My Former Wife

About this film

Irish bagpipes with piano, label and date of recording unknown, possibly Pathe 20402. This tune isn't listed in Spottswood's Discography of Ethnic Recordings, which has a comprenhensive section on US-made Irish discs. Pathe 20402 was listed simply as "Irish Jigs Medley" so perhaps this tune was part of that set. It was recorded around a century ago on a wax cylinder in very fierce style by Chicago piper James Early and fiddler Billy McCormick, whose instrument is almost inaudible, allowing us to hear Early's chanter all the better. This recording may be heard at Ross's Music Page, http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/music/index.html. It is instructive to compare the two recordings. Ennis proceeds at a somewhat gentler tempo, and leaves out Early's crans on the bottom E and D, but is faithful to many of the other complex ornaments he used. Early was said to be unfailingly generous to pipers in need of assistance with their instruments, and one would imagine the same principle applied to students. Ennis grew up in Chicago and we suppose would have availed of Early's instruction where possible.

Directors & creators

Tom Ennis

Subjects

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

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