An Tobar Gle (forgive the missing accents) by Neil Mulligan is simply one of the best new piping CDs I’ve heard yet. Wonderful tunes, incredible playing, and some really superb pipes. A C# set by James Mulcrone, a D set by John Brogan (Kevin Thompson chanter) and Felix Doran’s 1955 Leo Rowsome D set. Now these are some incredible sounding pipes… Dare I say, the old sound, the real M’Coy. Listen to Colonel Frazer played on the Brogan set, for example!
This playing is an endless treat, and as varied as can be… seems there’s a bit of every kind of style here, yet unmistakably Neil Mulligan… or, perhaps it might just be better said, that here is a great piper in complete command of his pipes. So I’m a beginner, what do I know? I’ve never heard a single tune by this piper before, but I love this CD and I just got it 2 days ago! I love Mulligan’s playing… it’s rich, solid and inspiring!
I second everything said. Neillidh’s playing has evolved into his own distinctive style, is much different than it was when the first CD came along, and the series of three CD’s is quite a reflection of such. For a real treat, take a class from him!
I guess I’ve become something of a pipes fanatic, as I really get into the difference in sound that comes from different makers. I may have been talking through my hat when I said “the old sound, the real M’Coy”, but Neil’s pipes are old, made by makers no longer with us… and they sound wonderful. I don’t know if harsh is the correct word here, or raw, even, since there’s a crisp bell-like sound to them as well. I don’t even know if it is correct to say “the old sound”. These would be considered vintage sets, I’m assuming, and sound quite different from newer, sweeter sounding ones.
I am talking through my hat! It’s 2:00 in the morning.
As has been pointed out in other threads, what really makes the difference in the way a piper sounds is the piper. You can’t sound like Seamus Ennis by tootling away on a Coyne, in other words. Neillidh’s style is deeply influenced not only by his father and his family’s close connection with the aforementioned Mr. Ennis, but also by his love of sean-nos singing and the Irish language. His sets do sound brilliant, too, but I suspect that if Neillidh were to strap on my own much more humble set, he’d still sound as good.
Nelidh sometimes made me nervous, a bit rushed or frenzied in the tempos, but the free soundclips I’ve heard of his new one sound like he’s chilled out somewhat in a good way.
Hi
I’m not a piper - I’m usually on the flute and whistle forums but I can’t help seconding lemonsquashes views! I’ve seen Neillidh play twice now - the latest time this last weekend when he was over here at a festival - 2 pipe concerts and 2 sessions - the last one one this last Sat night when I was sitting next to him and totally glued on his awesome paying - and what a really very nice gentleman he is too! David Faulkner was also there playing border pipes and they played some stuff together in the session - marvellous! I was also able to buy Neilldh’s latest cd - its beautiful. His fingers move like the wind!! And his slow airs are incredibly moving - another thing which was very moving was in the concert he sang one of the pieces whilst playing (?the swan?) - so atmospheric - I never heard anything like it. So - I guess I’m a new fan to Piping!!
Best
Sarah
With regards to the pipes played on An Tobar Gle, here is the info from Neil:
“Most of the tracks are on the C# Mulcrone set (My father’s set) except:
Bimís ag Ol; Morning Thrush/Col. Frazer; Is fada mo chosa gan bróga/ Castles in the Air; and East of Glendart/ I buried my wife…;. These four tracks in the middle are on the Brogan D set with a K Thompson chanter.
The final two tracks with my father are on the Rowsome/Doran D set from 1982.”
Yep, order them from Neil. Especially the first 2, as he can give you them for a little over the price of one. Great deal.
That’s a great tune. I think it’s originally from Scotland, Hebredes anyway. Séamus Ennis collected it on his ramblings thoughout Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and other places.
that’s interesting
singing and playing at the same time
I’am busy with
Sinead oConner’s Skibbereen ( o father dear ----)
((The Chieftains / OST Long journey home (1998)))
who has more experience in piping/singing?
carel
The tune Pat and Cariad are talking about is called “Port na h-eala ar an traigh.” It’s on Nelidh’s Barr na Cuille record, he got it from Seamus Ennis, who collected it from a singer in the Outer Hebrides. It was said to have been taken from the singing of a swan, who was dying. Swans only sing when they are dying, Seamus explained.
Seumas Ennis was heir to over a thousand years of legend and myth…you can’t do that without sounding like a kook, sometimes.
It’s actually a fairly common tradition in the British Isles, although I always heard that swans sing once, just before they die; the point is that the swan doesn’t know this. Hence ‘swan song’.
These phrases usually have an origin.
On a completely unrelated note, does anyone know that eenie, meenie, minie, mo is the only pre-Celtic fragment of British language that survives to the present day in our speech? Out of the mouths of babes…
