Media

Píobaire, An, Volume 2, Issue 36, Page 4

Píobaire, An, Volume 2, Issue 36, Page 4
1 views

Properties

periodical Publisher
Na Píobairí Uilleann
periodical Editor
Chairman, NPU
periodical Title
Píobaire, An
volume Number
2
issue Content
A PIPING RAMBLE IN NORTH AMER ICAThe Commodore Barry Clubin Philadelphia was thevenue for the launching ofthe East Coast Branch ofthe Seattle - based Cumannna bPiobairf. The tion 6 lwas held on the weekend of14 - 16 November and washailed as a great success. Iarrived there on the Satur-day evening during a pipingrecital in which MattieConnolly (New York - exCo. Monaghan) Dews Brooks(Seattle), Tim Britton (Iowa)Al Purcell, Gerry Osullivan(N.Y.) and Bill Ochs (N.Y.)played. I was invited toplay a few tunes and theevening progressed into anumber of informal sessionswith a good representationof pipers but with a selec-tion of other instruments(some-one even had a bodh-ran) n evidence. SeSmus(Pipes & flute) and SiobhnEgan (fiddle) from Foxfordwere in full flight. Thestandard of playing wasexcel ent.Earlier that day BillOchs gave a lecture AHistory of Uilleann Pipingand a series of piping work-shops were held. On SundayTim Britton gave a demon-stration of his method ofreedmaking. There was agood interest. All told itwas a great success andgood luck to the boys inthe East! The nervecentre for the organisationstill rests with DenisBrooks in Seattle and any-one interested in the nextTionl should contact him.The foJ lowing weekfound me a couple ofthousand miles west in SanFrancisco where the pipershave Peter Heelan as theirguru. Peter runs a weeklyradio show there and I dida program. 1-le is doinggreat work at spreading thegospel. A few of us con-verged on the Cork andBottle and we had a pipersevening there. Ted Andersonwith whom I was hoping togo on a cane cutting exped-ition broke his hip in atraffic accident. Neverthe-less we managed to cheerhim up somewhat in SanAnselmo General Hospitalwith a live band of 8 hast-ily assembled musicians.Ted knows Californian caneintimately and is more thankeen to help out anyonewho wants some. Heshowed me some marks ona map from the bed and Icut a small amount. JohnPedersen is still makingpipes in San Anselmo andthe piping scene is quitestrong in the area.Then up the coast toMendocino where Phil Whiteis playing away and turningout good reeds. Nearbyanother piper, MichaelHubbard has set up a wood-wind workshop so we canexpect pipes to emergethere soon? Casey Burnsin nearby Fort Bragg ismaking also and is interes-ted in narrow bore concertchanters.Then after a short timein Mexico (no pipers to befound) I went with JohnTuohy (a young San Diegopiper) to meet Dave Page.John has written a biograph-ical sketch on Dave in theNorthwest and San Francisco Pipers Review (1984).We found Dave in his 80sand in great spirits in arest home in San Diego.Dave was born in DolphinsBarn, in Dublin on 17 April1906. Ne got his first setof pipes from Leo Rowsomefor the pricely sum of 25.These he later sold in orderto buy a piano accordeonand the pipes are now inthe possession of DickGrant of Bray. Dave wentto live in London in thelate 30s where he remainedwith his wife Bridgie for 20years. lie then went toChicago and after meetingsome of the irish immigrants came across a set ofnewly-made Kennedy pipes.With the help of the latePatrick Hennelly he gotgoing on the pipes againbut claimed that he neverreally got back properly.After a vacation in the sunof S. California Dave deci-ded to settle there and hadintended to retire from Irishmusic. That was not to behowever and Dave fell inwith an enthusiastic groupof young players in thearea and it seems he was agreat influence there.John Tuohy now ownsDaves pipes and we playedfor a few hours that day.John played a fine versionof Spailpn a Rdn whichhe learned from Dave. Atthe end of our visit Davesaid 1 Ii return to Irelandsomeday when I get anotherset of pipes. Ill hit theroad again and go offrambling. He finished withThanks lads. Thats thebest day I ve had for yearsDave died on 8 April I 987,just about a week short ofhis 81st birthday.On the way back toIreland I stopped for ashort time in Kansas toplay a few tunes with KirkLynch, another young piperand aspiring pipemaker. Ihad hoped to finish theramble with a visit to NewYork to see Tom Busby butthe plane wouldnt and itwill have to be the nextRenvyle.time....Eugene Lambe .Eugene Lambe (The NewImage) with Dave Hegartyon left. Tionl 987,4
issue Number
36
page Number
4
periodical Author
[Periodical]
issue Publication Date
1987-07-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

Píobaire, An, Volume 2, Issue 36

Related Keywords