Tom McHaile-'All Ireland Whistle Champion'

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Mon Jan 06, 2003 10:10 pm

Steve,

Do you think the same of Mike McHale's album? I just love the CD, and if you don't like both, it means I might have a chance to fall in love with Tom's playing.

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 10:41 am

LOL
Well, I actually sort of agree with Steve here... let me explain. My dad got me the Tom McHale record at a flea-market a number of years ago as a gift. I listened to it once and was thoroughly unimpressed, especially by the gawdawful accompaniment (the curse strikes again). A couple years later I listened to it again and appreciated it quite a bit more. I especially appreciated that there was absolutely nothing fancy about it - I'd been listening to McGoldrick, Solas and Lunsasa, so something as threadbare as the McHale recording was really refreshing for me and the start of my journey in that direction.
I do agree, however,that the recording itself is not really that good compared to many others.... they both seem a little bored and uncomfortable, as if Comhaltas gave them 1 hour of studio time to get the entire record down with no retakes and a pre-approved tune-list. However, from studying with Mike McHale, I had a really good idea of how Tom must have sounded outside of the studio and I was able to fill the gaps in with my mind and with my enthusiasm for the music.
So, yeah, it's not the best album in the world, but I think it's definately worth having, especially for such a low price. Whether the recording or the performing is up to par or not, many of todays top whistle and flute players have mentioned Tom McHale as a big influence and I think it's worth a good listen.
Best,
Chris

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 11:34 am

Does Mike McHale have an e-mail address?

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 11:41 am

He probably does, but I don't have it.
Chris

kevin m. · Post by **kevin m.** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 1:14 pm

Well,the album arrived today,and i'm giving it a quick listen as i write! I too get the distinct impression that Tom didn't feel very comfortable in the studio-as if he's slightly hesitant.Incidentally,I don't know if the tracks are arranged as recorded,but the musicians DO seem to improve on each successive tune(maybe just my ears).The slow airs DO contain a lot of slurring and sliding about,the two march set that opens the album(Centenary and Hynes)are probably the least successful tracks-spoilt imho by some rather nausea inducing slurring(I must agree with you there Stevie).Far,far more successful are the jig and reel sets,'skylark/roaring Mary' is Very good,I also enjoyed 'the sweep's hornpipe' and reel 'Sean Na Cro'.The cover identifies the guitar accompanist as Den Warwick,and states tunes as "ALL traditional arr. F. Gilligan.I think that some of the accompaniment sounds a bit 'cobbled together'and that the slow airs might have been better recorded solo. This is the Outlet label album with 'stilted spoken tune intro's'.The cover Does look cheap and nasty,But what I took to be whistles on a jacket lying on the ground,busker like,is actually three Feadog mk1's propped up against some rocks!(it WAS a very small picture on the vendor's site!).All in all though,I would say that this is a fairly enjoyable album,it's already starting to grow on me by the minute-I feel that this is the kind of material that will actually TEACH me more to play in an authentic I-Trad style,rather than some of the more 'polished' performances by todays 'star players'.A worthy addition to my collection.

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 2:17 pm

By the way, I've read that this was the first solo whistle album ever released commercially.

A lot of those early Outlet recordings are a bit dodgy, but there's some great music on them. Beware of the tune listings in the liner notes, they don't always match the tracks. One of my favorite old Outlet re-releases on CD is "Cherish the Ladies," with Peg McGrath on flute, Kathleen Smythe on fiddle, and Mary Mulholland on piano. The first track is listed as "Jigs: The Callan, The Flowing Bowl," but in fact they're reels, the second of which is The Piper's Despair. I've never heard the first reel anywhere else and it's brilliant--it might be a Josie McDermott tune. I'd love to know the correct name for it.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: bradhurley on 2003-01-08 15:18 ]</font>

Seanie · Post by **Seanie** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 3:44 am

Hello
Didn't Catherine McEvoy get her R&R flute from Tom McHale?
Kathleen Smith is still playing wonderful music in sessions around Dublin but Peg McGrath (like Tom McHale and Micho) died in a car crash.
Cheers
John

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 6:16 am

On 2003-01-09 04:44, Seanie wrote:
Didn't Catherine McEvoy get her R&R flute from Tom McHale?

