The golden age of piping,who's too blame?

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:33 pm

I dont think many would argue that we are going through what must be considered the golden age of Uilleann piping.There are more brilliant pipers ,and great pipemakers now,than there has ever been before.
So if you were to name one person who you think was instrumental in the (post Leo Rowsome) modern revival in Uilleann piping who would you think that is ?
I tend to agree with alot of the experts who have been around long enough to know ,and say that without Micheal Flatley alot of people would not got into piping.The membership of NPU shot up in the years after Riverdance as this was their first exposure to Irish culture and then one thing lead to another.

So would you agree ?

RORY

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:01 pm

I can only speak for myself but... Michael Flatley and his riverdance had no impact on me taking up the pipes what so ever. Honestly I can't say I've ever watched a single one of his performances so I don't even really know a whole lot about him and what he does other than maybe riverdancing? It was actually a Chieftains cd (The Best of the Chieftains) that first shed light on the uilleann pipes for me. Later finally discovering Seamus Ennis is what really clinched it for me.

But like I said this is how I got started, I'm not speaking for everyone else.

My vote (post Leo Rowsome) would have to be a toss up between Paddy Moloney and Liam O'Flynn

Cheers,

Boody · Post by **Boody** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:06 pm

I have to second the Paddy Moloney. I found a chieftains 1 record in my basement, and that record is responsible for getting me started on pipes, whistle and flute. I don't think I've ever even seen riverdance (and from what I've heard I don't think I want to

)

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:26 pm

I would have to third the Chieftains vote, followed quickly by Bothy Band and Planxty as major introducers and promoters of the instrument.

Far more significant in the timing of the boom that NPU witnessed would more likely be the Internet. I had no idea where to go or who to contact about pipes all through the 70s and 80s. There were no sessions here, and the Irish community here was (and remains) very much closed-door. But I could go on the internet and find news groups and forums and web sites with all kinds of information, and even if it meant going to someone far out-of-town, I at least had some contacts where I had none before.

I don't know about in Ireland, but I can't see the dreck that passes for MF's music, and New Age pap in general, being a major source of new interest in playing UPs. It seems more likely that just being able to now get information and contacts, and be able to order CDs from overseas, are the biggest contributors to the new UP popularity IMHO, and that is all because of the Internet.

djm

josh perkins · Post by **josh perkins** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:26 pm

Van Morrison got me there, believe it or not. I guess if you're going to say Flatley, you might as well say Spillane, but I had no knowledge of him or Riverdance until welll after the whole craze had fizzled out.

irishpiper · Post by **irishpiper** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:28 pm

rorybbellows wrote:I tend to agree with alot of the experts who have been around long enough to know ,and say that without Micheal Flatley alot of people would not got into piping.
RORY

I am curious to find out who are the "experts" that would give credit to Michael Flatley for getting people into piping....

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:39 pm

People dont think they have been influenced by Micheal Flatley Per say ,but you have to take into account the butterfly effect.Without the increased interest in Irish culture the whole back up that now exists for Uilleann pipers might not be there !!

RORY

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:00 pm

I doubt it very much. I know people who were also led to UPs by listening to U2 and the Pogues. I suspect MF is very much a non-starter as a source of interest in UPs.

djm

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:07 pm

U2?

(I can't say I've listened to much of their work)

Hans-Joerg · Post by **Hans-Joerg** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:25 pm

Riverdance = Augsburger Puppenkiste auf LSD

Marcus Dun · Post by **Marcus Dun** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:31 pm

[quote="rorybbellows"]
So if you were to name one person who you think was instrumental in the (post Leo Rowsome) modern revival in Uilleann piping who would you think that is ?

I would have to give my vote to Paddy Moloney as I think The Chieftains brought the uilleann pipes to a world wide audience, who would not otherwise have known about them.

Ailin · Post by **Ailin** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:38 pm

How about Liam O'Flynn and Planxty?

billh · Post by **billh** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:45 pm

Brendan Breathnach, I'd have to say...

These things are slow burners. The foundations for the current revival were laid in the 60's and 70's.

Also, IMO, things like economic upturn in the Irish economy in the 90's played a bit part, otherwise the native Irish market would not have supported home-grown pipemakers, and the continued flood of emigration would have been a drain on the 'home' musical community. That's not to downplay the role of the diaspora, but I think the current revival needs not only a strong diaspora/outreach but continuity with the music's cultural sources as well. (Of course, on that topic, economic success may also contain the seeds of destruction of those same sources, but that's another story...)

simonknight · Post by **simonknight** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:46 pm

djm wrote:I would have to third the Chieftains vote, followed quickly by Bothy Band and Planxty as major introducers and promoters of the instrument.

Far more significant in the timing of the boom that NPU witnessed would more likely be the Internet. I had no idea where to go or who to contact about pipes all through the 70s and 80s. There were no sessions here, and the Irish community here was (and remains) very much closed-door. But I could go on the internet and find news groups and forums and web sites with all kinds of information, and even if it meant going to someone far out-of-town, I at least had some contacts where I had none before.

I don't know about in Ireland, but I can't see the dreck that passes for MF's music, and New Age pap in general, being a major source of new interest in playing UPs. It seems more likely that just being able to now get information and contacts, and be able to order CDs from overseas, are the biggest contributors to the new UP popularity IMHO, and that is all because of the Internet.

djm

That's similar to my experience - The Chieftains and the Bothy Band. I would have taken up the pipes 30 years ago if I had access. A few years I had a slow day at work at searched the web and that got me started.

I suffered for a few months without much help then the pipes stayed in their case for a few years until I changed jobs and got hooked into the tionol thing.

The Internet and the piping community were prerequisites to getting me started and then actually making progress. Not sure where MF fits.

Jose' Scotte' Este' · Post by **Jose' Scotte' Este'** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:53 pm

For me it was Jerry O'Sullivan. Heard him playing pipes on the Sally Gardens while driving in the boonies of southwestern Colorado. I was listening to a public radio show that was playing some folk music. I had never heard the Irish pipes before (well, maybe I had, like in Braveheart, but I didn't know it!). I was immediately taken by the sound. I will never forget it! I went out and bought one the CD Jerry was playing on, and kept going from there.

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