Na Píobairí Uilleann

Chairman, NPU

An Píobaire

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8 4 26 20120927 26 ~ Tribute ~ BRIAN GALLAHAR John Butler B RIAN GREW UP IN FINGLAS in Co. Dublin at a time when it was still very much a rural village. His first contact with Irish tradi- tional music was as a young boy when he would tip-toe from his bed to the top of the stairs to lis- ten to the music on the Céilí House radio pro- gramme on Saturday nights. He was particularly captivated by the sound of the uilleann pipes al- though at the time he didn’t know what they were. Years later a neighbour saw Brian with a set of pipes and told him that before Brian’s par- ents had moved in, it had been a well-known ses- sion-house in which the likes of Séamus Ennis, Peadar Broe and (possibly) Tommy Reck, would have played tunes – Brian had obviously picked up the spirit of the music from the walls of his home! Brian was in school with Pat Mitchell, who shared his love of Irish music, and they both got themselves tin whistles. Brian couldn’t read music but had a good ear and was quick to pick up new tunes. Pat was able to read music, and the two of them combined their talents to learn tunes together. Around 1964 they both decided it was time to advance to another instrument so they headed for Walton’s Music store and informed Martin Walton that they wanted to see his selection of uilleann pipes. Old Mr. Walton explained that he didn’t keep a large stock of uilleann pipes and directed them to Leo Rowsome. Brian and Pat went to call on Leo who demanded £10 each, payment in advance, for a practice bag, bellows and chanter, and told them both to at- tend the following week for lessons at the School of Music (later The College of Music) in Chatham Row. Sure enough they both col- lected their new practice sets the following week. Leo taught by placing the music score in front of the student and asking him to play it. But Brian couldn’t read music so he would say something like: “Can I just hear how you play it first?” and, on hearing Leo play the tune once, would make a valiant attempt to play it back by ear. During all these lessons, Leo never realised that Brian couldn’t read music. Going home from the lesson, Brian would des- perately hum his homework tune to himself over and over so that he would remember it for the next lesson. Hearing about sessions around Dublin such as O’Donohue’s Pub, the Saturday sessions in Thomas Street and the mid-week sessions in St. Mary’s Church Street Club, Brian became a reg- ular attender. He remembers hearing great Sligo flute players like John Egan and John Brennan at the Church Street sessions as well as the fid- dle player and piper Tom Mulligan. Other regu- lar musicians were the great fiddle players Ted Furey and Tommy Potts. Every year, Felix Doran would travel over for the Fleadh and dur- ing this trip he would make an annual visit to the St. Mary’s Church Street Club where Brian remembers him playing solo pipes. At one of these Church Street sessions, Brian met Finbar Furey. Finbar had a Kennedy con- cert pitch set of pipes, but this particular night he was playing a beautiful Coyne chanter made of boxwood and pitched around B. Brian was captivated by the mellow sound of this chanter.

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2012-09-21T00:00:00

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