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Píobaire, An, Volume 8, Issue 2, Page 3

Píobaire, An, Volume 8, Issue 2, Page 3
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periodical Publisher
Na Píobairí Uilleann
periodical Editor
Chairman, NPU
periodical Title
An Píobaire
volume Number
2
issue Content
Píobaire, An 8 2 3 20120411 BREANDÁN BREATHNACH 1912 - 1985 E NERGETIC, enthusiastic, encouraging, discerning and very competent; these are some of the words which could be used to describe the efforts and qualities of our found- ing Chairman, Breandán Breathnach as we come to the centenary of his birth, April 1912. While Breandán, or Brendan as he was also known to his many friends and associates, helped to inspire and get many an interested learner on the road to traditional expertise, it was his central role in the development of Na Píobairí Uilleann as an inter- national resource in ethnic music which causes us to reflect on his life of service to the promotion of the pipes and traditional music. At the time of his sudden death in 1985, due to his strong personal leadership, he had ensured that oth- ers were there to follow on the path along which he guided our piping movement in its early years. His labours in the field of music notation and collection were inspired by his father and uncle, both members of the original Dublin Pipers’ Club in the 1900s. His greatest youth- ful influence was the piper John Potts (1871- 1956), and Potts’ repertoire and piping techniques had a lasting impression not only on his approach to piping but also on aspects of his worldview. In his early years, he went to William Andrews’ music shop and then met and had lessons from Leo Rowsome, he also heard Séamus Ennis, and living not too far from Tommy Reck, he deeply appreciated the singular talents of all of these piping masters. Similarly he paid attention to the music skills of Eddie Potts, the Brophys and so many of the fine musicians of those times. Not restricting himself to the company of pipers by any means, his first major tune collection Ceol Rince na hÉireann, Volume 1 demon- strated the breadth and depth of his musical friendships and collection activity. Continuing from this, Breandán worked at a highly produc- tive level, publishing further vol- umes as time went on. He had a great natural facility of network- ing and thus helped and advised others, as they gathered and pro- moted the music in various ways. Eventually the pipers decided to form Na Píobairí Uilleann and the organisation has grown since the beginning, helping to ensure the availability of piping tuition, music resources and instruments, compiling the lore and history of piping for the benefit of the public, and making uilleann piping an art form available to every interested musician, young or old. Apart from this, his efforts along with the others in the Folk Music Society of Ireland sig- nificantly advanced the scholarly appreciation and study of Irish music. Breandán’s voluminous work came to the at- tention of pipers and musicians of all kinds, na- tionally and internationally, and his book Folk Music and Dances of Ireland, published ini- 3
issue Number
8
page Number
3
periodical Author
[Periodical]
issue Publication Date
2012-04-21T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

An Píobaire, Volume 8, Issue 2

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