Ronan Browne: Port na bPúcaí on the Irish pipes

Рет қаралды 59,721

13 жыл бұрын

This is the beautiful air Port na bPúcaí (The Music of the Fairies) from the Blasket Islands. It was said that islanders heard a mystical music and, thinking it was disquieted spirits, they made this air using the notes they heard in an attempt to placate the unhappy ghosts.
Recent thinking suggests that they were, in fact, listening to whale-song reverberating through the canvas hulls of their boats. In the mid 1990s I went rooting through some cassettes of whale song and there in the middle of the Orca (Killer Whale) section I heard the opening notes of Port na bPúcaí!
This air has been a favourite of mine since I first heard it played by Seán Potts and Paddy Moloney on their 1974 Claddagh LP. It sounds gorgeous on my old 1840/50s Harrington union pipes; the regulators, unable to provide "safe" accompaniment and resorting to discord, paint a fitting seascape for our king Dolphin!
This video was filmed by Fionnula Flanagan during a concert of Róisín Elsafty, Siobhán Armstrong and myself at St. Nicholas' medieval church, Galway in May, 2011. The concert was staged by the Galway Early Music Festival.

Пікірлер: 72

@claytonschase 2 ай бұрын

One of my all time favorite versions on the Irish pipes. Thanks for sharing

@MegaMickey31 9 жыл бұрын

As an Irish man abroad, I keep coming back to this. utterly beautiful. A song so beautiful that even the fairies know death,

@shaynewheeler9249 Жыл бұрын

Irish bagpipes

@wfiddler 12 жыл бұрын

I'm just learning the Uilleann Pipes, and I find myself watching this video at least twice a week for inspiration. Tremendous sound.

@RonanBrowneMusic 11 жыл бұрын

Sorry Jerimy, they were made over 160 years ago by Denis Harrington in Cork. But you're doing the right thing, listening out for sounds you like and asking what they are. Keep at it and console yourself that most of us have spent many more years wishing for beauty that actually living it...

@rivelinoismaya 3 жыл бұрын

Started playing 4 years ago and I always take my time to watch this again and again. Thanks Ronan, it would fit me to say this is the best version I know. Flat pipes are angelic!

@RonanBrowneMusic 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for those kind words, and I wish you a long life of music-making on your own pipes!

@shaynewheeler9249 Жыл бұрын

Bagpipes Irish whiskey

@mikiesmyth 12 жыл бұрын

I listened to this track endlessly on the drones and chanters. One of my all time favourites and definitely the main reason why I love regs. This is music. Thanks for the continuing inspiration Ronan!

@simoncarrier9910 9 жыл бұрын

Thank you Mr. Browne... Something moved inside me, something eternal

@NotAFanAnymore 13 жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting this...he is one of my favorite pipers today...love his sound and style...and he's a great fellow too. Cheers to you, cheers to Ronan!!!

@fiddlinshim 10 жыл бұрын

Beautiful music! The regulator work is particularly brilliant.

@splortz 10 жыл бұрын

I love this live performance. It is there for us to hear, even with its few imperfections. It is not neatly "packaged", but played as it was meant to be heard. If you listen to the old fiddle player's recordings, they sound a little raw. It's the "rawness" of the real Irish trad music that is so attractive--the imperfections of intonation. The errant drone reed. The rasp of the bow. This is folk music, which is to say, the music of the people. People are not perfect, and neither is their music. It is the imperfection that gives it uniqueness. It is perfectly unique. Well done, Ronan.

@seamusdarcy5513 6 жыл бұрын

Maith thu!-now you said it

@MrLuridan 5 жыл бұрын

Quite hard to put into words, but you have. Very, very well said.

@sparkyhake2128 11 жыл бұрын

truly wonderful and beyond words. Thank you.

@mickey2mccool 11 жыл бұрын

Lovely stuff Ronan. The definitive version!

@Eistear 13 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this. Great playing. Really beautiful!! Great to be able to watch a part of his concert so many people are talking about.

@cwilde 12 жыл бұрын

Ronan, will you please please please record this? I feel the need to listen to it on endless loop for several days at a time for maybe the rest of my life .... :) Thank you for the music. I can't tell you how grateful I am. P.S. Also, I rather liked the shy-chanter effect at the beginning. It made me think of seabirds.

