Episodes

Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
Introduction
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020

Hello. This site contains recordings I have made as a source of tunes for people who play the flute, or other instruments for that matter. They are often just versions of tunes as I remember them. My memory isn’t the best so in some cases I cheat and find the dots online. In some cases the online versions and the dots inside my head aren't quite the same so there may be a sort of 'average' appearing. I usually play the tunes once through slowly to make them easier to learn, then I have a bit of a run at them to give another view of them. I hope this approach is OK. If anyone has any comments, or tune suggestions, please get in touch (iflute@googlemail.com).
Thanks, Michael Clarkson (Belfast, Luxembourg and on the Dublin-Belfast Aircoach).
Slowing Down Tunes
Just in case the tunes on this site aren’t dull enough, you can slow them down using recent versions of Windows Media Player (I’m sure there are plenty of other ways of doing this too).
In Windows Media player click Now Playing at the top of the screen then pick Enhancements and then Play Speed Settings. There is a nice range of speeds displayed but I can only get the half speed one to work. That’s probably enough to be getting on with in any case.

Thursday May 08, 2014
The Shamrock Barndance
Thursday May 08, 2014
Thursday May 08, 2014
Here's a tune popular among some fiddle players in Donegal. I'm not sure whether it is unpopular among everyone else in that county but I'll maybe avoid playing it there just to be on the safe side.


Sunday Jul 11, 2010
Ambrose Moloney's
Sunday Jul 11, 2010
Sunday Jul 11, 2010
Here's a great reel for the flute. I'm sure I stole it from somewhere but the scene of that particular theft is now out of reach of my memory.

Monday Feb 04, 2008
The Merry Harriers (reel)
Monday Feb 04, 2008
Monday Feb 04, 2008
I can't think of anything to write about this reel so

Friday Jan 25, 2008
The Callan Lasses (Donnelly's) - Reel
Friday Jan 25, 2008
Friday Jan 25, 2008
I've finally got around to playing this one which I was asked to play ages ago. The second part has always been a bit of a mystery to me. I hope I haven't made it even more of one with this effort. I think some of the notes are right and the order in which they appear is mroe or lses KO. (This tune had a helium fit earlier. If it is still all Pinky and Perky tomorrow I'll record it again. In the meantime I'd recommend slowdown software). (26/01/2008 - I've rerecorded the tune now. The only problem may be that I've forgotten some of it in the meantime).

Sunday Jan 20, 2008
The Providence Reel
Sunday Jan 20, 2008
Sunday Jan 20, 2008
This is my recollection of a fairly common reel. I was asked to record this one and I has taken me that long to do so that I can't even remember when I was asked. Maybe I wasn't asked at all. I think I have at least one other reel I'm meant to be putting on as well. Once I improve the organisational state of my life even to the lower reaches of chaos I will do the other tune too.

Monday Jan 14, 2008
Paddy Ryan's Dream (2)
Monday Jan 14, 2008
Monday Jan 14, 2008
Here's another Paddy Ryan's Dream. Mr. Ryan must have been some sleeper. I think this one is close to the version that John Doherty used to call "Mooney's Reel".

Tuesday Jan 08, 2008
The Reel of Rio
Tuesday Jan 08, 2008
Tuesday Jan 08, 2008
I was asked to record this which is a good thing as otherwise my memory wouldn't have stumbled upon it. Now my mental recall has been provoked, I hope this is the same Reel of Rio that got lost in it years ago. I don't know what the "Rio" in question is. Maybe its just that the name sounds better that "The Reel of Lagan".

Sunday Jan 06, 2008
Eddy Duffy's Barndance
Sunday Jan 06, 2008
Sunday Jan 06, 2008
Here's the one which comes after the one which I haven't posted yet. This one and the one which isn't here are tunes from Fermanagh.

