Annotation:Martin Wynne's No. 1

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MARTIN WYNNE'S NO. 1 REEL (Ríl Mhairt in Uí Ghaoithin {Uimh. 1}). Irish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Breathnach): AAB (Flaherty): AABB (Mallinson, McNulty, Mulvihill): AA'BB (O'Malley): AA'BB' (Harker/Rafferty). Composed by fiddler Martin Wynne (1916-1998), born in Bunninadden, County Sligo. Wynne spent a few years in England (where he played with flutist Paddy Taylor and fiddler Joe O'Dowd), then immigrated to New York in 1948. There he was influenced by the by the great Sligo émigré fiddlers, Coleman, O'Beirne, Morrison and Killoran, and in turn influenced his own students, such as Brian Conway (who holds Wynne in very high esteem as a teacher and player). He composed some six tunes in the 1930's, before he left Ireland, of which reels No's 1-3 are considered outstanding. "Martin Wynne's No. 1" can be heard in modern sessions, often paired with "Martin Wynne's No. 2", perhaps his most famous composition among New York Irish fiddlers. So associated with the Wynne teaching and playing legacy are his few but excellent compositions, that they have garnered few alternate titles.

Sources for notated versions: fiddler Frankie Gavin of the band De Dannan (Ireland) [Breathnach]; fiddler Peter Horan (b. 1926, Kilavil, County Sligo) [Flaherty]; students of New York fiddler John McGrath (1900-1955, originally from County Mayo) [O'Malley]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].

Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 206, p. 91. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 71. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 151, p. 46. Mallinson (100 Essential), 1995; No. 53, p. 23. McNulty (Dance Music of Ireland), 1965; p. 11. Mulvihill (1st Collection), 1986; No. 141, p. 38. O'Malley (Luke O'Malley's Collection of Irish Music, vol. 1), 1976; No. 19, p. 10.

Recorded sources: Coleman Center CD CC004, Phillip Duffy & Kevin Brehony - "The Mountain Road" (1999. Various artists. "A Compilation of tunes popular in South Sligo"). Green Linnet SIF1035, Brian Conway and Tony De Marco - "The Apple in Winter (1981. Learned from Martin Wynne). Green Linnett SIF3031, The Bothy Band - "Out of the Wind Into the Sun." Shanachie Records SH29008, Frankie Gavin - "Traditional Music of Ireland" (1977). Shanachie Records SH29005, Johnny Cronin & Joe (Banjo) Burke. Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40481, Brian Conway - "First Through the Gate" (2002).

See also listings at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [2]
Hear the reel played by Larry Redican at the Comhaltas Archive [3]
Hear the reel played by Andy McGann & Paddy Reynolds at the Comhaltas Archive [4]

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