the piper's choice

VARIOUS: PIPER'S CHOICE VOLUME 1 (DVD)

Liam O'Flynn, Tommy Keane, Ronan Browne: uilleann pipes

Released under the auspices of the Dublin Pipers’ Club, this new DVD, produced by Peter Browne, is organized around an interesting idea: to have prominent pipers perform selections of tunes and discuss their choices and their playing. While the commentaries are not always as revealing as one would wish, the three pipers featured here "speak" most eloquently through their music. With performers of the caliber of Liam O’Flynn, Tommy Keane, and Ronan Browne, it will come as no surprise that the music portion is of great quality and interest. O’Flynn performs on a concert-pitch Leo Rowsome set, while Keane and Browne both play flat sets, Keane on a copy of a Coyne B set, and Browne on a gloriously mellow-sounding Harrington flat set from 1840. Browne’s performance of the air “The Old Man Rocking the Cradle,” combining four different versions inspired by John Kelly, Leo Rowsome, Padraig O’Keeffe (Browne approximates O’Keeffe’s famous key-touching-the-bridge trick by using the bottom of the chanter to activate a regulator key), and Connemara singing (with unison chanter and regulator phrases), a fascinating display of great musicianship and bold regulator work, must be one of the highlights of the collection.

1 Air: Cath Ceim an Fhia

2 Hornpipes: THe Humours of Castle Bernard / O'Callaghan's

3 Jigs: Kitty's Rambles / The Humours of Ennistymon

4 Air: Dark Lochnagar

5 Reels: Jackie Fitzpatrick's / Garrett Barry's

6 Hornpipe: The Queen of the Fairies

7 Jigs: An Buachaillin Bui / East of Glendart

8 Reels: Roaring Mary / Rolling on the Ryegrass

9 Air: THe Bright Lady

10 Jigs: The Buck in the Woods / The Rambling Pitchfork

11 Reels: THe Flags of Dublin / The First House in Connaught

12 Hornpipes: The Buck from the Mountain / The Frisco Hornpipe