I do.
Oh do enlighten us then
I was wondering if you, or anyone else, could elaborate on any regional piping styles. I’m somewhat familiar with the common fiddle ones, but it’s true that you don’t hear them in reference to the pipes much. Did the open/close styles have much to do with locality, if at all? and do they correspond any with their respective fiddle styles?
In An Piobaire Vol 4 No. 45, April 2008, there’s a fine article by Joe Crane on regulator playing. On page 11 he touches on the ‘south-east style’ (i.e. Wexford and surrounds) including Johnny Cash and the Rowsome family. He states, 'Some pipers declare the Rowsome style of constant regulator use in piping to be the south-east style and akin to the “Traveling style”.
As the ‘constant regulator use’ seems to be most apparent in the open style of piping, it seems the Wexford or ‘South-east’ style would be considered the home of the open style of piping including the rhythmic constant regulator playing that we see in the piping of Leo Rowsome. The piping of Clare piper Willie Clancy appears to owe much to the influence of Doran and Rowsome, who, it seems, follow in the footsteps of John Cash.
Is the green gates set from Willie Clancy?
Yes, Green Gates is Clancy. Felix Doran played the waltzes.
And here’s another piper from the sunny South-East:
Does it really matter which pigeon hole we can fit these men in?
For the practicalities of the homogeneous 21st century piping scene, not really; but as a historical perspective it’s useful for those who are interested. Isn’t pidgeon-holing what doing history is about? Once you’ve pidgeon holed, then you can identify exceptions.
I love the college groves track. Wonderfully ‘open’ in the A section; exceptionally tight in the B part.
I love the college groves track. Wonderfully ‘open’ in the A section; exceptionally tight in the B part.
Isn’t that the whole point of the exercise, the realisation no piper is either one or the other?
And maybe more importantly, all these tracks have, heart, rhythm, conviction and humour.
Precisely. And may piping in the 22nd Century be the richer for it (the exercise, that is).
Two versions of the Bucks of Oranmore here, both players associated with the South East I suppose. First clip from the same piper as the College Groves posted above.
Bucks 1
Is the first played by Tommy Kearney? Why aren’t you giving any credit to the clips?
Is the first played by Tommy Kearney? Why aren’t you giving any credit to the clips?
Not Tommy Kearney. The man who taught him though, so nicely spotted.
Here’s two more, a friend of Tommy’s and a friend of the Dorans closer to Felix than Johnny in the way of style maybe. I got Johnny Doran’s version of the Swallow’s Tail from him though. Nice.
The Orphan
I add a comment to the clips after a day, I think it’s easier to open your ears when you don’t know who you’re listening to.
Exactly!
Thanks for the early Christmas presents Mr. G.
…and I didn’t get you anything! 
Still time to shop…
tommykleen
These are the nicest clips yet! Thanks! I’ll be checking back for your comment, to find out the names…
Nice playing. Could it be Talty piping there, or possibly Rocheford?
Yes Martin Rochford, at home in Bodyke in 1984. The first Bucks clip is Liam Walsh again, a 78 rpm, from the thirties I think. The Bucks/McDonald/Copperplate is Leo Rowsome playing at the Oireachtas concert on 25 oct 1964.
Thanks for the early Christmas presents Mr. G.
Ah, you have me all blushing now.
You may enjoy this one, I had been looking for that recording for a long time and recently discovered it on my own external storage disk where it had been sitting unnoticed for years. I never knew I had it. Seámus Ennis did a late and final free lance job for the BBC in 1962 and organised a recording session in the Miltown Malbay area with local musicians and some less local ones brought in for the occasion.
This is a trio of Willie on the pipes, Aggie Whyte on the fiddle and Thady Casey on the ‘tambourine’. You may want to mentally block the drum but it’s great stuff although maybe not so relevant to the whole open style discussion:
Thanks for those recordings. Fine piping there from Martin Rochford. Reminded me of Felix’s piping. The same energy. Martin’s pipes sound very bright and Rowsomey, and well set up. I like the regulator playing. Did Martin learn to make his own reeds and adjust them, or did he have help?
Martin was never very lucky getting his pipes going and for years he couldn’t play them much. He did however have boxes full of Rowsome, Clancy, McFadden and every other reedmaker under the sun’s reeds. Geoff was on that visit and set up the pipes on that occasion (and a few later visits as well).
I heard Martin for the first time in 1980 at the Willie week and was mesmerised by his playing very much like Felix’ (the rheumatoid arthritis hadn’t set in as badly at that point). Breandán Breathnach was supposed to do a talk on east Clare music but Martin was the only one of the billed musicians to turn up and he played and played. I don’t have the recording of that handy but know where it is.
I think it was Chris Langan who introduced me to him, not really sure. Martin turned up for the piping recital in Miltown in 82, the year they were re-building the front rooms of the hall. He was flying then, again the same irrepressible rhythm Felix had. He came over to say hello so at that point we had met. Hard enough to believe it’s thirty years ago.
Martin Rochford 1982: Tommy Coen’s
Martin Rochford 1982 : Coppers & Brass
It was only later, in his kitchen in Bodyke, that I got to hear his fiddleplaying. It changed my life.
Listen to this version of Julia Delaney that I recorded during a stay at the house in Bodyke in 1989 (with Geoff and the girls) that extended into several days. Clare was the warmest spot in Europe, the hay was in and Martin had time to play, we tuned the pipes and the fiddle for him and off he went.
Martin could certainly play well. Listening to Martin playing Julia Delaney I’ll bet that Martin’s playing was an influence on Martin Hayes back then when he was developing. You can hear it in Martin Rochford’s use of dynamics and the sliding notes.
Are there any recordings of Brother Gildas or Turlough McSweeney of Donegal? I’ve been curious to hear these two play for a long while. I feel like I read once that McSweeney made a recording of an air, ‘cailin deas cruite na mbo’ perhaps?
I believe Ennis had commented that the old piping of the North was extremely staccato; Are there any evidenced recordings to show of that?