I've never heard of anyone associating the fox in the fox chase with the English army; that sounds a bit odd especially since it's the same kind of people who made up the army's officer corps who happen to be involved in hunting the fox. That is, they were part of the establishment (English-speaking, well-to-do Protestants who detested nearly everything Irish and Catholic), and what's more the establishment depended on the army to help remain the establishment. The last thing they would want to do is destroy the very thing that maintained their privileged lifestyle.
Stop associating the fox with the army, and start thinking of the fox as a rebel, a symbol of nature, a likeable trickster, something that can not be subjugated so it is destroyed by those who must subjugate everyone and everything to their will.
Liam O'Flynns pipes
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Pat Cannady
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djm
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Wildly o'er Desmond the war wolf is howling.
Fearless the eagle sweeps over the plain.
The fox in the streets of the city is prowling,
And all who would scare them
Are banished or slain.
- from O'Donnell Abú
I always took "the fox" to mean the red-coats.
djm
Fearless the eagle sweeps over the plain.
The fox in the streets of the city is prowling,
And all who would scare them
Are banished or slain.
- from O'Donnell Abú
I always took "the fox" to mean the red-coats.
djm
Last edited by djm on Wed Jan 05, 2005 7:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
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Joseph E. Smith
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Pat Cannady
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Well, that's how the fox is used in one song. Tricky thing, symbolism. The same symbol can mean different things depending on context and association.
Consider the audience for whom each piece was written. The composer of the Fox Chase, Edmund Keating Hyland, was the resident piper in one of the big manor houses in Tipperary and would have had some insight into the establishment and its foibles. He also performed mostly for that crowd, too, so he had to watch his manners.
O'Donnell Abu is a rebel song for preaching to the choir. It can afford to make baldfaced, unflattering comments about the establishment and the army since that's its whole purpose.
Consider the audience for whom each piece was written. The composer of the Fox Chase, Edmund Keating Hyland, was the resident piper in one of the big manor houses in Tipperary and would have had some insight into the establishment and its foibles. He also performed mostly for that crowd, too, so he had to watch his manners.
O'Donnell Abu is a rebel song for preaching to the choir. It can afford to make baldfaced, unflattering comments about the establishment and the army since that's its whole purpose.
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Jim McGuire
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brianc
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DJM:
Eoin O'Riabhaigh plays a very nice version of "The Fox Chase" on his CD, "Tiomnacht: Handed On".
From the sleeve notes:
"More than almost any other tune, this was Mícheál O'Riabhaigh's "party piece" and he passed it on to Eoin. This version of the famous piper's showpiece, attributed to Hyland, differs from what Eoin calls the "other" version, especially in the rythym of the final section, and in the lament."
Eoin O'Riabhaigh plays a very nice version of "The Fox Chase" on his CD, "Tiomnacht: Handed On".
From the sleeve notes:
"More than almost any other tune, this was Mícheál O'Riabhaigh's "party piece" and he passed it on to Eoin. This version of the famous piper's showpiece, attributed to Hyland, differs from what Eoin calls the "other" version, especially in the rythym of the final section, and in the lament."
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mirabai
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Liam's Rowsome chanter
In '76 I visited with Sean Reid and he gave me a copy of a meticulously measured drawing he had made of the chanter made for him by Rowsome, which has strongly influenced my own chanter design. He said that he had given that set to Liam on "permanent loan". He also said that he had requested that Leo make the pipes to "sound like a flat set." He never mentioned Clancy owning it. As you know, Clancy's concert set was a Taylor. Incidently, Sean played the drones for Clancy on a few of his recordings issued on 78 such as The Old Bush, etc.
Tim Britton
row, row, row your boat...
row, row, row your boat...
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Joseph E. Smith
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Cayden
Re: Liam's Rowsome chanter
Clancy didn't own it, he had it on loan like others had it. Clancy during his lifetime had many different sets and unfortunately he rarely had one going well, he used the Taylor during the last years of his life.mirabai wrote: He never mentioned Clancy owning it. As you know, Clancy's concert set was a Taylor. Incidently, Sean played the drones for Clancy on a few of his recordings issued on 78 such as The Old Bush, etc.