The Fairies Hornpipe

nemethmik · Post by **nemethmik** » Sun May 06, 2007 4:27 am

I've read on several webpages that Seamus Ennis had a story behind the tune "The Fairies Hornpipe". Is there any CD where Ennis plays this tune?
All the Best and Thank You, Miki

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Sun May 06, 2007 4:51 am

I don't know about CD but there was an lp of stories and tunes that includes the Fairies hrnp, the first in Leader's 'Master's of irish Music' series, Leader LEA 2003. My copy says '1969'

PJ · Post by PJ » Sun May 06, 2007 5:34 am

The recently released CD Ceol, Scealta agus Amhráin (recorded in 1961 and released on CD in 2006) contains a few piping tunes which are introduced by stories. Both the Fairy Hornpipe (Cornphiopa na Siog) and the Gold Ring (an fainne oir) get this treatment. All speaking and singing on the CD is in Irish. However, the inlay card contains the Irish text and English translation of all the stories.

The story behind the Fairy Hornpipe is roughly that a man was coming home one night when he heard the music of the fairies. He followed it until he came across a group of fairies dancing to the music of a fairy piper. The music caused him to fall asleep and when he awoke they were all gone and it was morning. When he arrived at his house, his wife wanted to know why he stayed out all night. He told her the story of the dancing fairies and to prove it was true, he played for her the music they were dancing to, the Fairy Hornpipe.

carel · Post by **carel** » Sun May 06, 2007 5:56 am

I ordered it right away
for dutch people:
www.cdplus.nl
has it for euro 17,- and is not charging mailingcosts!

(zoek op seamus ennis)

phcook · Post by **phcook** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:43 am

Alain Froment adds that it was a very common excuse given by people being too late at home after having drunk too much in local pub...

It's one of Alain's favorite tunes.

Where is the truth?

PJ · Post by PJ » Sun May 06, 2007 6:57 am

phcook wrote:Where is the truth?

Personally, I find it inconceiveable that Irish people would drink too much in pubs and not come home. The fairy story has to be true.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sun May 06, 2007 7:06 am

PJ wrote:
phcook wrote:Where is the truth?
Personally, I find it inconceiveable that Irish people would drink too much in pubs and not come home. The fairy story has to be true.

Yes, I agree. Now, if the drink was provided by the Faeries, well then, I suppose there is a good case for the afore mentioned 'lateness' experienced by the Irish musician.

carel · Post by **carel** » Sun May 06, 2007 7:19 am

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Sun May 06, 2007 8:11 am

Folktrax's Fairy Piper CD of Ennis "reissues" most of the Leader LP - without permission. It also has a great cut of the Frieze Britches from the early 50s - and a 20 minute long story about John Airy and St. Peter, of similiar vintage.
I see the LP on eBay from time to time, too. "Masters of Irish Music" it's called. Usually sells for about $10 USD.

eric · Post by **eric** » Sun May 06, 2007 1:06 pm

It may be interesting that P.W. Joyce collected an air in 1852 called Mor Chluana with this melody. It appears in his 1st collection of 100 tunes and songs. Since Mor Chluana is a fairy, it makes it easy to assume the hornpipe received its name due to this association.

This is the same air as Amhran Dochais. I can't recall who/when wrote that song.

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Sun May 06, 2007 7:33 pm

According to the Fiddler's Companion Amhran Dochais was composed by Osborn Ó bAimbeirgin (1872-1950).

nemethmik · Post by **nemethmik** » Sat May 19, 2007 1:37 pm

PJ wrote:The recently released CD Ceol, Scealta agus Amhráin (recorded in 1961 and released on CD in 2006) contains a few piping tunes which are introduced by stories. Both the Fairy Hornpipe (Cornphiopa na Siog) and the Gold Ring (an fainne oir)

I've just received this CD (thank you PJ), and the way Ennis plays the Fairy Hornpipe is very sweet. It was only an hour to learn the melody. Why there are no texts/words for this song? Ennis is singing a number of tunes on this CD, but never when playing the pipes. Box players in the past often was singing or lilting when playing lively reels. This is never done by a piper?
Miki

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Sat May 19, 2007 1:51 pm

Frank Quinn is often heard singing or lilting to his box or fiddle playing on his old records, but I haven't heard anyone do that since. There are accounts in the 19th century of pipers who'd sing to their piping, and Ennis was recorded in the 50's singing over his drones.
You're welcome to pick up the tradition now, of course.

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Sat May 19, 2007 2:22 pm

The McPeake brothers used to sing along with the pipes

RORY

nemethmik · Post by **nemethmik** » Sat May 19, 2007 11:49 pm

rorybbellows wrote:The McPeake brothers used to sing along with the pipes

It's Sunday Morning, the rest of family is still sleeping.

On the page http://www.iol.ie/~ronolan/mcpeakes.html I found this about Francis I. McPeake:
"He acquired a set of O'Mealy pipes and developed the unique facility of being able to sing and play at the same time, a combination repeated with great success by The Fureys and Planxty (albeit using both a vocalist and piper)." Would this mean that if Mr McPeake had become a piping star, today NPU would issue Volume 5 of the Art of Uilleann Piping Series: "Singing and Regulator Playing"

Can I find recordings where F. McPeake is singing while playing the pipes?
Miki

PS: Non-Uilleann illustration to the "singing-piper" topic :
(1)
Check out this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGfyeNELty8
This was a session with two pipers, one of them was singing like crazy while playing. I think this approach to dance music must have been typical in old Irish tradition either, when there were dancers in sessions. Everywhere I met pipers in sessions they were the key/leading musicians, the fun-makers.
(2) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... elic&hl=en
forward to minute 39