Na Píobairí Uilleann

Chairman, NPU

An Píobaire

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6 5 7 20101217 7 Also available are the Irish Music Collections Online (IMCO) galleries consisting of over 1,600 pieces of music from 24 significant his- torical music collections dating from as early as 1724. These tune collections have been tran- scribed by Na Píobairí Uilleann from the origi- nals and are available to review or listen to using the Sibelius Scorch freeware plugin. In deploy- ing the site we also took the opportunity to merge some of our existing web based resources such as our online library of traditional music publications into the SOURCE. Users of the SOURCE have the option to browse the pre-defined Sections and Galleries, or to use the Advanced Search facility to retrieve content from the database using any of the many meta- data fields associated with each media object. Users also have the option to build up and save selections of their own personal favourite media objects or Galleries. In addition, users can share or provide feedback on material in the database. SOURCE is designed as a vibrant resource for lovers of Irish Traditional Music, and content will be added on a regular basis. The design of the site also provides for future enhancements such as the ability for users to upload and share their own content. Indeed, SOURCE has the potential to become a significant central hub for lovers of Irish Traditional Music. From famine times through to the late 1960s the fortunes of the uilleann pipes have waxed and waned. Since the formation of Na Píobairí Uilleann in 1968, we have witnessed a massive increase in the number of people taking up the instrument. Thanks to the sup- port of agencies, including the Arts Council, and a strong volunteering ethos among com- munities of pipers in Ireland and abroad, there are now several thousand players in over forty countries. The challenge for NPU now is to ensure that uilleann piping continues to thrive and that support and resources are made available and easily accessible to an ever-growing audience for this uniquely Irish “sound” and instru- ment. It is hoped that the provision through SOURCE, for the first time, of comprehensive video material of four leading master uilleann pipe- makers will be a significant step in creating a learning and mentoring environment for uil- leann pipe-making. The latter video material, along with the forthcoming establishment by NPU of an uilleann pipe-making training cen- tre will accelerate the drive to address the supply of new high-quality full sets of pipes, particularly for young people. We wish to thank all who contributed towards the establishment of SOURCE, especially Cillian Ó Briain, David Quinn, Andreas Rogge and Geoff Wooff, who made their expertise freely available, and Bill Haneman who assisted with the collection and deploy- ment of the material. http://source.pipers.ie Seán McKeon playing at the Launch of SOURCE Terry Moylan

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2011-02-24T00:00:00

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