Riverdance pipers

[tompipes]

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

I don't think that at all but we'll have to agree to disagree.
If anything the RTE "light entertainment department" was the real connection between the 2 events.

Whelan is down as either composer or co-composer of both.

He's been mis-credited a lot.
The 3 tunes in Timedance are
The Humours of Barrack Street (Junior Crehan)
Isercleran (Lunny)
Ballymun Regatta (Bill Whelan and Donal Lunny)

The theme played on the whistle was written by Lunny.

were they all paid the same rate?

No.
The US tours used to pay a bit more than the European tours so it depended on where you ended up.
Wages fluctuated over the years too, like any business.



Tommy

[tompipes]

also, am i right in saying it was spillane on the recording of the seville suite tune that was later used in riverdance

Davy was on the Seville Suite album but none of that music was used in Riverdance.


Tommy

[Mr.Gumby]

The 3 tunes in Timedance are
The Humours of Barrack Street (Junior Crehan)
Isercleran (Lunny)
Ballymun Regatta (Bill Whelan and Donal Lunny)

The theme played on the whistle was written by Lunny.

The record sleeve quotes them as co-writers for both pieces, fwiw. Barrack street was learned from Junior, he didn't compose it. Some say they got the title wrong on that one. Some others say he inserted that extra beat just to wrong-foot them but I think it was a one-off mistake copied many times by many since. I heard him play it 'correctly' on a few occasions. I seem to remember there's a notation from his playing in one of the CRE volumes.

But maybe this is all getting sidetracked and too bogged down in details that really don't matter too much.

[john]

go to around 6.00 minutes here - it sounds like one of the riverdance tunes to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVb9-aB30T0

[tompipes]

It might sound similar but it wasn't in Riverdance.


Tommy

[rorybbellows]

What was the highest number of riverdance companies that were going at any one time?

RORY

[tompipes]

Three.
But there was also another group nicknamed the Flying Squad.
It was a kind of panel of musicians, singers and dancers that were called upon for one off events. Corporate gigs and short promotional tours.

Tommy

[pancelticpiper]

All of the above is incorrect; it was this Eurovision entry from Ireland that was the catalyst for Riverdance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzYzVMcgWhg

[Mr.Gumby]

Hehe, I remember when they were filming that, Ennistymon was all excited.

During the same few weeks they were filming all over the place we ran into Dermot Morgan in Lahinch. My wife thought he looked familiar and went the whole, 'hello how are you keeping, nice to see you..' and all that and then came after me to ask who the man was again. 'Father Ted' I replied. She was much embarrassed.



That episode will air once more this week (tonight or tomorrow) in conjunction with this year's eurovision. Here is the 'unplugged' version of the song.

[Calum]

She was much embarrassed.

In my experience (not as a sleb, I hasten to add), most famous people have this experience twice a day, so she's in good company!

[rgouette]

you lads need to decide if yer FOR synth-backed piping, or agin it...



or...is it more about whoooo is playing said new age muzik.......

[Cathy Wilde]

This is reading like a transcript of "Jeopardy: The Riverdance Edition"!

[buskerSean]

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).

http://youtu.be/ZrMDiAm5BXo 41.26 on for BW's take on it