Mick Hand

[kenr]

Just seen on the ITMA website that Mick Hand has died. Mick was very kind and welcoming to me back in the early 80s at Willie week and he will be missed.

His solo CD had the most fantastic title.
RIP Mick

Ken

[Mr.Gumby]

Ah, so sorry to hear that. Such a nice man.

And yes, 'All You Need Is Láimh'

[Terry McGee]

Ah dear. I think Michael was the first Irish flute player I ran into, back at a folk festival in Sydney in 1970. I was playing whistle in those days, but mostly in the Australian Bush Dance style. Declan Affley ran a wonderful workshop on Irish music, and called on Michael to play a few solo tunes on the flute. Woah, gobsmacked! I remember (and can still play) his versions of the set dance, The Hunt, and an air version of The Strayaway Child.

Having now seen what folk festivals look like, next year I was tapped as the Folk Convener for the Aquarius Arts Festival in Canberra. Three years later found me in England, Ireland and Scotland learning whistle from Mary Bergin, flute from Mick Allen, Irish music from Breandan Breathnach, flute history from Philip Bate and Anthony Baines, flute maintenance from Paul Davis, visiting Boosey & Hawkes and the Dolmetsch factories and playing at the Favourite and the Sugawn Kitchen in London and in pubs in Ireland. Next year, I'm starting to make simple flutes. Sheesh, we lived life in the fast lane back then! That Michael Hand has a lot to answer for....

Michael revisited Australia maybe 15 years ago, and came out to our place in Canberra for a catch up and a few tunes. It was nice. I'll settle down and play The Strayaway Child in his memory....

[Mr.Gumby]

Mick was perhaps not an unsung hero of the flute but perhaps a lesser known one to many. For many years e had a big hand in the coordination of flute and whistle at the Willie Clancy Summer School. At the 2016 WCSS tribute was paid to him. The nice thing about the tributes at Willie is that they pay tribute while the person is still alive. The amount of people who turn up to play is always a great token of the esteem a person is held in. On the day, most of the Castle Ceiliband came to play with Mick, Bakerswell reformed, and all manner of people came to play.


I have a few impressions here:



And here he is with Bakerswell

[Terry McGee]

Thanks for that, Mr Gumby. I was blissfully unaware of Michael and the piano until I saw the ITMA obit. Michael was not one to big-note himself. You can only wonder how far his quiet influence might have gone.

[Mr.Gumby]

He sat in with the various reunions of the Castle Ceiliband. On this occasion he had a damaged left hand and played the piano single handedly:

[Terry McGee]

I'm reminded that when he visited us back 15 years or so ago, Michael had just had one or more knees replaced, and was struggling with an infection in one of them. Fortunately, one of our fiddle players (Roger) was an orthopedic surgeon and was able to advise Michael appropriately!

[Mr.Gumby]

I should have some decent images of him playing the flute but don't have the time to look for them, here's one that will have to do:





And I'll throw in another one from the tribute concert, here with the reconstructed Bakerswell, Mick taking Seán Potts' part for the Factory Girl with Sean Og Potts, Paul McGrattan, John McEvoy, John Kelly and Kevin Glackin, with Cathy Potter sitting in on the harp.




Here's the Death notice

[Terry McGee]

That closeup image of Michael playing the flute is a great reminder, thanks, Mr Gumby.