Seamus Ennis - Ceol, Scealta , Amhrain

Uilleann Pipes
1

Music, Story, Song - I can’t believe no-one else picked up on this new CD of re-released Gael-Linn recordings from “The Master”.
http://www.claddaghrecords.com/www/product.asp?pID=2184&cID=7

djm

2

Nice one!!

3

We’re all wary of recordings of Séamus made when he was sadly past his ‘best before’ date. But if these are all pre-1961 they should be good. The only risk in a record of that vintage for anyone interested in piping is that the piping might be diluted in a rambling mishmash of shaggy-dog stories, songs, whistle tunes and general leprechaunery, and that the piping tracks might be ones that we already have on other records.

So who is going to make the leap of faith, buy it and review it here?

4

All right, I think I’ll go for it, I love Ennis’ piping and stories and … the leprechaunery as well ! :stuck_out_tongue:

5

Orig. out on Gael-Linn CEF009 in 1961.
Can’t seem to find a tracklisting anywhere. Do you have one?

6

Aye, a tracklist would be useful, because the details (stories, songs and instrumental music) remind me of “the bonny bunch of roses”, I hope it’s not the same !

7

These are the tracks. Note that everything is in Irish, Gael-Linn aimed their wares at the Gaeltacht at first. Lovely playing - slowish, too - but he sounds like he’s playing the pipes in a refridgerator. Tone is a bit tinny.
He sings Na Ceannabhain Bhana, which is interesting to hear. Also sung is Cashdh an tSugain, which is a bit more uptempo than you’d expect. Cornphiopa Pat Ward (i.e., Pat Ward’s Hornpipe) is the reel usually called the Strawberry Blossom, otherwise known as the Keel Row.

  1. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #01] Na Ceannabhain Bhana
  2. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #10] Cashdh an tSugain
  3. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #11] An Bhearach Chonnachtach
  4. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #12] Donall Og
  5. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #13] Cornphiopa na Siog (Intro)
  6. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #14] Cornphiopa na Siog
  7. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #02] An Fainne Oir (Intro)
  8. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #03] An Fainne Oir
  9. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #04] Bean Dubh an Ghleanna
  10. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #05] Ur Chill an Chreagain
  11. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #06] Johnny Seoighe
  12. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #7 ] Cornphiopa Pat Ward
  13. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #08] An Binsin Luachra
  14. Seamus Ennis - [Ceol, Scealta agus Amhrain #09] Salamanca, Diuc Gordan, Failte Shineid roimh Tharlach
8

I have bought it. Just waiting for the post. Not sure of the need for a review. If you can play this well, you probably don’t care either way. If you can’t, its required learning. :wink:

djm

9

I got it a fews years ago. Photos at:

http://www.uilleannobsession.com/diary_2003.html#ceolscealtaamhrain

B-bye,

PD.

10

I thought it would be obvious that I was’t talking about Ennis’s piping ability :rolls eyes: . What I meant was things like how many of the tracks are piping, whether Ennis is playing to the standard that some of the later recordings, for well-known reasons, failed to reach, and whether this recording contains many tracks that are not available on other recordings/compilations.

11

Most, if not all, of the tracks are unavailable on other recordings to the best of my knowledge. He does what the title says he’s doing Music, Stories and Songs. It’s all as gaeilge. I think it’s a priceless recording and yes, there is wonderful playing… it’s Seamus Ennis! I know it’s so trendy to whinge and moan about the tuning and timing and all that but personally that isn’t where it’s at. Listen to the overall effect! It’s living breathing wonderful life and MUSIC intertwined. The style of the playing - so distinctive and unique. Give me this any day over a perfectly tuned homoginized CD!

Patrick.

12

Just bought it. Can’t wait to get it and pop it into the computer to play it.

13

Being someone who occasionally moans and bleats about the timing and tuning of SE’s piping and pipes, I’d like to clarify that my comments are limited to the Pure Drop album. Anything recorded by Ennis in the 40’s and 50’s which I’ve heard has been first rate. In any case, I’ve ordered this CD.

As an aside, it seems to me that SE’s piping got much more staccato as he got older. For example, listen to his version of the Bucks of Oranmore recorded for Louis Quinn in the late 1950’sand compare it with the version he recorded for the Drones and the Chanters in the early 1970’s.

Questions? Comments? Insults? … anyone? …

14

the late session of last nigth
at appr 14’30"
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/thelatesession/

15

My copy arrived last Friday. Firstly, all of the stories and introductions are in Irish. However, the inlay card contains both Irish and English text to the stories. Secondly, of the 12 tracks 6 are songs, 4 are pipes and 2 are tin whistle, so it’s certainly not a solo piping CD. The 4 piping tracks are good, but certainly not Ennis at his best, in my opinion.

16

Thanks, PJ, that’s exactly the sort of steer that I was looking for.