Hello everyone, I would like to know if there is a CD available with Turlough O’Carolan’s repertoire played on the flute?
Is there a solo artist(s) who has recorded such an album?
I think there are just a few tunes, here & there, scattered on various CDs. I can’t remember which are on flute.
If you want to research it, try:
https://thesession.org/tunes/search?type=&mode=&q=Planxty
Pick a tune, and thesession.org will indicate how many recordings the tune appears on. You might recognize some of the discs as either being a flute player, or a band containing a flute player.
As to the tunes themselves, definitely NOT on flute:
The Complete Works Of Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) [discs 1-8]
https://thesession.org/recordings/artists/1140
I just checked my own music library, which is predominantly flute, and none popped up on a search for Planxty (other than the band). I’m sure there are other tune names, though - I was just trying for a shotgun approach.
I don’t know of a single CD (or set) containing O’Carolan’s complete works on flute, but there are various lovely renditions of his tunes spread among many flute CDs. I bet that we could come up with a pretty good list between us if we all contributed a tune.
Here’s one I like by Chris Norman:
I’m not aware of any such CD or recording. I looked up “Si Beg Si Mhor” in “thesession.org’s” tune list. It came up with it being on 73 recordings, many of them I haven’t heard of before, but none were obviously recordings by a flute player I’ve heard of.. Derek Bell and “The Chieftains” might be your best bet, but I don’t think anyone has made a CD of O’Carolan’s music on flute - an opportunity for someone there, perhaps ?
Seamus Tansey recorded “Si Beg Si Mhor” on a fairly obscure “Outlet” label recording, and it’s probably not one he’s particularly proud of because of the excessively overpowering accompaniment.
Matt Molloy recorded “The Parting Of Friends” which I think was attributed to O’Carolan.
I might be able to think of a few more - watch this space.
The good thing about “iTunes” is that if you do find solo flute tracks on any CD, you can buy the individual track without buying the whole CD. Might be worth looking there.
Maybe the OP can list a few titles of O’Carolan’s work he’d particularly like to find, and it would make the search easier amongst us. Some of them can be tough without knowing the type of tune, as the titles may apply also to other tunes by other composers. For instance “The Fairy Queen” has tunes not attributed to O’Carolan. Of course, there are alternate names used, as well, some for different tunes. There are also some nice renditions on whistle or low whistle. Anyway, here’s what I was able to root out. Certainly, there may be a few misidentifications - I was basing my search on a correspondence between thesession.org’s tune database, the 8 disc Complete Works of O’Carolan, and tunes in my own library.
O’Carolan’s Concerto:
Seamus Tansey on “To Hell With the Begrudgers”, not solo, but with Jim McKillop.
Matt Molloy on a section of The Chieftains on “In Ireland”
O’Carolan’s Draught:
Brian Bigley has a section of flute on his EP “Singular Tracks”.
Carolan’s Quarrel With The Landlady:
Matt Molloy on a section of The Chieftains on “Over the Sea to Skye”
Dougal Adams and Ormonde Waters {duet} - The Good Ear - 07 - Carolan’s Jig - Planxty Mary O’Neill
Jim Gornall - The Picturesque Piccolo - 07 - Carolan’s Receipt For Drinking
Jim Gornall - The Picturesque Piccolo - 05 - Blind Mary
Sean Moloney - Music on the Wind - 10 - Shearer’s Dream-O’Carolan’s Dream-Mrs. Kenny’s
Skip McKinley - Fairy Tales - 06 - Maids of Michelstown-Mrs. Judge (Carolan)
Alan Doherty - Brilliant Irish Flute (CD1) - 08 - Sí Bheag Sí Mhor-Planxty Irwin
John Wynne - With Every Breath - 03 - George Brabazon - Jim Coleman’s
John Wynne - With Every Breath - 12 - The Ballinafad Fancy - Lady Anne Montgomery - The Millhouse
Laurence Nugent - The Windy Gap - 09 - The Windy Gap - Lady Anne Montgomery
Flute & Fiddle, not sure which instruments appear:
Dan Healy And Ciaran O’Raghallaigh - The Wyndy Turn - 07 - Lady Dillon
Flute & Fiddle duet:
Peg McGrath - Cherish the Ladies - 12 - Hewlett - Sonny’s Mazurka
Joanie Madden - Song of the Irish Whistle - 05 - Loftus Jones
Michael Flatley - On a Different Note (CD2) - 02 - The Spanish Cloak - Planxty Irwin - The South Wind {Planxty Fanny Power?}
Harry Bradley - The Night Rambler’s Companion - 09 - The Wounded Hussar {Captain O’Kane}
Emer Mayock - Merry Bits of Timber - 08 - Katherine O’More
Michel Balatti - The Northern Breeze - 08 - Eleanor Plunkett
Billy Clifford - Echoes of Sliabh Luachra - 12 - Mrs. Edwards-David Power
Kevin Krell
Good list there, Kevin - I wouldn’t have found many of those. You’ve included “Lady Anne Montgomery” twice - that’s the first time I’ve heard of it being associated with O’Carolan. What’s the source for that, please ? O’Carolan was not known for his reels 
Not familiar with the tunes, so easy to go astray, as I mentioned. I think I may have gone down the wrong rabbit hole with that one. I think I got there via Carolan’s Favorite: https://thesession.org/tunes/13704 (Also known as Carolan’s Favorite, Planxty Mary O’ Neill, Planxty Mary O’Neill.). Then, in looking up Mary O’Neill found the reel: https://thesession.org/tunes/954 (also known as Lady Montgomery’s), and made the leap to search for Lady Montgomery.
Joemy Wilson has made a few records/discs of O’Carolan tunes. She plays hammered dulcimer, but there is a flute on many if not most of the tunes. However this flute is played in an early/baroque style, not Irish.
There’s also Ciaran Somers with Dave Sheridan (fiddle) and Nicolas Quemener (guitar) playing Grace Nugent on Faoi bhlath.
Hello and many thanks for all of your contributions to this question. I shall search some tune titles on the session and see what I can find there. Some tunes I’d like to find recordings of include; Mrs Judge(tunes 1 and 2), Planxty Hewlett , Planxty George Brabazon, Planxty Fanny Power, Planxty Irwin, Carolan’s Welcome, Si Bheagh Si Mor, and Morgan Magan.
Joemy Wilson sounds interesting, as I am quite partial to baroque flute playing.
kkrell, if there’s enough interest, would it be an idea to make a Wooden Flute Obsession Carolan Special?
If you look at my list above, I think you’ll see that most of your requests are already covered there.
While there is interest in many of the O’Carolan tunes, it seems to be across the spectrum of instrumentation & ensemble play. You’ll find, for instance, that The Chieftains or its members have quite a lot of the O’Carolan tunes in their discography. I don’t see why flute should be singled out for enjoyable listening.
Here is a version of O’Carolan’s Cup with some nice flute playing by Michel Balatti (a participant on C&F):
Which is followed on the disc by Hugh O’Donnell.