Thursday Jan 03, 2008
Gan Ainm (Tom Busby’s Jig)
Thursday Jan 03, 2008
Thursday Jan 03, 2008
Here's another port gan ainm. Níl port le hainm fágtha agam faoin am seo. I seem to have run out of names of tunes to post so I'm going to have to start ganning ainms for the next while. I learned this jig from a piper who has an ainm - Robbie Hannan - but whose ainm for this jig escapes me just now. I was never sure just how the two parts of the tune got on with each other but sometimes I can sense an uneasy peace between them.

Sunday Dec 30, 2007
Miss Ramsey's (highland)
Sunday Dec 30, 2007
Sunday Dec 30, 2007
This tune is also played as a reel with an extra bit thrown in. I'm sorry about the mess up at the end. I suddenly realised that I had seven minutes to finish the tune, upload it, write a comment, digest my dinner (I suspect that may actually take days) and catch the start of the film which appears to be the only thing on TV tonight. I'll try the reel version soon.

Sunday Dec 23, 2007
The Heathery Breeze (reel)
Sunday Dec 23, 2007
Sunday Dec 23, 2007
Here's a reel from my holidays. I don't play this very often so I hope my version has survived the years of neglect I've so lovingly administered to it.

Friday Dec 21, 2007
Smash the Windows (jig)
Friday Dec 21, 2007
Friday Dec 21, 2007
Here's a jig which I think is actually a single jig. I don't really understand all these different jig types so I'll just play the notes and leave the counting to those better qualified than I am. I think I first learned this tune from a book of the same name by Francie McPeake. This version is probably a bit different but as I can't find the book I can't be sure.

Monday Dec 17, 2007
The Golden Keyboard (reel)
Monday Dec 17, 2007
Monday Dec 17, 2007
I can't really see what particular use could be made of a golden keyboard apart from for naming a tune after. It's a while since I either heard or played this tune (apart from about 3 minutes ago) so I can't guarantee that some keys on this particular board may be a bit more pig ironish than golden.

Saturday Dec 15, 2007
The Green Mountain (reel)
Saturday Dec 15, 2007
Saturday Dec 15, 2007
Sorry it's been so long since I posted a tune. The last thing I can remember is thinking that I was getting seasonal amnesia (I don't rightly know whether Santa will be able to fit it down the chimney, though). This tends to reduce the regularity of tune postings. Here's one anyway. I'm not sure whether the title refers to the said mountain's hue or to its being made of recycled hills. It certainly can seem on occasions to be a fairly recyclable reel. It's a nice one all the same and helps flute players to believe that tunes aren't all that hard after all.

Sunday Dec 09, 2007
The Top of Cork Road (jig)
Sunday Dec 09, 2007
Sunday Dec 09, 2007
Here's a jig I nicked off a record of Johnny Cronin and Joe Burke (that's Burke with a beard and banjo rather than a beard and box). The name is sometimes given to Father O'Flynn's jig as well.

Saturday Dec 08, 2007
The Cottage in the Grove (reel)
Saturday Dec 08, 2007
Saturday Dec 08, 2007
(Thanks Bernie for telling me the name of this tune). Here's a reel which is as un-ainm-ated as I feel today having been at an over-crowded, over-priced and over-cooked Christmas (it's barely even December) dinner last night. At least now it's just an over dinner without a hyphen in pursuit. Whatever about the name, I know enough about this tune to be able to say that I'm playing it in the key above its normal one. The present key is much easier on the flute than its G minor neighbour. I have to go out into the rain now and listen to the shouts of the man who drinks beside the bus stop. He appears very placid in good weather but anticyclones seem to upset him. Hopefully the bus won't be too long in arriving.

Saturday Dec 08, 2007
The Knights of Saint Patrick (jig)
Saturday Dec 08, 2007
Saturday Dec 08, 2007
Here's my very belated response to a request to post this tune. I hope late turns out to be better than never.

