O'Farrells Pocket Companion to the Irish Pipes

Fifer · Post by **Fifer** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 6:19 am

Does anyone have a source for purchasing this ?
Much appreciated.

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 6:52 am

You can get this direct from Patrick Sky, but I don't have an e-mail or web address for him: Patrick Sky, 2000 Ridgewood Rd, #312, Chapel Hill, NC 27516

djm

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 6:56 am

plsky@INTREX.NET

Thies · Post by **Thies** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 8:13 am

May one ask what's behind this book? Collection of tunes? Tutor? Is there any URL available (a quick Google didn't show me any)?
Thanks!

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 8:22 am

The pocket collection is a late 18th century collection of tunes, it's in some cases interesting to see how some tunes were around at the time pretty much in the form they are today. Overall, if you want to use it as a source of repertoire, you may be better off getting something else. Pat sky also has o Farrell's tutor available, which again is interesting to look at with a historian's eye but is not all that useful if you're learning the pipes today.

Thies · Post by **Thies** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 8:25 am

Peter,
thanks a lot for the info!
Cheers, Thies

Fifer · Post by **Fifer** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 11:31 am

Thanks, everyone.
I saw Jerry O'Sullivan perform in Rhode Island a couple months back and he mentioned some of the tunes were from that book.

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 3:49 pm

I'd be very interested in seeing a reproduction of the source for all the "Jackson" tunes. My understanding is that Jackson was a piper in the early 19th century who published a collection of his own tunes, now know to us as Jackson's "this" or Jackson's "that", etc. Similar to O'Farrell's collection, it would be interesting to see how the tunes have drifted or stayed the same after all this time.

djm

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 6:43 pm

Jackson's Morning Brush had 2 parts originally. There were two Jacksons, the tune composer was from Monaghan I think - the other one was confused with him for a long time in folklore. O'Neill covers the subject of tune evolution in his IMM and IFM books a bit. Some tunes keep growing, others stay put. Some still play 2 parts for Lord Gordon; Seamus Ennis called it Duke Gordon and played 3; Michael Coleman recorded 5 which has became the "standard" of sorts; the piper Michael Carney recorded 2 but taught a 4 or 5 part version which is slightly different than how Coleman played it...and so on. Back when no one read music and there weren't records or other forms of standardization/communication you got an enormous amount of variety in settings, technique, repertoire, and names of tunes.
Breandan Breathnach wrote an article about the piper Jackson - he was from Limerick - the article is reprinted in the book "The Man and His Music." He lists all the known or supposed Jackson tunes.

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 8:23 pm

Thanks, Kevin. I have the Breathnach book on order. I am unable to source the two O'Neill books you mention. They seem to have been out of print for some time, now.

I wonder if one of our Irish compatriots would know if a copy of the Jackson book is in an archive in Ireland somewhere (?). Else how would anyone know it existed?

Thx,

djm

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 2:04 am

To get rare or out-of-print books like these you can obtain them through an Interlibrary Loan (ILL), at least in the States, and photocopy them yourself. I don't know how liberal the Canadian libraries are about loaning material in this way.

Jim McGuire · Post by **Jim McGuire** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 9:38 am

Rare volumes do not circulate. Often, you are not allowed to photcopy, too. Many old books would be destroyed if you tried to flatten them out on a photocopier.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 10:00 am

djm wrote:Thanks, Kevin. I have the Breathnach book on order. I am unable to source the two O'Neill books you mention. They seem to have been out of print for some time, now.

I wonder if one of our Irish compatriots would know if a copy of the Jackson book is in an archive in Ireland somewhere (?). Else how would anyone know it existed?

Thx,

djm

O'Neill's IMM was re-printed some years ago by ossian, isn't that still available? If not you should be able to get editions [the 1970s Barry O Neill edited version or later editions] though interlibrary lending.
According to Breatnach Jackson's Celebrated irish tunes published 1790 had only thirteen pieces in it while he himself lists around 90 tunes associated in some way with Jackson.

You can by the way access most library catalogues on-line and find out if the book is listed anywhere. it would make sense to scan the collection of the university of Notre Dame which houses Chief O Neill's extensive collection of books [allthough none of Jackson's tunes included in o Neill's work were taken from the original collection]or the National Library of Ireland and the British library[hoping ofcourse they have computerised the collections of old works].

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 11:24 am

I'm not familiar with any of these library routines. I'll see if the local public library participates in any of these schemes. I would imagine it would take a while to actually get one's hands on the books.

Jim McG wrote:Many old books would be destroyed if you tried to flatten them out on a photocopier.

That's why God made hand-scanners.

djm