The Fisherman's Widow, The Walls of Liscara - Jigs

About this film

Irish bagpipe solo, unknown piano player, Columbia 33070-F. O'Nolan billed himself as the "Wicklow Piper," but his piping seems to have little in common with famous Leinster pipers such as the Doran brothers or Leo Rowsome; his charming punchy style is much more reminescent of others who recorded in America such as Tom Ennis. O'Nolan recorded a few piping solos in 1925-26 but his subsequent recorded output over the next five years were vocal discs, backed by a piano, sometimes with clarinet and violin thrown in. He recorded the Fisherman's Widow (Rambling Pitchfork) seperately as a pipes solo (no piano) at the same session, curiously enough. "Liscara" is usually rendered "Liscarroll" in books, and has been a well known jig since recorded by the Chieftains in the 1960s. This old jig spotlights the note C, which pipers fond of ornamenting by bending into the note, raising its pitch above standard in the process, sometimes adding vibrato too. O'Nolan does a simple bit of bending up as far as I can tell.

Directors & creators

Shaun O'Nolan

Subjects

Irish; Celtic; Bagpipe; Uilleann; Folk; Oldtime; 78rpm

View on archive.org ↗