Coming,as I do from the North East of England,I came across the website of FARNE (Folk Archive Resource North East).
It’s full of interesting info. about my local folk music,and may interest other members of this forum.
Of particular interest to us whistleheads is the undated recording of Billy Conroy,a coal miner and amateur musician,born in 1904.
Apparently,he made all his own whistles,and had a pet bird that used to sit on the whistle,singing, as Billy played (see the photo,if you don’t believe me)!
The recording has Billy spinning some interesting melodic variations on the well know tune ‘John Peel’ http://www.asaplive.com/FARNE/learn.cfm?ccs=188&cs=605
On the same page there is info. on the great Piccolo player John Doonan.
Now that was cute and you could hear the bird chrippig too.
I liked his variations; I never think of doing that:(
THat is a nice history site for your county too.
Lolly
Being a McUmber, or McCumber, I’m always interested in anything having to do with Northumberland or Cumberland, and being a (pseudo)whistler, all the more for this. Thanks!!
I live closest to Sunderland,which used to be the largest shipbuilding town in the world(now all gone),surrounded by the now defunct Durham coalfields.
We now build Nissan cars,or work in call centres.
We were part of the ancient Anglo Saxon kingdom of Northumbria-hence the flag.
The area was a great centre of learning in those far-off days.
The North East has a rich folk heritage,and of course we now have a Degree course in Folk music(the first in Britain) available from the University of Northumbria.
Delightful playing from Billy Conroy! Isn’t it interesting to hear how much his technique echoes Northumbrian piping style, with that more staccato sound - so different from the Irish legato…
Oh, and Kevin - I think the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama was doing folk music degrees before Newcastle, which is certainly the first in England, and a wonderful thing, too.
I spent 7 happy years in the north-east, in Durham and Newcastle: I’m from just across the Scottish Border in Selkirkshire, and Newcastle has always felt to me like the only big city we Borderers have ever had.
Lets put my ‘O’ Level school Geography to use(from a long time ago)
Cambria= Wales(called that by the Romans,I believe).
Cumbria= the old counties of Westmorland and Cumberland
Northumbria=The land ‘north of the river Humber’ the old Ango-Saxon Kingdom,including the current Northumberland,Tyne and Wear(sic),Durham,North Yorkshire.
Hey Brian,
awa’ an’ bile yer heid - Fair Edina is the big city for the
Scottish borderers! Always was - always will be!
KevinM,
I’m sure you know Northumbria expanded and included
Edinburgh as a northern frontier town at one time and as a result the
Scots dialect is of Northumbrian descent (so we kind of sound alike to
youse foreigners). I used to laugh at Geordie mates when in London
they were asked what part of Scotland they were from!
Any chance you’ll give us Berwick town back some day ???
Hey Brian,
awa’ an’ bile yer heid - Fair Edina is the big city for the
Scottish borderers! Always was - always will be!
KevinM,
I’m sure you know Northumbria expanded and included
Edinburgh as a northern frontier town at one time and as a result the
Scots dialect is of Northumbrian descent (so we kind of sound alike to
youse foreigners). I used to laugh at Geordie mates when in London
they were asked what part of Scotland they were from!
Any chance you’ll give us Berwick town back some day ???
Kevin, that’s great site. The whistle was great and I wondered how he could get such a rich sound from a bicycle pump, if that one was one. I’m tempted to try to make one. Wonder how he did the fipple?
Zubvika, you probably passed my hoose on your wayward trip from Northumberland and through the Borders and we live just out of the area that was English then Scottish then English then finally Scottish. This area is rich in music and history.
The Folkworks Session Tunes are played here often and a great way to start to play the whistle with. I play Morpeth Rant quite a lot. Someday we may meet up at one of the Festivals around the area as I sometimes get down to Newcastle but more than not it’s Ediburgh for the Alps projects and workshops.
Hi Selkie-you’re a REAL Northumbria/Scottish Borderer-Me,I’m just a ‘Mackem’ Townie!
I agree that the ‘Folkworks’ books are a great intro’ to Northumbrian music and Folk music in general (I have the first volume,which is out on loan to a girl at work,who bought her husband an accordian to learn).
The books come with a c.d of the tunes,played on accordian.You can emphasise the melody or the chordal accompaniment by tweaking the balance on your stereo speakers-thus the books are suitable for ANY instrument.
Tunes are played through slowly at ‘learning’ speed,then later played through at a more normal playing speed,arranged in ‘sets’.
I bought the 3 Folkworks Session Tunes with the FREE CD’s when I first started playing the whistle. There were very cheap considering they included a free learning play along with CD. They also have chords on the sheet music so great for other instruments. For any whistlers interested get in touch and I will give you the contact details.