Yes, that's right. See http://www.firescribble.net/flute/mcevoy.html

adriancarrington · Post by **adriancarrington** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 4:15 pm

Hi, Kevin,

Glad you're happy with the CD. I entirely agree that this is a helpful learning tool, especially given that Tom is less of a speed merchant than some of today's "uber-whistlers"...no slowdowner software needed here, eh??
It grew on me too!

Take care, and good luck with your music,
Adrian

kevin m. · Post by **kevin m.** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 4:32 pm

Thanks to all for your input to this thread-very interesting note from Brad about this being the FIRST commercially available whistle album(the earliest whistle recording I have heard is Peter Guinan playing 'Off to California'and 'The Liverpool Hornpipe' recorded in Dublin in 1937,as featured on the various artists album 'From Galway to Dublin' I bet someone has heard earlier recordings-if so,please let us know).Shame to hear that Tom was yet another victim of 'The Road'.I like Adrian's reference to today's 'Uber-whistlers'-very descriptive!(Adrian,I don't need good luck with my music-I need HARD WORK!)Thanks all!

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 4:43 pm

Er, what I meant was that this was the first commercial LP of Irish music on solo tinwhistle. Of course there were earlier recordings (I have copies of some), but nothing where you could sit for 30 minutes or so and just listen to whistle.

kevin m. · Post by **kevin m.** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 4:53 pm

Right Brad!.According to the sleeve notes, Peter Guinan recorded eight sides in 1937/38-some as duets with fiddler Kieran Hynes('Hynes march' appears on Tom's album-?).The notes go on to say that 'perhaps because the tin whistle often is the instrument of children and beginners,few recordings were made during the 78 era'How often have we whistlers come across this attitude!

breandan · Post by **breandan** » Fri Jan 10, 2003 12:12 pm

The recording first came out on Outlet under the title Tom McHaile All Ireland Champion 1966. [I don't know about any earlier All Ireland titles that Tom may have won.]

It was the record that introduced me to the whistle and my very first tunes were the Centenary March and The Skylark and Roaring Mary. I still play these and they're still great tunes.

There's no doubt that the recording is a wee bit dated but then it was done back in the seventies on a piss poor four track in Mc Burney's studios in Smithfield in Belfast.

Nevertheless it is a landmark record for Whistle players and it gives you some idea of how far the whistle has progressed since those days.

StevieJ · Post by **StevieJ** » Sat Jan 11, 2003 10:07 am

A kind soul yesterday gave me a copy of a private recording of Tom McHa(i)le which is superb and as different from the album as you can imagine. It consists of Tom playing a "rake of reels" in sets of two or three tunes, complete with admiring (and completely justified) comments and interjections from those present. There is also the occasional lapse of memory, false start and grunt of frustration from Tom, which all add to the charm of the recording, a quality that is totally absent, in my view, from the album. And of course on this recording there is no guitar.

I was immediately struck by the fact that a number the tunes crop up on Mary Bergin's solo CDs, so much so that I'd have a bet that Tom was a considerable influence on her. The most notable example is the pairing of "Miss Johnson's" with the reel that Mary calls "Micho Russell's".

Anyway it's truly lovely playing. And as a bonus, my benefactor put on some cuts of Lucy Farr, who died this week and who is mentioned in another thread. She is playing with flute player Chris Ferugson, and her playing on this recording is far better than her cassette album (Heart and Home) and on the couple of occasions I heard her play in person.

Some of these cuts are probably going to find their way into our series of transcriptions before too long!

energy · Post by **energy** » Sat Jan 11, 2003 11:35 am

On 2003-01-11 11:07, StevieJ wrote:
Some of these cuts are probably going to find their way into our series of transcriptions before too long!

Good.