John Lennon on the Uilleann Pipes

[fel bautista]

John Murphy (playing his Rogge set),and John Mitchell (playing a set of his manufacture). Great time was had by all.

[sean an piobaire]

Another story of well known people on pipes...from my friend Jeff Stonehill, poet, juggler, multilinguist, actor,clown, "music man",etc. Jeff was busking on the Pacific Garden Mall in Santa Cruz, California, circa 1984, when the film "Creator" (released 1985), was being shot at the UC Santa Cruz campus. Peter O'Toole walked up to Jeff, and asked him if he could play Jeff's GHB. After some tuning (Jeff would have me work on his pipes and tune them, every 2-3 months, and leave the drones EXACTLY at the positions I moved them to, a"factory tuning", sort of..). Mr. O'Toole continued on to play several tunes. Jeff couldn't tell me the titles, as Jeff improvised on the pipes, and never really learned either "Scotland the Brave", or "Amazing- You- Know- What". After Peter stopped piping, Jeff then asked Peter what he was doing in Santa Cruz, and receiving the reply, "Making a Movie", Jeff asked to be hired on, so Mr. O'Toole gave him the name and location of the "film extra" casting director. Jeff said in reply, that he really wanted to "cut to the chase", and not spend time as an "extra", but as "Star" in his own right. Mr. O'Toole responded that he, Peter, had spent plenty of time himself as an extra (paying those dues) and turned on his heel and walked away. I offer this second hand story as a "proof" of some kind, that Peter O'Toole DOES have some knowledge of piping. As to O'Toole's prowess on Uilleann Pipes, somebody going to have to ask him! Submited for your amusement, by Sean Folsom, currently at Carmel Valley.

[Uilliam]

Didn't Paul recorded Mull of Kintyre and had pipes of some sort?

A full marching Highland Pipe Band :roll:
Uilliam

[Colin29]

Colin29,

Am I addressing a Cork piper? If so, you're the first I've come across. Are there any more pipers in Cork?

By the way, any info you might have on Kennedy or Crowley pipes would be of great interest to me.

Yes there are alot of Pipers in Cork, the pipers club meet every Monday night at ARAS AN OIGE down the Maradyke, Kennedy gave up making Uilleann pipes as he found it far easier and profitable to make GHB, I myself have the fortune to own an Alf Kennnedy practice set but it is in need of repair, I was told he used to take part in sessions in the house my Mother grew up in in Montennottee along with Sylvie Ryan. On another note the Cork Folk Festival is taking place in September including a Tionol in An Spalpin Fanach featuring a number of well known pipers, there is also a tribute night to the great piper, singer and composer Tomas O'Canainn who lives in Glanmire on the northside of Cork,
Also incase you didn't realise the Cork Pipers Club is the oldest in the world, 1898.

[PJ]

Also incase you didn't realise the Cork Pipers Club is the oldest in the world, 1898.

I'm both amazed and shamed. All those years living in Cork and not knowing this. I'll have to make amends on my next visit.

[fel bautista]

If you look at the picture I posted, there is a piece of scuplture on the back wall and has a small plaque that (if I remember correctly) that has the club's founding date.

[Uilliam]

[quote=" there is also a tribute night to the great piper, singer and composer Tomas O'Canainn [/quote]

Now then...lets not get carried awa wi this!!Tommy Cannon may be a good plumber but a great one?? come on!!!:really:


Uilliam

[Cayden]

Now then...lets not get carried awa wi this!!Tommy Cannon may be a good plumber but a great one?? come on!!!:really:


Uilliam

Chris Langan once took me aside and said into my ear: 'They used to say of that man he has pencilmarks on his drones so he knows where to tune them'

[Kevin L. Rietmann]

Wally Charm wrote about penciling in where the drones tune, back in the days when it seemed Rogge had invented the Uilleanncordion.
You could put numbers on the slides, ala those old flutes with "1 2 3" etc. marked on the tuning slide. Then you'd have guys talking about playing in 3.2 and the like.

[Jessica Ventura]

I believe there is a reference to pencil and drone in "A Spaniard in the Works".

[PJ]

"A Spaniard in the Works".

Don't you mean a Spanniel in the Works

[Jessica Ventura]

"A Spaniard in the Works".

Don't you mean a Spanniel in the Works

I don't believe that John Lennon wrote that.

[donal]

John Murphy (playing his Rogge set),and John Mitchell (playing a set of his manufacture). Great time was had by all.

Cork Pipers Club have a new website which is still being developed but you can check it out at www.corkpipersclub.com. We have a pic of John Mitchell giving a talk on the pipes in the music room of Cork City Library on Tuesday 9th of Sept 2005 plus myself and Ciaran. Other pictures will be posted from our gig in the Spailpin Fanach which is going on at 5pm tomorrow (the 10th).

Let me know what ye think. We're gathering our collection of links for uilleann pipe and general Irish music links to add so send me your links! We're also looking for any info on past pipers from the club. Info on past and present pipers will be posted as we receive it. Perhaps I should set up a new topic for this but I'd like to see what kind of response I get here first.

Go raibh maith agaibh.

[djm]

Donal, just curious: Eoin Ó Riabhaigh's CD, "Handed On", says he and his father Micheál were associated with the Cork club. I have read that Micheál was an important figure in keeping ITM and piping going in Cork. There is no mention of them on the site. Did I misunderstand their importance to the Cork club?

Thx,

djm

[donal]

Donal, just curious: Eoin Ó Riabhaigh's CD, "Handed On", says he and his father Micheál were associated with the Cork club. I have read that Micheál was an important figure in keeping ITM and piping going in Cork. There is no mention of them on the site. Did I misunderstand their importance to the Cork club?

Thx,

djm

Absolutely not. In fact, once the website has been completely developed (I did mention that it is only getting started) we hope to have information on a lot of the great pipers who played with Cork Pipers Club. I have a picture of a very young Eoin playing with his father which I hope to put up very soon.

More to follow, particularly in the history section of the site. Thanks for the comment.