Willie Week goings on

TheSilverSpear · Post by **TheSilverSpear** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:32 am

Waiting in the Cork airport for my flight home from Willie Week (I figure the airport internet is a good way to use up my last few euros). It was my first time going and I'm still reeling (haha) from the intensity. Sort of in that let down phase, like after you get off a week long river rafting trip. Overall it was awesome but exhausting. However, I took the hardcore route -- staying up all night, playing 8+ hour marathon sessions, etc., whilst getting up early and going to class. Some people do one or the other, but for me, part of the whole festival experience is feeling run down by the end of it. There is something rewarding to that if you're masochistic enough.

I will probably be there next year.

flanum · Post by **flanum** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:44 pm

Just recovered enough now. basically spent the week following the brilliant trio of michael mconnell(blackie),pat broderick, and brian macaidha. Some savage loose piping played really tightly together!! Blackie even let me have a go of his lovely cillian set one of the nights. Highlight for me was one day in the malbay pub with the aforementioned pipers who were then joined by 2 more pipers (pats nephew and enna cronin). 5 pipes flying! I was mesmerised all week by regulators, i will be having weird regulator type dreams (nightmares?) this week !! classjob!

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 2:57 pm

That Blackie,s some boy I can tell you.I was in a hotel room next to his a while back, He and some girl went to their room at about three in the morning and they didn,t stop for about three hours !!

RORY

flanum · Post by **flanum** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:01 pm

yep ive heard him playing non-stop for maybe even longer!

Kerryman · Post by **Kerryman** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:17 am

"The Late Session" programme on RTE 1 Radio last Saturday night was from Miltown and features some piping from Kevin Rowsome 34 minutes into the show. It is archived here http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/209-rte- ... 07-15.smil

Liam

alurker · Post by **alurker** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:23 pm

jimharrison wrote:There was a lovely tribute to Sean Potts in the Hall this afternoon....

I hope there isn't some bad news that I have not heard?

jimharrison · Post by **jimharrison** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:20 am

alurker wrote:
jimharrison wrote:There was a lovely tribute to Sean Potts in the Hall this afternoon....
I hope there isn't some bad news that I have not heard?

No, no! It was an acknowledgment of all the work he's done for piping and the NPU over many years, hosted by Paddy Glackin.

Sean is fine!

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:48 am

Phew! You had us worried!

alurker · Post by **alurker** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:41 am

Good to hear Jim. And good to hear his massive contribution was being recognised. Did he make it down to the concert do you know?

Steampacket · Post by **Steampacket** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:03 am

Sean Potts himself was at the concert and very active. Talking about his own father and family, and how he got into the music, and his love of the pipes. Sean also played som tunes, including a nice duet with Michael Turbidy on flute. Four pipers paid tribute to Sean during the concert - Sean (og) Potts, Ronan Browne together with Pedar McLoughlin on fiddle, Sean McKeon, solo and Gay McKeon, solo. Considering his involvement with NPU I was surprised that there were no other pipers paying tribute. Prehaps a generation "thing"?

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:30 pm

I caught a nice quiet session in Cleary's one afternoon with Padraig MacMathuna, Connie O'Connell and I think Joe Thoma on pipes and 2 fiddles - playing down in "C". Nice sound, and lovely playing.

Brazenkane · Post by **Brazenkane** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:43 am

Enjoyed my time at Willie Clancy. Spent all 6 days in Dave Hegarty and Jim Wenham's reed making class. Finbar Mac Loughlin was in great form and had a B set that he made ther. and it Sounded superb. All the boys stopped by (Gay, Jimmy, Mick, Ronan etc).

Jim Wenham, the co-reed making teacher is making a concert chanter from Cillian's plans. Jim is a great reedmaker and his chanter sounded and performed lovely!!!! Dead n in tune and easy to play.

Every sessiun (in town) that I was at offered zero space to sit and play. I reckon you'd have to get there quite early to get a seat. I did play at the Crosses and at Moroney's, both being great sessuins; the former w/Gary Hastings and the later w/the Cotter family.

There was a nice house sessiun with Mickey Dunne (thanksto Mike Mullins) that was relaxed and wonderful! There's much to say but you won't catch me writing a Thomas-style novel about it!

Finally, Dave Hegarty is class!

Hope to be there again next year!

Jumper · Post by **Jumper** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:49 pm

I'd like to hear a report on the class in uilleann pipes measurement, taught by Cillian Ó Bríain and Geoff Wooff. Did anyone here attend?

http://www.pipers.ie/Events/_070709PipeCourse.htm

Brazenkane · Post by **Brazenkane** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 6:00 pm

heard only good stuff about it!

Steampacket · Post by **Steampacket** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 8:34 am

We camped out in Doolin and drove into Miltown, Sunday through to Friday. We found a nice session each day in Miltown, sometimes two, afternoon & evening. Seems timing and patience are good allies. There is nearly always a lull between 5.30 pm and 7 pm when people leave an afternoon session in order to eat or because the tunes have dried up. A good time to pounce and secure a seat, or even start a new session, or just sit there and wait until a new shift of musicians wander in and a new session starts up. One evening we drove to Murphy's at Liscannor where a big session started up, more musicians than public, and met up with Cocusflute who guided us to a nice pub, Killshanny House, where we played some tunes, just three flutes and two fiddles. Cocusflute had a very nice sounding cocus Olwell six-key and I believe Joe was playing on a blackwood Olwell? Thanks for that Cocusflute.

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