Irish Flute Tunes

Here’s one I’ve been asked to play.  I was never sure what to do with the first part (maybe play it on a fiddle) so I might be floundering a bit here.  I hope I haven’t mangled it too much.  If I was Charlie and was welcomed by an attempt like mine here I wouldn’t be too pleased with Jenny but I did try.

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Here’s a Crowley’s reel.  There are a few of them.  Michael Coleman must have been a fan of Mr. Crowley as he recorded a few tunes named after him.  I’ve played this one on my plastic flute.  I hope Mr. Crowley doesn’t mind.

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I know that I heard this tune from the Donegal fiddle player James Byrne but I don’t know for sure whether this is it’s name. He does play one of this name so there’s a chance I’m right. As for whether I remembered how it goes; who knows? I think it sort of goes like this. There’s a record of James Byrne’s playing which has this tune on it but I have it as an LP and my machine to making LPs sing has lost its voice and so I can’t check.

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Here’s a tune I was asked to play and used to hear in sessions all the time.  Maybe that’s got something to do with the fact that I used to go to sessions all the time.  I made slightly heavy weather of it here.  Maybe I should try playing the crowbar and floating the flute.

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Here’s a common reel.  I played it here on a plastic flute.  I’m not sure whether playing reels into a computer using a plastic tube is really all that wholesome, or holy for that matter.  I’m pleased with the flute, though.

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Here’s a nice thing, except if you’re a fox.  I suspect no foxes ever look at this site so I’ll not be overly concerned about upsetting any of them.

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Here’s a fairly popular reel from Fermanagh which I heard on a record of Cathal McConnell.  That’s all I have to say on the matter.

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This reel is also known as “The Mountain Lark”.  Neither playing with packets of steam nor larking on mountains are particularly safe activities but playing this tune on a flute should be fairly harmless.

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Here’s a reel which fairly popular and which I like despite never knowing whether E, F natural of F sharp should be in second part.  Here’s a go at it anyway.

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Here’s a nice reel which Michael Tubridy played on his LP “The Eagle’s Whistle”.  I’ve been stealing a lot of tunes from that LP lately which is odd as I haven’t heard it for at least ten years.  I have it buried somewhere in my record collection which is, in turn, buried somewhere in my dust collection.

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There are world wheels of the reel variety but here are the ones in jig time.  This jig can be found on one of Mary Bergin’s records, among other places.

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I had intended to post a different tune but I must have forgotten to upload it and as a result it is languishing on my computer at home.  I, on the other hand, am languishing somewhere else.

Here’s this tune instead.  I think Bobby Casey used to play it.

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Here’s a reel written by the great flute / whistle / saxophone player and singer Josie McDermott. I think it was called as above but I’m not totally sure. I’m sorry about the minor choking fit towards the end. I should really rerecord the tune but I have to go out before the shop shuts.

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Here’s a jig which had this name put on it when it was put on “Kerry’s Own” Paddy Cronin’s LP.  It was made into dots in Ceol Rince na hÉireann Vol. 3 (number 7).

I don’t think it’s played all that often but it is a comfortable tune for playing on a flute.

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Here’s a nice jig (I have yet to admit to playing any horrible ones but I’m sure there are plenty of emetic melodies on this site) which comes from the tin whistle playing of Paddy Breen from Co. Clare.  Michael Tubridy put it on his LP “The Eagle’s Whistle”.  There’s a recording of Paddy Breen to be got too, in case anyone is really keen.

http://www.folktrax.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/menus/cassprogs/078.htm

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I might start using this road myself instead of the train which took 5 hours last Saturday to get there from Belfast.

This is yet another popular reel which I hadn’t remembered until now.

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