Monday Dec 03, 2007
Smith's Favourite (hornpipe)
Monday Dec 03, 2007
Monday Dec 03, 2007
This is the name this hornpipe is given in Alan's Irish Fiddler. I think I've heard other names, and none, for it too. It's a good tune for exercising the G# key. I've included instances of both hitting and missing it throughout the tune.

Saturday Dec 01, 2007
Francis John McGovern's Reel
Saturday Dec 01, 2007
Saturday Dec 01, 2007
Here's a reel which I think has Fermanagh connections. If I knew about FJMcG I'd be more sure of this. I played the tune in a big, empty room so each note probably repeats itself about ten times. Just like my cooking.

Tuesday Nov 27, 2007
Maudabawn Chapel (reel)
Tuesday Nov 27, 2007
Tuesday Nov 27, 2007
Here's another tune I was asked to put on. One of my problems with playing this tune is that is seems to have far more notes than I do. Another is trying to identify what these notes are and in which order they ought to come. I tried looking at Reavy's book "Where The Shannon Rises" to see whether his version would shed any light on the matter but this just reinforced my view that none of his tunes are normally played the way he wrote them. Anyway, here's an attempt at an average of the myriad settings of this tune which tend to be lurking about the place.

Saturday Nov 24, 2007
Her Long Hair Flowing Down Her Back (hornpipe)
Saturday Nov 24, 2007
Saturday Nov 24, 2007
Here's a tune which it was suggested I play. It was written by Junior Crehan. The tune is maybe a bit too melodic for the likes of me to play so I hope I haven't mangled it too much. I've often had rain flowing down my back but that doesn't normally inspire anything other than cursing.

Friday Nov 23, 2007
Darby the Driver (jig)
Friday Nov 23, 2007
Friday Nov 23, 2007
I was told this name for this tune by someone I sometimes trust. I'm not sure whether this is one of those occasions. I hope it's a nice jig whatever its name is.

Tuesday Nov 20, 2007
The Twenty One Highland
Tuesday Nov 20, 2007
Tuesday Nov 20, 2007
The first part of this tune should really be played an octave lower on a fiddle, complete with nice growly bits. I'm afraid a flute is all I had to hand so this is the best I could do. I'm never sure how to end this tune on any instrument. Maybe not starting it would work.

Saturday Nov 17, 2007
The Ladies of Tullybardee (reel)
Saturday Nov 17, 2007
Saturday Nov 17, 2007
This is a John Doherty tune which is also known as the Monaghan Switch. There are a few versions on the go but this is the one which is stuck in my head at the moment. It's more or less the same as the version in the book "The Northern Fiddler".

Tuesday Nov 13, 2007
The Dispute at the Crossroads (reel)
Tuesday Nov 13, 2007
Tuesday Nov 13, 2007
This is a version of Dr. Gilbert's Reel. I could do with the services of the same Mr. Quack as my hearing, breathing and tuning are all away with it. I Think it's just what's known as a cold but I intend moaning about it all the same. Sorry if this sounds worse than normal. It's hard to sneeze and maintain in-tune-producing breaths down a flute at the same time. Maybe I should try dissolving the Lemsip rather than snorting it.

Sunday Nov 11, 2007

Thursday Nov 08, 2007
The Devil in the Kitchen (Highland)
Thursday Nov 08, 2007
Thursday Nov 08, 2007
I think I have one of these which helps me cook.

Wednesday Nov 07, 2007
The Flaxdresser (jig)
Wednesday Nov 07, 2007
Wednesday Nov 07, 2007
Here's a nice plain tune which shouldn't do anyone too much harm.

Tuesday Nov 06, 2007
The Tailor's Twist
Tuesday Nov 06, 2007
Tuesday Nov 06, 2007
Here's a hornpipe I was asked to post here. It took me about ten minutes to put the flute together as I'm tired after being away for a few days. I do the travel thing very badly. If I can put myself together in ten days I'll be doing well. As for putting this tune together ...