@jacobsgranddaughter 3 жыл бұрын

Beautiful!❤️🙏

@ianaliciaperry5243 12 жыл бұрын

This is beautiful, thank you for make my day a lot better!!!

@notfoundrick3878 Жыл бұрын

Got so much goosebumps it hurts

@TheWHISTLE1978 13 жыл бұрын

Es una cancion que me maravilla ronan, eres el mejor

@jamesruff3082 5 жыл бұрын

Ah Ronan, this is just gorgeous!!

@RonanBrowneMusic 5 жыл бұрын

James Ruff thanks a mill, Prof Ruff...!!!

@jamesruff3082 5 жыл бұрын

Ronan Browne hmm it makes me want to play this on the harp!! Now that I’ve taken the bait and have been transcribing many of the archive fiddle recordings you provided us with!!

@RonanBrowneMusic 5 жыл бұрын

@@jamesruff3082 Yesssssss.....!!!

@jerimyspencer1541 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks. As far as wishing, I think it is because most people believe without realizing it, that they can hold on to beauty. No one can own beauty, only surrender to it when the moment comes.

@RonanBrowneMusic 6 жыл бұрын

How about this - only left you waiting 4 years Jerimy! How perfectly put regarding the fleeting visits of beauty to our lives!

@ant8064 8 жыл бұрын

I mesmerised and transported!

@arforgordzake 9 жыл бұрын

What a beautiful noise :-)

@HEADSUPBERKELEY 10 жыл бұрын

So profoundly beautiful

@spidergem1 12 жыл бұрын

wow i got tingles all over my body loverly song :)

@econbiz 12 жыл бұрын

thanks for putting this up, garrett

@lacornamusadipaolo 13 жыл бұрын

This is a beautiful air!

@ifoxfirei 11 жыл бұрын

favorite!

@Pyro8 11 жыл бұрын

A great tune, great sound, great regulators! After listening to many old recordings, where many lovely tender airs were semi-ruined by occasional PEOUUUAUUUUM from out of tune regulars, I thought that regulators were a music killer, but after hearing you play on the NPU DVD, I started enjoying them a lot. However, it seems it's really a pain to tune them. I hope to hear your music for many years to come!

@robertmacdonaldbespokekilt3063 6 жыл бұрын

Oh good - I'm not the only one who grits his teeth at the sound of misused (= 'over-used) regulators! at the worst they sound like fairground calliope or car horns at rush hour... but not in this case, or in any other recording of Mr. Browne's .

@RonanBrowneMusic 11 жыл бұрын

Thanks Cathy! I release two concert pitch versions years ago on The Drones & The Chanters V2 and The River Of Sound but yes, I'd like to do a flat version.

@ianwattsOfficial 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for inspiring me to practice more on my set of Johnny Bourke pipes::::)))) Liam O'Flynn would have loved this I'm sure of it:::)) and Johnny::)) Cheers, From Gladstone Queensland Australia::))

@RonanBrowneMusic 5 жыл бұрын

ian watts I am honoured Ian to have inspired you. And Johnny was a wonderful man as well as being a top maker. Enjoy those pipes...!

@ianwattsOfficial 5 жыл бұрын

@@RonanBrowneMusic I bought them off of would you believe the famous Crehan family who is related to Liam O'Flynn::::))) Thankyou for replying to me, bought also the celtic guitar, Durham drums, and of course that big whistle a I tell Brian Crehan::::))))

@RonanBrowneMusic 5 жыл бұрын

@@ianwattsOfficial If you look at any of the CRAN videos, listen to the CRAN CDs, or my solo album "The Wynd You Know", you'll be hearing me play either a borrowed Bourke set (thanks Mick Browne!!) or the set I made with Martin Doyle by copying that earlier set. All played either with a Leo Rowsome or a Peter Hunter chanter as I didn't have the original Bourke chanter. That said, I've now moved to playing pipes made by the wonderful Makoto Nakatsui.

@ianwattsOfficial 5 жыл бұрын

@@RonanBrowneMusic I'll check it out Ronan!!

