TREOIR After three decades of Annual Tours a <strong>Comhaltas</strong> group of musicians singers and dancers was due to travel to USA and Canada in October 200 I for the 30 th Annual <strong>Comhaltas</strong> Tour. Because of the tragic events of September I I th 200 I the Tour was cancelled. Now one year later we resume our series of Annual Tours; encouraged by memories of wonderful music and friendships shared down through the years we are delighted to be going 'Back to America' on Tour once more. About the Tunes Track I - Group Reels: Mary of the Grove/Micho Russell's (2: 17) The fi rst reel featured in the 1912 Roche Collection of Traditional Irish Music, which the second tune was collected by Brendan Breathnach under t he t itle Upstairs in a Tent, though it is generally associated with t he name Micho Russell's. Track 2 - Lindsay Moynagh (harp): jigs - Tommy People's/ Port an Luaithreadiiin (2:07)* The first jig was composed some years ago by the highly acclaim ed Donegal fidd ler, To mmy Peoples. Tommy also plays t he t une as a waltz, to be heard on his most recent recording, The Quite Glen. Port an Luaithreadan is a composition of legendary fi ddler, Junior Crehan of Mullagh, Co. Clare (1908 - 1998), and has featu red on a number of recordings in recent t imes. Track 3 - Daire Mulhern: Reels - The Thirteen Arches/ Richard Dwyer's (2:21)* The Thirteen Arches was composed by Seamus IP-..,.14 Connolly and recorded on his Green Linnet solo album 'Here and There' GLCD 1098. The second reel was composed by Cork accordionist, Richard Dwyer, and featured on a 1970's recording by East Galway fluteplayer Paddy Carty, an album which was subsequently reissued on CD by Shanachie in 1997 under the title - Paddy Carty (SHA 34017). Track 4 - Group jigs: Did you see my man/The Collier's Jig (2:02) The first jig appeared on two significant recordings in the late 1970's, the first on Mairtfn O'Connor's debut recording on the Mulligan label, entitled The Connachtman's Rambles, and later in 1979 on the Green Linnet reissue of the Mulligan recording of Kevin Burke & Micheal 6 Domhnaill entitled Promenade. The jig has also been referred to as Port an Bhrathair and Sonny Brogan's. The second tune is a jig version of the commonly played reel of same name, and is known also as Do You Want Any More. Track 5 - Padraig McGovern: Reels-Jenny's Wedding/The Big Reel of Ballynacally (2:24)* jenny's Wedding is a tune which featured initially in O'Nei/l's Music of Ireland (No. 1479) of 1903, and continues to feature in the popular repertoire to this day. The second reel is a version of a tune which featured in the repertoire of Sean 6 Riada's Ceoltoiri Chualann as 'Ri! Mhor Bhaile an Chalaidh'. Track 6 - Aistrid Ni Mhongain: Song - You Rambling Boys of Pleasure (4: 18) You Rambling Boys of Pleasure, is one of those songs passed on to this generation by singers such as Robert Cinnamond and Paddy Tunney. WB. Yeats heard an old woman singing a version of this song in Ballisodare Co. Sligo many years ago. Having listened patiently to the song the poet went away and later penned his famous poem 'Down by the Sally Gardens' which he sub-titled 'An Old Song Resung'. Words and music of the Rambling Boys of Pleasure were included by Sean 0 Baoill in The Irish Song Tradition ; it was also published in TREOIR No. 4 1996. Track 7 - Sharon Carroll: Reels - In Memory of Coleman/The Broken Pledge (2:38) The first of these reels was composed by Cavan-born composer, Ed Reavy (1898 - 1988), in remembrance of the legendary Sligo fiddler, Michael Coleman. The second reel is another addition from the 1903 O'Neill's Music of Ireland, which featured on the 1966 A Tribute to Michael Co/eman album on the Shaskeen label through the playing of Joe Burke,Andy McGann & Felix Dolan. This recording subsequently re-released in 1994 on the Green Linnet label. Track 8 - Anne-Marie McGowan: Recitation (I :23) Threshing Morning from Patrick Kavanagh's Tarry Flynn'. Track 9 - Ciara Brennan:Air/Reel - Splendid Isolation/Kilty Town (5:12)* The air, Splendid Isolation, which is also often performed as a reel, was composed by Armagh Fiddler, Brendan McGlinchey. This is followed by another recent composition from the noted Leitrim composer and musician, Charlie Lennon. Track 10 - Kerrie Herrity: jigs - Ciariin O'Grady's/Gan Ainm (2:12)* The first tune was composed by concer tina player, Ciaran O 'Grady of 37
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