Mary Anne Sweeney - jigs & reel from 40 years ago !

[kenny]

I suppose I must have made this recording 40 years ago, to the very day. My first visit to the Willie Clancy week was in 1980, and I - in common with just about every else in the hall, probably - made a recording of the Flute and Whistle Recital. The current technology was cassette tape, so the tape this came from is now 40 years old - still plays !
3rd on stage was a young woman called Mary Anne Sweeney, whom I think may have been one of the whistle tutors. She played 2 jigs, "Pay The Reckoning / The Legacy", followed by Sean Ryan's composition "The Reel Of Rio" - lovely whistle playing. I don't know anything about her, I hope she is still around and playing great music like this :
https://youtu.be/gFTeEdNXV9Q

Perhaps Mr. Gumby can help ?

[Mr.Gumby]

I was there but was sort of overwhelmed with all the goings, all the new faces and music on and I didn't have a recorder either. I had also, clueless, booked a B&B in Rineen, which turned out nearly an hour's walk so I had to time my exit every night.

Mary Ann Sweeney does not immediately ring a bell. I am afraid.

[kenny]

Thanks anyway, Mr. G.
"(the other musicians didn't arrive, they got stuck in a session with Paddy Murphy and Peter O'Loughlin in Ennis)".

[bigsciota]

Unless I'm missing something, I only hear Pay The Reckoning in the jig set, not the Legacy Jig.

Lovely playing, regardless!

[kenny]

You're quite right, "bigsciota". Where the 2nd jig came from - or not, as the case seems to be - I have no idea. This lockdown must be getting to me.
Also, I think Mr. Gumby has correctly identified the player as Mary Ann Sexton, although I had written "Sweeney" in 1980.
To set the record straight, I'm going to delete the clip and re-submit it.
Thanks for your help, guys.

[kenny]

Corrections made : https://youtu.be/2e3tEufZ0aA

[Seanie]

Thanks Kenny

I must say that I prefer your recordings to most of the videos that the ITMA made available of the WC week.

Take care

John

[Mr.Gumby]

They were different times, John.

I wonder sometimes if there are good quality recordings from that time, other than the cassettes we all filled from the hall. I can't recall when RnaG and ITMA (or whoever recorded before that) started consistently recording those concerts but I do recall Jackie Small and the others sitting there behind the table each with an identical Nagra, recording everything in duplo, which didn't seem very efficient. Ofcourse both machines ran out of tape at the same moment so they both missed part of the music while they were changing tapes.

But, to get back to the point, ITMA's (video) highlights all seem post-196/7-ish (which make sense as that was when they were first established), audio records, good quality ones, may or may not go back further, it would be nice if they did.