@ianwattsOfficial 5 жыл бұрын

@@RonanBrowneMusic How are you going Ronan? Watched a few more clips great to see:::)))

@dhastings1954 6 жыл бұрын

Beautiful

@Ulstermandd 13 жыл бұрын

Da best on da tube.

@ianwatts8861 5 жыл бұрын

Ronan is next to Liam O'Flynn and I'll vouch for that:::)))

@christyboy2 13 жыл бұрын

Now, see that is just gorgeous and brilliant!

@monomakes 8 жыл бұрын

Wow. Not much to say really. So cool.

@how2pick4name 10 жыл бұрын

It is the last track on "the drones and the chanters vol 2" I don't really like airs, except when Ronan plays them (or Neillidh Mulligan)

@cwilde 12 жыл бұрын

oops, maybe it was a shy drone reed ... ? I wish mine would complain that mellifluously!

@seamasodonnghaile8800 2 ай бұрын

Níl léamh nó scríobh nó inse béil air seo ... there aren't the words ...

@narrowdog6084 5 ай бұрын

What is the difference from the Northumbrian pipes, they look the same. ?

@aspektx 11 жыл бұрын

and here's to Seamus Heaney.

@shaynewheeler9249 Жыл бұрын

Irish whiskey

@jerimyspencer1541 11 жыл бұрын

Well done. Who makes your pipes? I am in the market, and trying to find a good maker.

@jerimyspencer1541 11 жыл бұрын

but is there a recommendation you have towards woods used?

@RonanBrowneMusic 6 жыл бұрын

Probably WAY too late now, but these pipes are made from Ebony. I have another Harrington which is Tulipwood (according to Bill Haneman - I was previously told Laburnum by Ted Colgan. Either way, 'tis now black with oxidation but when scraped it is much paler). The little James Kenna is made of native Boxwood. Jimmy O'Brien Moran's absolutely gorgeous sounding Colgan chanter is made from a lightweight fruitwood. I wonder what are the percentages between maker and material...? Tell me, did you ever get those pipes?

@evankeefer5321 4 жыл бұрын

What is the bloody key of this tune?

@RonanBrowneMusic 4 жыл бұрын

Evan, I’ve been playing this most of my life but a key has never entered my mind. What I can tell you is that the set of pipes hovers roughly around B or a shade higher, and the drones are in 3 octaves of that slightly sharp B. The original maker of this classic air most certainly was unaware of European Western Art music and their incessant obsession with shoehorning every melody into one of their pre-ordained ‘keys’. The key of this piece, similar to most keys of the ‘musics of the people’ is just ‘the key of life’. Possibly a glib answer but the truthful reality nonetheless. Great question though, Evan, and well done, asking it!

@evankeefer5321 4 жыл бұрын

Ronan Browne your answer is certainly a pure example of liturgy; “the work of the people”

@nomajj 10 жыл бұрын

Go haoibhinn

@briang.mcenery2573 5 ай бұрын

Ádh mór.

@young30z 4 жыл бұрын

백파이프, 아일랜드

@dukadarodear2176 2 жыл бұрын

Uilleann Pipes, Ireland.

@RonanBrowneMusic Жыл бұрын

Yes, ‘Irish Bagpipes’ is closer to correct than ‘Uilleann Pipes’. The Irish word for elbow, ‘uilleann’, was slapped on the instrument in the early 1900s (not sure of the exact date as I was only a chap at the time!) by that twit Grattan Flood (copying the earlier twit Charles Vallency) attempting to date the instrument to the late 1500s by quoting Shakespeare’s “…woollen pipes…” in The Merchant of Venice. In the time of the making of my Harrington pipes, the instrument was known as ‘Union pipes’ or, from Timothy Kenna, as ‘Grand Union pipes’. Going back further to my little James Kenna pipes from c. 1760, that instrument was known as ‘Irish pipes’, as ‘Union pipes’ appears not to have been coined till the later years of that century. So, just to re-cap, all this rambling is to illustrate my original point, that the original comment (Irish pipes) is closer to the mark than the reply (Uilleann pipes). I like the distinction and I do call my James Kenna, ‘Irish pipes’ and the Denis Harrington, ‘Union pipes’. 0:02