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Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:22 pm
by stetix01
I just learned "An Fanochean" on Bb and high D. That one tears me up- its amazingly beautiful. Can anyone recommend similar slow airs to learn? Thank you good people.

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 6:13 am
by nicx66

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 6:20 am
by Mr.Gumby
An Feochan/The Gentle Breeze was composed by Tommy Peoples. You may like his other compositions. The Book (both a collection of dance music and airs, and fiddle tutor)

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 8:03 am
by imgoingtospain
My favorite slow tunes are:
Sliabh geal gCua
Si bheag si mhor
Leaving Lerwick Harbor (contemporary but a beautiful sad melody)

Best,
-IGS

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 8:30 am
by benhall.1
imgoingtospain wrote:My favorite slow tunes are:
Sliabh geal gCua
Si bheag si mhor
Leaving Lerwick Harbor (contemporary but a beautiful sad melody)

Best,
-IGS
Nice tunes all; but to my mind only the first of those would qualify as a "slow air" in the usually understood (for ITM) sense. Leaving Lerwick Harbour is nearly a slow march to my ear. Not sure how Willie Hunter thought of it, but to my ear it doesn't fit with the usual class of Irish slow airs. (I guess it wouldn't, thinking about it.)

And Sí Beag Sí Mor is a waltz.

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 8:37 am
by Mr.Gumby
And Sí Beag Sí Mor is a waltz.
It's 3/4 tune, although I have seen it rendered in 6/4. It's a harp tune, Carolan's tunes in most cases had words attached so in that sense it could be argued it's an air although how slow it is is open to interpretation.

If you want to take the approach you are taking it could be argued the tune that inspired the OP, (presumably) An Feochan, is not an air in the Sean Nos tradition either, it's a slow tune composed by Tommy Peoples, without words or song connected to it. Without a title even, until Altan named it for their recording of it. But that would be nitpicking, wouldn't it?

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 8:40 am
by Peter Duggan
benhall.1 wrote:Leaving Lerwick Harbour is nearly a slow march to my ear. Not sure how Willie Hunter thought of it, but to my ear it doesn't fit with the usual class of Irish slow airs. (I guess it wouldn't, thinking about it.)
It's a slow air, and Willie Hunter would have regarded it as such. But not one of vocal origin or fitting the 'usual class of Irish slow airs'. It's from the Scottish/Shetland slow air tradition, as you've effectively acknowledged here.

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 9:12 am
by whistle1000
don't know how similar it is but "The Coolin" would be one good air to have under the fingers...when I first visited Ireland in the early 80's, I was asked to play an air at one of the local sessions, forget what I played but the old fella who asked said "not too bad", a typical Irish response I've learned to understand :) He says " you have to learn The Coolin, I hadn't heard of it at that point. Got back to Canada and immediately looked ofr a recording of it. On cassette, at that time, by The Chieftains. It's been one of my go to airs ever since!

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 2:06 pm
by kenny
"Lament for Oliver Goldsmith", composed by Seamus Shannon, has always been a favourite of mine since hearing Finbar Furey play it as a whistle solo in the late 1970s. My favourite slow air played on whistle ever, and he never, as far as I know, recorded it. I have a live recording of him playing it. Send me a PM if interested.

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 4:54 pm
by stiofan
A few favorites:
The Parting Of Friends
Port na bPucaí
An Buachaillin Ban

Also, the cds that accompany Tomas O'Canainn's 'Traditional Slow Airs of Ireland' have recordings to over 100 slow airs.

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 6:34 pm
by stetix01
Thank you everyone. Thats exactly what I was looking for.

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 7:06 am
by Adrian W.
My favourite is Cuimhne an Phiobaire, on Chieftains 7 under No.6 The Coombe. A Sean Potts composition, so it's not ancient, but for me it's a knockout.

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 10:10 am
by whistle1000
That is an excellent choice Adrian... I forgot about that one....I have so many airs under the fingers, including some of my own. I once sat down and recorded 27 slow airs in one go...only stopped at 27 as I ran out of space on my mini disc...I was experimenting with the new mini disc recorder "craze" that was on the go some years ago. I'm off to play the Coombe now as it wasn't with the 27 :)

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 4:10 pm
by An Draighean
Adrian W. wrote:My favourite is Cuimhne an Phiobaire, on Chieftains 7 under No.6 The Coombe. A Sean Potts composition, so it's not ancient, but for me it's a knockout.
Since you don't mind half-holing the f-naturals in Cuimhne An Phíobaire, you might also like "The Green Fields of Canada", another beautiful air that uses the F natural to great effect (and a personal favorite of mine).

Re: Slow Air recommendations

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:43 pm
by stetix01
The Green fields of Canada is amazing! If anyone has done a whistle version I'd love to hear it.