Riverdance pipers

[tompipes]

As Riverdance celebrates 20 years see how many pipers you can find among the list of past musicians.

http://riverdance.com/the-show/cast/


Tommy

[PadraigB]

I've probably missed some:

Matt Bashford
Mick O’Brien
John O’Brien
Tommy Martin
Declan Masterson
Martin McCormack
Mikie Smyth
John McSherry
Davy Spillane
Cillian Vallely
Eamonn Galldubh
Darragh Murphy
Flaithrí Neff
Ivan Goff

[PJ]

Wasn't Ronan Browne involved in Riverdance in the beginning? May not the show, but the original Eurovision "Intermission".

[tompipes]

Yes,
Ronan Browne was the very first.
Eoin Kenny is also not listed.

Padraig, you missed Brian O'Brien.

There are 2 musicians listed that also play pipes but played other instruments in the band.
Aoife Ni Bhriain and David Downes.


Tommy

[tommykleen]

I've probably missed some:

Matt Bashford
Mick O’Brien
John O’Brien
Tommy Martin
Declan Masterson
Martin McCormack
Mikie Smyth
John McSherry
Davy Spillane
Cillian Vallely
Eamonn Galldubh
Darragh Murphy
Flaithrí Neff
Ivan Goff

That's quite a list. Kind of like Spinal Tap drummers.

[tompipes]

Thankfully no bizarre gardening accidents.

[PhilD]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't Liam O'Flynn be on that list also? Was he not the piper that played on the Eurovision show that was the catalyst for the Riverdance phenomenon!

[Mr.Gumby]

Was he not the piper that played on the Eurovision show that was the catalyst for the Riverdance phenomenon!

Well he was on Timedance but that was more than ten years before Riverdance, hardly a catalyst. I wouldn't say there's much of a connection between the two (well Bill Whelan was playing keyboards in Timedance but that's about it).

[An Draighean]

Thankfully no bizarre gardening accidents.

But do any of the pipes/pipers go to eleven?

[PhilD]

Was he not the piper that played on the Eurovision show that was the catalyst for the Riverdance phenomenon!

Well he was on Timedance but that was more than ten years before Riverdance, hardly a catalyst. I wouldn't say there's much of a connection between the two (well Bill Whelan was playing keyboards in Timedance but that's about it).

Since when has a long time period stood in the way of a growing idea?

[Mr.Gumby]

Since when has a long time period stood in the way of a growing idea?

Well, ion that case you may as well include all members of Planxty in the list, especially Andy Irvine for introducing the Balkan rhythms to Ireland.

[tompipes]

I've always thought that the Timedance - Riverdance connection has been overstated a bit over the years.
Bill Whelan wrote one of the 4 tunes that made up Timedance, the others by Donal Lunny and Junior Crehan. But it was very much a Planxty/Lunny production. Musically anyway.

The collaboration album with Andy Irvine and Davy Spillane (East Wind) would have sparked an interest in the eastern European dance rhythms which inspired most of the music in Riverdance. I think in the whole show there's 2 reels and 1 slip jig so there's not much in common with what Planxty would have done.

Although,
As a radio jingles composer, Bill Whelan would have worked for RTE a lot and would have been pitching tunes and ideas for musical productions to RTE all through the 80's and early 90's. So his perseverance paid off. Literally!

Tommy

[PhilD]

Ok, I stand corrected.

[john]

were they all paid the same rate?

also, am i right in saying it was spillane on the recording of the seville suite tune that was later used in riverdance, and that it was ronan browne in the recorded version of the show? - a 'single' was released of the music used in the original performance, and later a recording of the whole show so was the single the same recording taken from the full show or different?

[m4malious]

Was he not the piper that played on the Eurovision show that was the catalyst for the Riverdance phenomenon!

Well he was on Timedance but that was more than ten years before Riverdance, hardly a catalyst. I wouldn't say there's much of a connection between the two (well Bill Whelan was playing keyboards in Timedance but that's about it).

Fiddlesticks - catalysts have no "statute of limitations" - and - Whelan is down as either composer or co-composer of both.

Of course the 1981 Eurovision show was the catalyst for Riverdance.