Post Your Favorite Irish Tune (on St Patty's Day)

[Coyote]

We get some really music shows on NPR and one of them, Shamrock and Thistle I think, did a segment on American music, including Blue Grass. They said it originated from the music brought by Irish and Scottish immigrants who settled in large numbers in the mountains of Appalachia.

I'm a bluegrass musician (mandolin, fiddle, and guitar), and have played professionally for 44 years. Irish and Scottish music did have an influence on the creation of Bluegrass by Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass boys in 1945, but BG (traditional) is still actually a true American art form, with its own consistent structure, and is very heavily influenced by the blues also.

Anyone who has ever tried to make the transition from playing Irish and American fiddle (ie dance) tunes to Bluegrass (as I did), knows the shock of suddenly having to really put some improvisation and creativity into their fiddling, rather than just playing a rote tune according to its prescribed melody.

Bluegrass is an interesting combination of Country, Folk, and Jazz.

That is fascinating - I knew Pogo was a muscician, I did not know you were Protectionist. Very cool!!!!

 

[Borillar]

 

[Coyote]

I love Clannad...first heard them when they did the music to Robin Hood and Chariots of Fire I think.

 

[Billo_Really]

My favorite Irish tune has got to be...

 

[Pogo]

I love Clannad...first heard them when they did the music to Robin Hood and Chariots of Fire I think.

Actually they were active long before that --- here's Clannad going jazzy in the '70s..... since we were just talking of solos....

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"Clannad" is a reference to the fact that they're a family band -- siblings and cousins of the Bhráonain ("Brennan") extended family from Donegal. After they'd done a ton of traditional work little sister Eithne Ni Bráonian ("Ni" is the female equivalent of "O'" meaning 'daughter of') came in with electronic keyboards and they got to the more modern refined sound like this:

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Eithne soon took off on her solo career with the Anglicized spelling of her name, "Enya".

 

[Hossfly]

You are quite a musical scholar Pogo!

I'm one of the few people I know who's been part of both a Scottish strathspey-and-reel band, and a Brazilian percussion band. My two muse-nodes And of course all those years playing both on the radio.

Even used to dog-sit for Mick Moloney up in post 45. A German Shepherd named "Clancy".

When our Scottish ensemble played "De'il Among the Tailors" I'd just play my part as "Devil's Dream" for a layer of complexity --- the difference is only a couple of notes at the end of the phrase, otherwise it's identical.

Speaking of Scottish music, this tune was written by Joseph Kilna Mackenzie in memory of his great-grandfather Sgt.Charles Stuart Mackenzie. Mackenzie was severely wounded in France in WWII. Sent back to Scotland for surgery and recuperation, he refused an arm amputation and begged to return to his men. Upon his return, his unit was involved in close combat and he died from bayonet wounds while protecting one of his wounded soldiers.








Joe and his Clan An Drumma performed the song at our annual Ia Drang Valley Reunion in Arlington. The video was recorded by my very close buddy, Ron Sleeis and posted on Facebook.
Sgt. MacKenzie" written and performed by Joseph Kilna MaKenzie & Clann An Drumma It was featured in the sound track to the film "We Were Soldiers

 

[protectionist]

Here's one of the finest Irish fiddle tunes ever composed. It's Cooley's Reel, played by a poster on YouTube, who goes by the display name >> peakfiddler. Good name. Whoever this guy is, his fiddling is top notch. I might even say simply awesome. One of the best I've ever heard. One of the best 2:40 minutes you ever spent.

 

[Skull Pilot]

 

[protectionist]

That is fascinating - I knew Pogo was a muscician, I did not know you were Protectionist. Very cool!!!!

I play the fiddle, the mandolin, the guitar and the harmonica, and have for 45- 57 years, depending on the instrument. I will post some fiddle tunes with me on the fiddle soon.

In the meantime, check out Post 67 for some of the best Irish fiddling ever. It's not me playing. Wish it were. I will learn this tune soon though.

 

[HenryBHough]

The Irish Song to End All Irish Songs: