Non-Irish Irish session

Continuing the seasonal wind up theme, initiated by piper Pilib.
So, to recap. This thing goes: don’t, nay, you can’t, so don’t even try to, play Irish music if you’re not Irish. In Ireland. By birth. Exclusively.

…..I’m thick, so I need careful explaining how it goes if your parents are Nigerian and you’re born in Dublin. Any clues? I realise that Kevin Burke, Mike McGoldrick, Mick Mulvey, Joe Derrane, Brendan Mulvihill, Mick O’Connor and maybe just one or two others are OUT. NOT born or brought up on Irish soil. So they must be crap. By definition.

But. Assuming we “obey” Pilib’s demands (fictitious or not)…Could an “Irish” session go ahead without any indigenous Irish tunes?
This is the kinda thing our good auld mate Ptarmigan might get into, so let’s roll it.
I suspect we might initially warm up with a set of reels. The Shetland Fiddler/Tarbolton/Dinkey’s.
Jigs? Obviously, the Jig of Slurs/Atholl Highlanders
Polkas?….erm Dare I state the obvious, for those who know me, The BLUEBELL!
That’s enough Scottish stuff, why don’t we fly across the Atlantic and visit George White’s Favt, Baltimore Salute, Chicago Reel. We’ve boycotted the Emerald Isle in obeyance of Pilok, pildub, whatEVER. Give us some more Yankee, Canadian or ANZAC tunes. We’re only a half hour into the session so far.

Ashokan Farewell?

HIgh Level Reel?

Ed Reevey tunes? Majority composed in the US. How does he fit?

Flop-Eared Mule?

Somewhere over the rainbow?

Two more from my part of the world: Faded Love and the kill ya dead Orange Blossom Special.

Love it Danny!

Off to California
City of Savannah

The Congress Reel
Virginia Reel

and please please….

The Rockies Road to Dublin

Brianx

Notwithstanding all the English tunes like

Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol Hornpipes etc.

Bx

Japanese Hornpipe
Swedish Jig
Chinese Polka
American Polka
I’m sure there are more.

Aye, spot on Danny & here’s a cracker to keep your session rollin‘ on - ’The March of the Volunteers’ :
http://www.seaborne-intl.com/sounds/midi/CHINA.MP3

P.S. I heard a rumour that ‘George White’s Favourite’ was actually composed by a man from Larne, Co. Down! Can anyone enlighten us?

Incidentally Danny, I think we’d all do well to remember that when each of us is playing, out there in session land, there’ll always be someone in the crowd who thinks we are crap! So if we keep that in the back of our minds, we shouldn’t get too big headed!

Sorry, didn’t mean to dampen the spirit. Tear on………………………..

By the way, who is this guy from Dublin, with the Nigerian parents?
I bet he could bring some cracking tunes, from his parent’s homeland, to this session of yours!

Can we play the American tune with my favourite name Danny, - ‘Nail that Catfish to the Tree’ (or ‘Cricifish’) - or are we gettin’ too near Xmas?

‘Nail that Catfish to the Tree’ . . .

and then Bang Your Frog on the Sofa.

KFG

What about Tunes from Ireland, but not from the Republic? That would open up a few more avenues …

And Shetland tunes - should keep you going for a bit. They don’t seem to be in vogue as much as they were. Maybe because players started realising how silly they sounded intoning the names - listening to a Londoner getting his chops around the likes of ‘’A Yow Cam’ to Wir Door Yarmin" was sometimes a bit cringeable ….
Mark

From a song point of view - you lot (the Irish) kept acquiring our tunes (Scots) any way.

Songs that tend to be thought of as in the Irish cannon

Lakes of Pontrachain
Fiddlers Green ( written by John Connolly of Grimsby)

Red is the Rose has the tune for Loch Lomond
Lots of Scots stuff but its early in the moring and I’m got a major system problem that I’m watching and I’m a bit distracted.

Given the Irish’s ability to assimulate music ( and people - I’m adopted by the Sheffield Irish Community) why stop at stuff at stuff that’s already considered Irish. I spent last night singing jazz (not very well - I’m just learning) in a well know Irish pub with fiddler/ guitarist & cellist/pianist. I’m sure Gershwin would be perfect. Lots of tender love songs and hard times. Would love to hear it accompanied by a good piper . If you look hard enough there will be a way of declaring him Irish.

J

Mark, *I* couldn’t pronounce that! I suspect it’s about a ewe.
Dick, there are many Nigerian-extraction kids in Dublin now. Might be interesting in 20 years time to listen to their take on the music.
No spirit dampened, but I know what you mean. Doesn’t hold me back.

Yeah the mind boggles Danny, especially when you think of all that brilliant, rhythmical stuff Donal & the Coolfin gang came up with!

Yow, Ewe, etc - Just one good reason why I never try & pronounce ‘Da’ gaelic tune names, either.

Aye, & wouldn’t it be a lot easier now, if all those old song writers had just called a bloody sheep, a sheep!

we could also perhaps have a go at speaking manx, scots, and the several other types of gaelic found closer to the european epicentre of celtic origion where undoubtedly they would be speaking a purer more logically authentic language than us irish fartherst away from the source.

i have to confess, i’m really enjoying talking in a puritan, illogical philibian style. i can see where it comes from but how much sh*te it is aswell. we should start up a thread called “phrenalogically philib” which would anticipate what would be said next…. maybe: all jeans should be baned from donegal, they never had them in the 1900’s and they take away frm the shawl to much anyhow…

seeing “the craic” IS authentically irish and not disputable, then why not revel in that for a while.

martin.

Allegedly, the Providence Reel was written by Michael Coleman during a visit to relatives in the city of that name, located in Rhode Island, USA. Does that make it an American tune?

Irish or non-Irish, the Chicago reel will always remain one of my favourite tunes! If Philib is for real, then all I can suggest is he’s spending too much time talking to the leprachauns.

Here’s a couple

London Lasses
New York Jig
Alabama Jubilee
Devil Went Down to Georgia?

I missed the origin comment or discussion this one refers to. Needless to say, I disagree with the premise Danny stated.

A couple of prolific composers: Liz Carroll, Joanie Madden and of course Jerry Holland. Their tunes would keep a non-irish session going for a good, long while.

There’s always the Yank tunes “The Tennesee Waltz” and the polka, “Roll out the Barrel” to name a couple of more.

Isn’t “Irish Washerwoman” a scots tune?

Here’s the thread, Deb:
https://thesession.org/discussions/8643
If he is for real, not many, no, not one person took his views too seriously. I almost feels sorry for him…..but I’ll get over it.

Thanks for the link Danny. It sounds like the pride of an old man (which he states he is).

If it is a true wind-up, then I would have to ask what he suggests his students visualise with a tune as I buried me wife, or Nine parts of Rougery. As far as only those who speak the Irish language can play the music properly, this would probably preclude a few more fine musicians from the list above.

This particular discussion was great as it led me to searching for music I haven’t spent time much thinking about.

is there a Larne in Co. Down ?

Bonapartes advance
Bonaparts retreat
Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine
Bonapate Crossing The Rockies
Bonaparte Crossing the Alps
Bonapartes Intergalactice Tour

Well done ‘Black’ - you spotted today’s ‘Deliberate Mistake’!

I see you’ve been in Oz since 66 eh?
Nothin’ wrong with your memory anyway! 🙂

Danny I hope this is in keeping with the spirit of the thread….’though I must confess it is closer to home….

The ’really" Donegal Reel

Now, would that satisfy the Master and his class?

And surely Paddy on the Turnpike sounds slightly American?

Emanating from the Asian Continent…

The Gandhi in the Pratie Hole

Brianx

Actually I must say that when I do any gigs/concert work I very often include a beautiful piece called J B MILNE written by a Scots fiddler Angus Fitchett. I think it’s in A originally, but I got it in G from Vicki Spencer, concertina, in Moniaive in Scotland back in 84.

It is a gorgeous piece and I tell people why….because it’s one of the happiest tunes I know!

Bx

Not that anyone will read this now but the tune ‘we’re a case the bunch of us’ comes to mind on reading this - ah well spose we are even if I only occasionally post here -