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Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:48 am
by Steve Bliven
Anyone know of any recordings by Peg/Peig McGrath—other than the Cherish the Ladies album and what's on YouTube?

Thanks and best wishes.

Steve

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:06 am
by Mr.Gumby
She was on some of the early Comhaltas tours and was featured on at least one of the lps that came out of those (or at least one of the ones I have here). There's one track of her playing The Castlebar Races and Old Tipp on 'The Homes I left behind' which was recorded for a tour of the US in 1974. There are also a few tracks of the whole group playing together.

I have a bunch of tapes on fluteplayers from RTE programmes from the 90s someone sent me, I seem to half remember her being in there but I would have to check.

Also seem to remember her on one of the Coleman archive compilation but that too I would have to check.

[edit/add]: I checked and there's one track on the Coleman Archive vol 2, with accordionplayer Alfie Joe Dineen. And more included in vol 4.

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath (Needham) Recordings

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:35 am
by kkrell
There's the copy of "Easter Snow" on Wooden Flute Obsession 3. One of these days, Steve, you'll look there first. :)

Harry Bradshaw did some noise reduction for me of the version on the CD "Fonn Ceoil" for the Gaelic School.

Other possibilities (which I do not have):
"Re Peg McGrath, there is a lovely recording of her playing a Josie McDermott composition, the "Trip to Birmingham", on a CD of the Tain (pronounced Thawn) ceili band from Dundalk, of which Peg was a founder member. The band won 3 all Ireland Senior ceili band championships in a row, in 1998-1999 and 2000. Unfortunately, Peg did not live to share in the victories. The band is led by Padraig Donlon, a piper, flute and whistle player... Padraig got the recording for the CD from RTE Radio. It was recorded by Ciaran Mac Mathuna in the 1970s."

"I am aware of a lovely flute duet consisting of Peg and Josie McDermott, which was recorded by a man called Michael Daly, in Birmingham in 1970 (the weekend which inspired Josie to compose the Trip to Birmingham). Michael Daly had a professional Ferrograph tape recorder, and he knew how to use it. He recorded extensively with it over a number of years. His niece told me recently that Harry Bradshaw has his original tapes."

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 11:41 am
by Mr.Gumby
The Comhaltas archive here

list the following online:
Track name People Rhythm Year
Dwyer's Reel Peg McGrath and B. Gleeson Reels 1976
Josie McDermott's Peg McGrath Reel 1976
Josie McDermott's Peg McGrath Reel 1976
Tom Wards Downfall Micheal McGuane and Peg McGrath Reel 1973
McDermotts Peg McGrath Reel 1970
Untitled Peg McGrath Reels 1970
Untitled Peg McGrath Reel
Untitled Peg McGrath Reel
The Traveller Peg McGrath Reel
Trip to Birmingham Peg McGrath Reel
Untitled Peg McGrath Jig
First House in Connacht Peg McGrath Reel
Untitled Kathleen Smyth and Peg McGrath Reel 1973
The Castlebar Races / Old Tipperary Peg McGrath Jigs 1974
But you need an account to hear full uninterrupted tracks.

The first track is the Traveller, the first two untitled ones both are the Trip to Birmingham (=Josie McD's), the third one the Piper's Despair while the fourth untitled one is the King of the pipers. The first Josie McD is the Rainy Day, as is the second. But lacking an account, I can hear only the first 30 seconds of each track.

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 12:29 pm
by Steve Bliven
Mr.Gumby wrote:But you need an account to hear full uninterrupted tracks.
Thanks very much. I've not used the site previously. Do you know whether you can download tracks if you have an account?

Best wishes.

Steve

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2019 12:36 pm
by Mr.Gumby
Do you know whether you can download tracks if you have an account?
I don't know if you can 'officially' download the MP3s but as it is I can download the truncated MP3s using video download helper in Firefox so with the right app/browser extension you can snatch them.

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 5:44 pm
by colomon
There's a track of her playing with Josie on Flute Players of Roscommon Volume 2.

She's also one of the two flute players on "The Coleman Ceili Band on American Tour" LP. Don't think she has any solo stuff there, though.

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 7:36 am
by Mr.Gumby
I never knew the Cherish the Ladies recording was out on CD but going through a box of second hand CDs earlier, as you do, this one caught my eye. Without this thread I would probably not have given it a second look, based on the stock cover that makes it look like a generic potboiler compilation CD, but a peek inside revealed all tracks as trad/arr.McGrath/Mulholland/Smyth. Brilliant. I took it away for €3. It's lovely, made my day.

Image


[Add:] I just had a bit of a browse and once you know it's out there, you can find at least one copy on ebay @ £6.20 and several on Amazon UK from £2.99 (but mind the postage) although they may not be obvious in a straightforward search. But they are there, just in case anyone else wants one.

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 10:20 am
by kkrell
That Cherish the Ladies CD is also included as Disc 9 in this "Celtic Soul" 10 CD set for USD $8.90 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Irish-Celtic-Bal ... B000GUK040

Per thesession.org
https://thesession.org/recordings/1069


1.) "Séamus Tansey: Traditional Irish Music"
~ also issued as "The Best of Séamus Tansey"
https://thesession.org/recordings/display/1074

2.) Finbarr Dwyer: Pure Traditional Irish Accordion Music
https://thesession.org/recordings/display/1726

3.) John & James Kelly: Irish Traditional Fiddle Music (& friends)
https://thesession.org/recordings/display/1567

4.) "Tara Folk: Folksongs of Ireland"
~ not on site as yet, primarily songs

5.) "Best Of Irish Ceili Music"
https://thesession.org/recordings/display/2698

6.) "Rince: Complete Irish Dancing Set"
~ also issued as "First Steps and Beyond"
~ not on site as yet

7 & 8.) “Festival Of Traditional Irish Music, Volumes 1 & 2”
https://thesession.org/recordings/display/2697

9.) "Cherish The Ladies: Peg McGrath, Mary Mulholland & Kathleen Smyth"

10.) "Armagh Pipers’ Club: Song of the Chanter"
https://thesession.org/recordings/display/1737

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 6:51 pm
by colomon
Sorry, for some reason I thought that everyone knew that Peg's Cherish the Ladies album was up on Amazon digital (at least in the US): Cherish the Ladies. Only $6, so a bit more expensive than Mr Gumby's find, but doesn't require stepping away from your computer to get it!

Re: Peg/Peig McGrath Recordings

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 2:15 am
by Mr.Gumby
Sorry, for some reason I thought that everyone knew that Peg's Cherish the Ladies album was up on Amazon digital
I don't think anyone or anything suggested otherwise.