Na Píobairí Uilleann

Chairman, NPU

An Píobaire

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8 1 15 20120206 15 lined, One Key Chanter with compass over Two Octaves, Velveteen Covers. Cash Price £7: 19 : 0 or 40/- deposit and twelve monthly payments.’ By the time I’d managed to save this small for- tune I was in uniform doing my National Serv- ice (which actually became three years instead of two). Based in Wiltshire, I was able to keep in touch with the Society’s events in London. At the time Séamus was in London working on the BBC survey of folk music and regional accents. He shared an office with my friend and mentor, Peter Kennedy, so I had a ready means of contact with Séamus. On one occasion that I remember well, I spent an evening with Peter and Séamus. I think we mostly listened to their recent record- ings, and perhaps had a tune or two on whistles and fiddle. However, the evening wore on well past midnight. Then, sometime after 1am, Séa- mus picked up the phone and rang his friend “Professor” Stanley Unwin. Stanley was a BBC sound engineer who became widely known for the strange and highly amusing doggerel he in- vented while testing lines. I presume they came to know each other in BBC circles. Poor Stan- ley was obviously woken from a deep sleep and, to this day, I can ‘hear’ his drowsy voice saying, “Oh, hello Séamus”. Then Séamus recited a piece of Unwinesque utter nonsense. No normal person could be expected to retain much of it after one hearing but I do remember that it ended with something about the Emerald Isle being dropped “plop” in the sea. I have always as- sumed that Séamus made it up as he went along and that that was the end of it. So, what a huge surprise it was for me to learn, very recently, that the whole “story” is printed at the front of that beautiful book, The Dance Music of Séamus Ennis, by Pat Mitchell. I’m told that Séamus re- cited it on appropriate occasions over the years and it is believed that he wrote it. So prob, while full moonglow and high tidings, piping hot, Séa- mus unravelled the windy flappers and, being of multi-talent, compost dog-roll perspired by his friendly sounding engine gear, Stanley. I didn’t have the practice set with me on the RAF station so the chances to try my hand at the chanter were limited to periods of leave at home in South Devon. But something was ter- ribly wrong. The lone chanter didn’t sound like Séamus’s at all. In fact, passers-by would never have guessed that the noises were coming from a musical instrument. For a start, nobody had told me about reeds and that they have a life of their own. What did I know about setting reeds? Nothing. Now, back in those days, it was a pretty sure bet that I was alone with the only specimen of its kind in the West Country. Séamus never saw the rubberised device that was meant to launch my illustrious piping ca- reer. But he was very understanding and toler- ant of my irrepressible enthusiasm for his piping, and ceaseless questioning. At one of our meetings he produced a piece of manu- script paper and proceeded to write out the notes of the chanter, low octave and high oc- tave. Sadly, all wasted effort because I never have been able to read music. I had told him this but I didn’t have the heart to stop him com- pleting the lesson. I still have the piece of paper – and still don’t understand it! Then Peter tried to help by kindly arranging a stay with the piping and singing McPeake family of Belfast. I spent a fortnight’s leave with old Frank McPeake and his wife at their house in Springview Street, in February 1954. He called bellows pipes the cold-wind pipes. It was a won- derful two weeks of music with the family, aug- mented by musicians who visited in the evenings. Despite their patient tuition I’m unable to report any exciting progress. I cannot recall what tunes I ever managed to play on the Crowley beginners’ set but I do know that it all came to nothing be- cause the next page in my photo album shows me collecting a set of Northumbrian small pipes from the maker, Bill Hedworth of Gateshead, in Octo- ber of the same year. I played these until Jack Armstrong, Piper to the Duke of Northumber- land, made me a set in 1965.

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2012-02-01T00:00:00

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