hi, does anyone know any recordings of flautists playing Turlough O’Carolan tunes?
i’ve found two so far, and i’m really enjoying them:
Fairy Queen – Chris Norman’s “Man with a Wooden Flute”
Planxty Burke – Clannad’s “Clannad in Concert” (this is harp and flute)
Anyway, if anyone knows more or where i can track down more…
Cheers,
eric
Chris Norman’s version of the Fairy Queen is one of my all-time favorite flute pieces…simply lovely.
We play Si Beg Si More, Planxty Hewlett and Eleanor Plunket at our session. Good stuff.
Eric
Clannad also recorded “Fairy Queen”, with flute as well though it is very subtle there.
Listen to The Chieftains. They recorded a lot of Carolan (and other harpists) pieces, with flute and whistle. I believe they inherited their love to O’Carolan from Sean O’Riada and Ceoloiri Cualann so listening to them also may help, though I don’t remember if there was a lot of flute there - I haven’t listened to them for long time.
Billy Clifford recorded “Mrs. Edwards” & “David Power” on his “Echoes of Sliabh Luachra, 2010” album.
Deanta has beautiful version of “Eleanor Plunkett”.
Joe Burke played “Blind Mary” on his flute album.
Lunasa played “O’Carolan’s welcome”.
Emer Mayock recorded “Katherine O’More” in fast tempo on her “Merry bits of timber”.
Mike McGoldrick plays “Give me your hand” (though it’s not Carolan but Ruari Dall O’Cathain) on a video on YT.
Cormac Breathnach recorded “Si bheag Si Mhor” on low whistle - there’s a video on YT.
June McCormack & Michael Rooney have a couple of planxties on their albums but I suspect it’s Rooney’s compositions.
I love O’Carolan’s and other harpers’ music and play it a lot but find it quite challenging to play harp music on flute or whistle/ You have to find an approach to make it sound well.
Me and my former band named Rún recorded some pieces by Carolan and Ruari Dall O’Cathain 6 years ago with flute and tinwhistle (listen to them here) - there’s “Eleanor Plunkett” and “Give me your hand” - the former being better, to my mind.
There are definetely more flautists who played Carolan but he doesn’t seem to be very popular with them which I can understand.
I really enjoyed this version of O’Carolan’s Cup played by Caledonean Companion. Absolutely beautiful. The flute player is a regular contributer here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdaobxAF1OI
Jon
I like Elliot Grasso playing the Princess Royal. I think its on the North by Northwest cd.
Thanks everybody 
this video/tune was really great
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwC1GYa_tc8&feature=related
so i ordered the cd off Amazon; we’ll see if there’s any other good flute playing on it 
Cheers,
eric
This is one of my favourite flute vids, as well as being a O’Carolan tune
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imfsrbt2zOo
it’s 'Katherine O’More ’ played by Black Velvet (Israel) & Emer Mayock
From Seamus Tansey and Jim McKillop, on their CD “To Hell With The Begrudgers”, there’s a vigorous rendition of O Carolan’s concerto :
http://claddaghrecords.com/WWW/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=807
You were just seduced by the racy cover, weren’t you?
Can’t think off-hand of any commercial recordings of O’Carolan tunes on flute (haven’t browsed my CD collection!), but I’ve played several obvious ones since my earliest days as a fluter, probably the Planxty (band) influence! Planxty Irwin, Si Beag Si Mhor, Hewlett, are the most obvious (and of course Tabhair Dom Do Lamh though not by the man…), together with the Swarb version of O’Carolan’s Concerto. Familiar session favourites include Thomas Leixlip the Proud (spurious attribution?), Fanny Power, Lord Inchiquin, Princess Royal (though I know the English version(s) better), Morgan Magan, O’Carolan’s Draught, Henry McDermott-Roe (No.1).
I also often play and have a YT rendition of the questionably attributed Carolan tune Captain O’Kane/The Wounded Hussar - from c 1’ in to the video. It’s luvverly in Gmin - really comfy on the flute!
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/1069 for Peg McGrath playing Hewlett
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/2697 for Seamus Tansey playing Si Bheag Si Mhor
(They were in a cut price (about £10) 10 CD boxed set, ‘Celtic Souls’, with other good stuff. Not sure if still available)
Just found an old audio clip of Lord Inchiquin on my Rampone.