FTX 275 - THE GAELIC WEST

The West of Ireland compared to the Western Isles of Scotland - Compiled and produced by Alan Lomax 1951

An outstanding study of Celtic music in which Seamus wonders why the Irish have not preserved, except in Donegal, any of the rhythmical chorus songs he encountered on his visit to the Hebrides. He also gives an account of his work for the Irish Folklore Commission in the 1940s when he transcribed hundreds of songs from phonograph records - he himself sings and ends by playing a lament followed by a reel on his handed down set of Uillean (bellows-blown) bagpipes.

1. CAOINEADH (Keening for a Wake) Kitty GALLAGHER, Co Donegal (talk before) - 0'56"

2. AN CAILIN AERACH (The Airy Girl) Maire O SULLIVAN, Co Cork (tb) - 1'02"

3. Talk about his collecting - 1'53"

4. BERAN PHAIDON (Pat's Wife) Colm KEANE, Glinsk, Co Galway (ta) - 2'09"

5. BRIDGET THOMAS MINT - 0'41"

6. SOLDIER, SOLDIER sung by Seamus with fiddle beg & end (tb & ta) - 2'01"

7. Talk by SE & sound of the phonograph - 1'16"

8. CUCANANDY NANDY Elizabeth CRONIN, Co Cork (ta) - 1'19"

9. (In the midst of my sorrow) Maureen O SULLIVAN - 1'27"

10. THE FOX CHASE - Mickey DOHERTY (fiddle) - 3'33"

11. Talk about Padraig O KEEFE - 0'34"

12. ROCKING THE CRADLE played on muted and open-tuned fiddle - 2'23"

13. AN MHAIGHDEAN MHARO (Mermaid Song from Torre Island) (tb) - 1'59"

14. MISE CHUNNAIC Hebridean Chorus Song (John Lorne Campbell) - 1'43"

15. THA MULAD (Sadnerss is on me) Waulking Song (ta) - 1'47"

16. RINN MI MHAICHERGH GU EIRIGH (I hastened to rise) - tb & ta) - 1'39"

17. CRONAN NA BO (Cows Croon) - Maureen O SULLIVAN - 1'01"

18. CHIUAN GRADH (Dearest Cow) - Kate NICHOLSON, S.Uist - 4'54"

19. CRONAN BLEOGHAIN (Butter Come) Annie JOHNSTON - 1'08"

20. THIG A CHIUNNEAG, THIG (Butter Churn) - SE (from Colm Keane) - 0'46"

21. (Big Song) - Donald McKINNON (tb & ta) - 1'31"

22. UNA BHAN (Una the fair) - Sean McDONAGH, Galway (tb & ta) - 1'27"

23. Port a beul & Poteen Story (tb) - 2'25"

24. Another (ta & tb) - 0'46"

25. Return to the Ceilidhe with mouth music (tb & ta)- 0'26"

26. HO ILLE DHUIN SHANNDAICH (Fairy Sweetheart)Annie JOHNSTON & group (tb) - 1'21"

27. SEOTHIN SEO (Fairy Lullaby) Maire O SULLIVAN, Co Cork - 2'05"

28. THE FAIRY & THE ONE TUNE FIDDLER - Mickey DOHERTY, Co Donegal - 3'53"

29. THE LARK IN THE MORNING - Agnes White (fid)& Story of Henry the piper & BALLINAKILL CEILIDHE BAND - 2'11"

30. BIRD CALLS Mary McLEOD, Barra & Annie Johnston, Barra: Puffin/Crow/ Black-backed Gull - 2'47"

31. CANTEARACHD - John McDonald - 1'14"

32. MACKINTOSH'S LAMENT Pibroch singer & john BURGESS (pipes) (tb) - 2'38"

33. THE PIPERS WARNING TO HIS MASTER Mrs Mary MORRISON, Earsay, Barra - 1'25"

34. Seamus (Uillean Pipes) WERE YOU AT THE ROCK? (Lament) & THE BUCKS OF ORANMORE (Reel) - 4'12"

Presented by Seamus Ennis and produced by Alan Lomax. Recorded by Peter Kennedy and first published by Folktrax 2002.