Customer Reviews

Traditional Slow Airs of Ireland (Penny & Tin Whistle)

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I have been playing these slow airs for a couple of years now. They provide an excellent introduction to a part of traditional Irish music that is often overlooked at sessions where you tend to hear and play reel after reel, along with a few jigs thrown in. Of particular interest is the accompanying double tape set that goes with the book. Here Tomas gives you the title, many in Gaelic(so non-Irish speakers can mangle them infront of their freinds) as well as providing some beautiful examples of sean-nos singing. In fact, itis this singing style that is the basis of the slow airs as many of the tunes do have lyrics which you can follow-up on. I had a particularly successful experience with Mo Ghile Mear, which my band perform regularly. The tunes can be played on any tradional instrument, with the tunes in D and G. One drawback of the book is that only the basic note structure is written out with very little room for interpretation which you will have to do yourself - preferably from reputable performances true to sean-nos style. This problem is also evident on the tape recordings as the notes are played strictly as writ without ornamentation and without any room for pulling the music around. Fortunately there are many recordings of these tunes that bring the written music to life. Enjoy their beauty!

This is my favorite book of music for playing with my tin whistle(s). I am an intermediate player, and not fast, so slow airs are perfect for me. Many of the tunes are new to me and already I have grown to love the many melodies. The tunes range from a number of Carolan tunes to many traditional tunes, all of which have Gaelic titles. THere is no background information on any of them. I recommend this highly for whistle players who are beyond the beginnining, read music and want to learn beautiful melodies well suited to the instrument. Many other instruments I am sure could use this music book, but I have little background in music so will not render an opinion in this regard. THe subtitle to the book does say, "Suitable for All instruments."

So here's the list of tunes in this book. I'll do the translation from the Irish when I get time.

If you are choosing between this version without the recording and the one with, I'd advise buying the one without based on what another reviewer said about the recording being without ornamentation. (Unless, of course, you don't read music at all and intend to learn by ear - which is great. But you should know that you'll then be learning just the skeleton of the real music.) If you know anything about old-style Irish performance, you know that it's all ABOUT ornamentation - not necessarily exactly what another performer does, but about YOUR choice of musical embroidery. And you have to listen to an experienced and authentic performer's version to get the idea.

A Bunnan Bui
A Stoir Mo Chroi
Airde Cuan
Aisling Gheal
Amhran na Leabhar
Amhran Na Tra Baine
An Bianach Og
An Boithrin Bui
An Buachaill Caol Dubh
An Buachaillin Ban
An Caisideach Ban
An Droighnean Donn
An Goirtin Eornan
An Leanbh Si
An Londubh Is An Cheirseach
An Paistin Fionn
An Raibh Tu ar an gCarriag
An Sceilpin Droighneach
An Spailpin Fanach
An Speic Seoigheach
Anach Cuan
Ar Eirinn
Banchnoic Eireann O
Banks of Sullane
Baptist Johnston
Bean Dubh A Ghleanna
Beinsin Luachra
Blind Mary
Bridin Bheasach
Buachaill On Eirne
Bunclody
Cailin Na Gruaige Doinne
Caiseal Mumhan
Cait Ni Dhuibhir
Caitlin Triall
Caoineadh Na dTri Muire
Caoineadh Ui Dhonail
Cape Clear
Carrickfergus
Cath Cheim An Fhia
Cill Chais
Citi na gCumann
Cois a Ghaorthaidh
Conlach Ghlas An Fhromhair
Conneries
Contae Mhuigheo
Cuachin Gleann Neifin
Cuan Bheil Inse
De Bharr Na Gcnoc
Death And The Sinner
Do You Remember That Night?
Donal Og
Down by the Sally Gardens
Eamonn A Chnuic
Eamonn Mhagaine
Easter Snow
Eibhlin a Ruin
Eleanor Plunkett
Eochaill
Fainne Geal an Lae
Fanny Power
Fath Mo Bhuartha
Fox's Sleep
Geaftai Bhaile Bui
General Monroe's Lament
George Brabazon
Gile Mear
'Glenroe' Them
Glenswilly
Gol na mBan San Ar
Inion an Fhoit
Is Trua Gan Peata An Mhaoir Agam
Lagan Love
Lament For Staker Wallace
Lament for the Fox
Loch na gCaor
Lord Inchiquin
Maidin Luan Cincise
Maighdean Mhara
Mairin De Barra
Marbha Luimni
Mo Mhuirin Ban
Morgan Magan
Munster Cloak
O'Rahilly's Grave
Paddy Lynch's Boat
Planxty Hewlett
Planxty Irwin
Port Gordon
Port na bPucai
Princess Royal
Priosun Chluain Meala
Raiteachas na Tairngreacht
Rimin Donn Dilis
Roisin Dubh
Rosc Catha na Mumhan
Sean O Duibhir
Si Beag, Si Mor
Suibhan Ni Dhuibhir
Suil a Ghra
Slan le Maigh
Sliabh Geal gCua
Sliabh na mBan
Spailpin a Ruin
Tabhair Dom Do Lamh
Taimse ar an mBaile Seo
Taimse Mo Chodladh
The Banks Of The Suir
The Coolin
The Month Of January
The Snowy-Breasted Pearl
The Trip We Took Over The Mountain
The Wounded Hussar
Thugamar Fein An Samhradh Linn
Tiarna Mhuigheo
Uir Chill a Chreagain
Una Bhan
Wild Geese

This is a fantastic collection of slow airs (some of which you will recognize from having famous ballads set to them). It is also the only such collection in print that is easily available, as far as I know. Most collections don't include many slow airs, probably because they are musical prose compared to the musical poetry of jigs & reels, which tends to make a few airs go a long way (by this I mean they don't tend to have a repetitive theme or structure, or at least it is more subtle). Nonetheless they represent a wider emotional pallette than the generally jaunty dance music, and thus are an important aspect of traditional Irish music. The accompanying CD (available from 'Sheet Music Plus')features all the airs played on a single instrument. The intruments used are: guitar, cittern (bouzouki), bagpipes, accordion, mandolin, tinwhistle, flute, fiddle, oboe, saxophone, piano, harp, concertina, and vocals. You will note that saxophone and oboe are not generally heard in traditional Celtic music. Aside from demonstrating the tunes, the cd's make great minimalist listening, helping you get back to musical basics and providing a solid foundation for understanding Celtic music.

I have owned this book for years (mine came with cassette tapes,not CDs!) and originally learned these airs on whistle and flute. I started playing the Celtic harp three years ago and have just begun arranging some of these lovely airs for that instrument, for which they are ideally adapted. It is a wonderful resource for material that is not widely available in other collections of Irish music, which as other reviewers have mentioned tend to focus on reels, jigs, and hornpipes.

O'Canainn is a piper, and these airs are written out exactly as he would play them, with authentic ornamentation. For that reason alone the book is a gem, for anyone who's trying to learn where and how to decorate Irish music in the traditional style.

While it doesn't have ALL the slow airs ever written and some of them aren't that "slow", this is an awesome compendium of airs. Written key signatures are all consistent with traditional Irish instruments (I play flute and whistle), with most in D, G, or A. The CD is nice, too!

Good book, although I find I can't play straight through it because there are only so many slow songs one can play in sequence. Haven't tried the CD yet.