple of lovely old pictures in An Piobaire from the early 80s of James Bourke and Bro Gildas. Bourke is described as a gentleman’s gentleman in a local big house. Those familiar with Jimmy’s pipes will cetainly recognise them as they were before he had the new chanter cap fitted. Sadly there’s no picture of Fraher - somthing to do with the fact that cameras hadn’t been invented.
Ken
Peter, do I remember seeing a picture of Jim O’Brien-Moran that you took? Was it the Fraher set in that picture?
I find that thrilling that the set and the tune has been passed down over generations, and I can’t wait to learn the jig now.
John Williams plays a tune called Fraher’s Jig on his first album
The Family Album by the McCarthy’s see track 19
Maree Music sells five CDs on their site all of which are great. Two by piper Tommy Keane, one by Tommy McCarthy jr(tin whistle, pipes, concertina), one by Jaqueline McCarthy (concertina), and the aforementioned Family album on which the whole extended family play including an old recording of Tommy Sr. on tinwhistle playing the Drunken Landlady (good stuff). These are great CDs to learn tunes from. Especially the Tommy Keane albums.
edited for track no.
[ This Message was edited by: dlambert on 2003-01-15 09:53 ]