FTX-075 - THE STAR OF DONEGAL

JOHNNY DOHERTY -3-

A third album of Doherty music - recorded by Peter Kennedy: 32 fiddle tunes & talk about his music, his family and his life as a pedlar, as well as some advice from Johnnie about techniques of bowing and bagpipe drones etc. This recording is of outstanding value to dance-musicians - as it contains examples of the various rhythms used for dancing in England, Scotland and Ireland.

1. Hornpipes: (a) THE STAR/ (b) THE JAPANESE/ (c) THE LOW LEVEL/ (d) THE STEPPING STONES - 4'39"

2. Reels: (a) NEW LOUGH ISLE CASTLE/ (b) MARRY WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG/ (c) LORD GORDON'S - 5'05"

3. More Reels: (a) O HALLORAN'S/ (b) THE YELLOW HEIFER/ (c) MISS CUNNINGHAM'S (talk bef) - 3'43"

4. Jigs: (a) THE HEART OF MY KITTY/ (b) THE KING OF THE PIPERS (title bef) - 2'14"

5. (a) Slip Jig: COILLTE FHANADA (The Woods of Fanaid) (talk bef)/ (b) March: THE KNACKERS OF NAVAN - 2'28"

6. Slow Airs: (a) THE DEAR IRISH BOY/ (b) MAIDIN FHOGHMHAIR (The Harvest Morning) - 2'59"

7. (a) NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE'S GRAND MARCH/ (b) NAPOLEON CROSSING THE ALPS - 4'22"

8. (a) HASTE TO THE WEDDING/ (b) TA MO MHARGADH DHEANTA (The Bargain is made)/ (c) WELCOME HOME, GRANIU (talk bef each) - 2'34"

9. BONNIE KATE (Reel) - 1'09"

10. Talk about his father, his first tune & his family/ (b) THE SALAMANCA REEL - 5'40"

11. Further talk about his family music - 1'55"

12. Talk about meeting with John McGinley/ (b) THE FIRST OF MAY (Reel) - 4'55"

13. Talk about being a pedlar - 1'15"

14. (a) THE BOYS OF THE LOUGH/ (b) THE CAT THAT KITTLED ON JAMIE'S WIG (Reels) & (c) talk about technique - 4'20"

15. (a) WHISTLE O'ER THE LAVE O'T/ (b) DULAMAN NE BEINNE BUIDHE (Highland) (talk bef) (c) AN TSEANBHEAN BHOCHT (The Shan Van Vocht)/ (talk bef)(d) THE BRAES OF MAAS/ (e) POLKA MAZURKA/ (f) KITTY'S FANCY (talk bef) - 7'46"

16. Mc SWEENEY'S LAMENT (talk bef) - 2'50"

Recorded by Peter Kennedy in Donegal in 1953. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1975.

Located by Sean O Boyle and Peter Kennedy in 1952, JOHNNY DOHERTY was still leading the life of a pedlar, travelling a triangular route, from house to house, in the Blue Stack Mountains between Gweedore, Carrick and Glen Finn. He had no fiddle of his own, but played upon those, very often found hanging on the walls, of those houses he visited with his wares. His pack, wrapped in black oilskin sheeting, consisted of buttons, combs, pins, cotton thread and needles, as well as various small articles of ladies clothing. When he started playing, word would soon get around, and all the neighbours would gather at the house for a night of ceili-ing, and Johnnie would be accommodated there for the night.

For this recording, and when he was filmed by Peter Kennedy and Pete Seeger (THE IRISH FIDDLER - available on video), he played on Kennedy's fiddle, to which Johnny took a particular liking. When once located by the collectors, he recorded almost continuously, day and night, for a period of a whole week. When it was suggested to him that he should not record so much of his music for the two collectors at any one time, he reassured them, saying that he was anxious to record his complete repertoire of Irish, Scots and English tunes for the understanding and enjoyment of future generations.

For another Co Donegal fiddle record - see FTX-170 Neil Boyle's THE MOVING CLOUDS. John Doherty can also be heard on FTX 073, 074, 273 & 370