Liam O,Flynn plays Killorglin!!(photo)

[rorybbellows]

I’ve seen Liam O’Flynn play a few times, but the concert the other night in Killorglin was the best by far, as Liam himself remarked the venue was excellent, it is a tastefully restored old but small church and the high ceiling and the atmosphere of the place plus the Bar makes for a very good concert venue. It is quite intimate as it was to full capacity with approx 160 people.

I sometimes used to think when at his other concerts that he used to do too much talking but I found the introductions to each tune this time very entertaining, and the general banter at the concert was very good. He mentioned that his father still plays the odd tune on the fiddle at 97 which got a round of applause (let’s hope Liam is still playing at 97). He also talked about his time spend with Seamus Ennis and Liam was telling us that he and his brother lived with Seamus Ennis for over 2 years which I never knew. He went onto explain that just being in the company of Seamus was an education in the tradition of understanding the music.
He played the full version of the Fox Chase which is the version he got from Seamus Ennis, and in his introduction of the piece he was explaining that in his opinion as it is slightly different from the version that Pat Mitchell transcribed in his book, that this version has a few extra parts in the Jigs that he thinks Seamus Ennis wrote himself.

He also mentioned that he is playing with an orchestra the full version of the Brendan Voyage later in the Autumn in Ennis which should be well worth seeing.

Here is a photo of him playing, I also managed to record him playing the Gold Ring on a small digital camera which I have been trying to upload onto my hosting site but couldn’t get it to upload, but if I do I will post a link.
[img][img]http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q144 ... am0007.jpg[/img]

RORY[/img]

[PJ]

Sounds like an excellent concert. Nice photo.

[djm]

Ah, yes, I see Liam was playing the Balding set that night.

djm

[schlimmerkerl]

Years ago in Chicago I helped host Liam O'Flynn for a piping workshop (part, I think, of a larger ITM fest). Anyway, he was a very nice guy, and, even then, quite the piper.

Fast forward about 10 years. Liam is playing at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Talking to him for a minute before he gets up onstage, I request "Spike Island Lasses". Not only does he play it, he also mentions me by name saying (jokingly) that I should have known that it's "always followed by 'Dogs Among the Bushes'"-- which he also plays.

Class act, far's I'm concerned.

[djimbo]

Talking to him for a minute before he gets up onstage, I request "Spike Island Lasses". Not only does he play it, he also mentions me by name saying (jokingly) that I should have known that it's "always followed by 'Dogs Among the Bushes'"-- which he also plays.
Class act, far's I'm concerned.

Me too, I met Liam at a 'Masterclass' in Ilkley where he was happy to chat to mere mortals such as myself and also to give valuable tips on piping technique.
His expression whilst playing (likened by my brother to that of King Rollo's cat) Is nothing compared to the 'tongue - out' contortions displayed by many pipers. My own 'gurning' is usually found by audiences to be far more interesting/entertaining than the piping itself.

[meemtp]

Heheh...I have a friend whose eyes roll back and his eyelids flicker while he's playing the pipes...and he drools sometimes too.

[brianc]

Ah, yes, I see Liam was playing the Balding set that night.

djm