FTX-375 - THE MASON'S APRON

BELFAST FIDDLE SESSION

Tom TURKINGTON, Sean MAGUIRE, his father, Sean Senior, Liam DONNELLY, and Bill MONTGOMERY are the fiddlers. Tom Turkington plays some of his own compositions & talks about the music. Sean Junior plays solo and leads the others in tune selections. He also plays guitar accompaniment and plays fiddle for the champion Irish step-dancer, Eamon O CONNOR. Included are the South Armagh dances: THE THREE TUNES and THE SWEETS OF MAY.

1. THE RED HAIRED BOY Hornpipe (The tune used for the songs: "The Ould Rigadoo" and "The Little Beggarman") Tom TURKINGTON (fiddle) - 1'39"

2. Tom talks about his fiddle playing - 5'12"

3. THE DEVIL AMONG THE TAILORS (Reel) - 1'42"

4. THE MASON'S APRON (Reel) - 1'48"

5. Talk about previous, Scottish tunes, & following tune - 0'56"

6. THE LAIRD O' DRUMBLAIR (Strathspey & Reel) - 1'55"

7. BRAVE RODNEY'S GLORY Set Dance (talk bef) - 2'20"

8. THE THREE SEA CAPTAINS Set Dance (talk bef) - 3'43"

9. DAVID'S DELIGHT Reel (composed by Tom Turkington) - 1'46"

10. OVER THE HILLS TO MONRUSH Jig (comp Turkington) (talk bef) - 2'28"

11. SMITH'S FAVOURITE & THE TAILOR'S TWIST Hornpipes (talk aft) - 2'29"

12. THE BLACKBIRD Set Dance (2 fiddles) Tom with Sean MAGUIRE Junior - 2'10"

13. REAVEY'S REEL & ROARING MARY Sean MAGUIRE Junior (fid) - 2'21"

14. HASTE TO THE WEDDING, ASTLEY'S RIDE & THE GERMAN BEAU played for The Set Dance called "The Three Tunes" - 3'37"

15. THE BANK'S HORNPIPE - 1'55"

16. THE FOXHUNTER'S - Slip Jig - 1'35"

17. THE SAILOR'S BONNET, KISS THE BRIDE & ROARING MARY Reels - Sean MAGUIRE Junior with Tom TURKINGTON, Bill MONTGOMERY, Liam DONNELLY & Sean MAGUIRE Senior (fiddles) - 3'08"

18. THE BASHFUL BACHELOR, THE SHOWMAN'S FANCY & DUNPHY'S Hornpipes - As for the previous track - 2'24"

19. THE FLAX IN BLOOM, THE MILESTONE & THE DAIRY MAID Reels - Sean MAGUIRE Junior & Bill MONTGOMERY (fids) - 4'28"

20. THE SLIGO MAID & REAVEY'S REEL - As previous - 2'13"

21. THE BOYS OF THE LOUGH & THE SHASKEEN REEL - Bill (fid) with Sean Junior (gtr) - 2'17"

22. TOBIN'S FAVOURITE (Jig) Sean Junior with Eamon O CONNOR (step-dancing) - 1'43"

23. PLANXTY DRURY (Set Dance) - As previous - 1'55"

Recorded by Peter Kennedy at the Maguire's house, Belfast 1952. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax cassettes 1975.

Tom TURKINGTON, born 1920, learned from his father, who was a boat-builder at Portadown, Co. Armagh. He later owned a cycle shop, for which Tom became a cycle salesman. 1942-9 he worked in the Belfast shipyard. In 1937 he joined Malachy Sweeney's Ceilidh Band, which originated in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, and won solo fiddle class two years running in the local festival. He had his first broadcast with Raymond Glendenning in 1938.

Sean MAGUIRE Junior, born 1924, also learned from his father, but later developed his own individual style in which he maintains a firm pressure ion the strings without lifting the bow. His father, Sean Maguire, of Mullagh-hoarn, Co. Cavan, who was born 1889, can be heard playing tin-whistle on Folktrax 376. On some of the tracks Sean Junior accompanies his father on fiddle.