nicx66 wrote:
Tyler DelGregg wrote:
Sometimes, I just make up a name with my playing buddies when nobody remembers what the tune was called. The multiple names that some tunes have could lead to confusion as well. There is a popular Irish number called Gary Owen that my guys play a lot. It became politically volatile here because of its association with General Custer of the 7th US Cavalry.The Irish Brigade played it in their assault on Fredericksburg during the Civil War too, so the tune is not entirely Custer's, but to avoid drawing heat, we call it by yet another name coined by a singer. We call it Tim O'brien's Gary Owen, and one of our guys sing it while I play the Bb. So, there is confusion everywhere.
Errol Flynn's
Tim Obrien's Mick Ryan's Lament is a song which poignantly addresses the conflict of the Irish young men who came from Ireland and idealistically joined the army only to find they were being used to chase people off their own native land, something they had despised at home. That song uses the tune Gary Owen as it was the marching "song" for the 7th Calvary and still is used by the 1st Calvary division.
We used to have US Army veterans request it from time to time. In modern American military use it is often coupled with The Campbell's Are Coming. It took us a few youtube searches to figure out why they thought we weren't "playing the whole thing." These tunes are quite connected in military parades and funerals. That also explained why they thought we were playing it too fast. Wikipedia will gives a good short read on Gary Owen.
At that time we also had a singer who would break out "Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye" right after. This song is a strong contrast to the American rewriting of the same song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." Needless to say there was some discomfort in that room.
John Riley is another song by Tim Obrien dealing with an actual historical event. These songs were part of an album called The Crossing which was collaboration with John Williams, John Doyle, and Winnie Horan. I may have missed some other artist in there. If you enjoy the old time style and the Irish/American history of that era it may be an interesting listen. I enjoyed it enough to buy it, lose it, and buy it again.