Penance Seen yesterday outside King’s Cross station. Hail to the Chief Chieftain Paddy Moloney, the founder and inspiration of the Chieftains, the folk group which made Irish music known and appreciated worldwide, has died at the age of 83. He was a gifted musician, performer and composer, but also someone who earned the admiration and affection of countless great musicians who had nothing to do with Irish music.
This from Radio 4’s Midweek, hosted by Libby Purvis...
(Interview with the Chieftains, during which FZ asks:)
FZ: Of the other cultures that use bagpipes, some of the things, like the fast part in the tune you just played, remind me of some music that I've heard from Bulgarian instruments which also use some sort of bagpipe, but it's not an elbow pipe. Do you ever play any music from other cultures?
PM: Sure. We played in China recently where they've got over two hundred different folk instruments. We also do mix it, with Galician pipes. We play a lot of Galician and Breton music.
BH: But you've found links with tradition Irish music in the music of other countries, in India, for instance.
PM: I know one particular tune from India where the first eight bars are almost identical to an old style song from the West of Ireland. You can come across various little pieces and you hear it, and you think 'My god, that's a jig – I know that', a couple of little bars and you can match them. We have put together things like that.
BH: How do you explain that, tunes cropping up on opposite sides of the world, where there couldn't have been any cultural exchange?
FZ: (whispers) Sailors! (much laughter)
And a bit later:
LP: I think we should break it to you that Frank has been known to sing 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling'.
PM: Really? I'm very sorry for your troubles, Frank.
LP: We were going to invite him to do it with the Chieftains backing.
PM: Well, we'll have a go. It's early in the morning.
FZ: What we did with that particular song was that on St Patrick's Day in 1988, we were working in a town in the US and we had an Irish population and an Italian population, so during the soundcheck in the afternoon, we put together an arrangement that combined 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling' and the theme from 'The Godfather'. (laughter)
I too have forgotten a lot that it was important to learn, and that I enjoyed, but I have not forgotten all my Latin, and I take a bad pleasure in correcting both Baggini and Naughton: Memento Mori, surely? JM
This from Radio 4’s Midweek, hosted by Libby Purvis...
(Interview with the Chieftains, during which FZ asks:)
FZ: Of the other cultures that use bagpipes, some of the things, like the fast part in the tune you just played, remind me of some music that I've heard from Bulgarian instruments which also use some sort of bagpipe, but it's not an elbow pipe. Do you ever play any music from other cultures?
PM: Sure. We played in China recently where they've got over two hundred different folk instruments. We also do mix it, with Galician pipes. We play a lot of Galician and Breton music.
BH: But you've found links with tradition Irish music in the music of other countries, in India, for instance.
PM: I know one particular tune from India where the first eight bars are almost identical to an old style song from the West of Ireland. You can come across various little pieces and you hear it, and you think 'My god, that's a jig – I know that', a couple of little bars and you can match them. We have put together things like that.
BH: How do you explain that, tunes cropping up on opposite sides of the world, where there couldn't have been any cultural exchange?
FZ: (whispers) Sailors! (much laughter)
And a bit later:
LP: I think we should break it to you that Frank has been known to sing 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling'.
PM: Really? I'm very sorry for your troubles, Frank.
LP: We were going to invite him to do it with the Chieftains backing.
PM: Well, we'll have a go. It's early in the morning.
FZ: What we did with that particular song was that on St Patrick's Day in 1988, we were working in a town in the US and we had an Irish population and an Italian population, so during the soundcheck in the afternoon, we put together an arrangement that combined 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling' and the theme from 'The Godfather'. (laughter)
LP: The perfect combination...
I like the "Exit only" sign behind and beside the cheat's head. Do you think the station is trying to tell him something?
I too have forgotten a lot that it was important to learn, and that I enjoyed, but I have not forgotten all my Latin, and I take a bad pleasure in correcting both Baggini and Naughton: Memento Mori, surely? JM