Annotation:Piper's Despair (The)

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PIPER'S DESPAIR, THE (Eadotcas na Piobairaca/bPiobairi). AKA and see "Curly Mike," "Lucky Number (The)," "Piper's Broken Heart (The)." Irish, Hornpipe or Reel. E Minor (O'Neill): E Dorian (most versions). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (O'Neill/1001): AABB (Cranitch, Flaherty, O'Neill/Krassen, Taylor): AABB’ (Harker/Rafferty): AA'BB' (Alewine). O’Neill prints the tune as “Curly Mike,” and, in another version, as “Lucky Number (The),” in his Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody (1922). Both of these were reproduced from the Rice-Walsh manuscripts, a collection of transcriptions of the repertoire of biography:Jeremiah Breen, a 19th-century blind fiddle player from North Kerry. Sliabh Luachra fiddler Denis Murphy recorded the tune on a 78 RPM record for Gael-Linn around 1960 (as “Cra Croi an Phiobaire”/The Piper's Broken Heart). Uilleann pipers will tell you, tongue-in-cheek, the title refers to the reeds of the instrument, notoriously difficult to maintain.

Sources for notated versions: Michael Hartnett, a dancer and musician from County Cork [O’Neill]; fiddler Andrew Davey (b. 1928, Cloonagh, Mullaghroe, Keash) [Flaherty]; set dance music at Na Píobairí Uilleann, recorded in the 1980’s [Taylor]; New Jersey flute player Mike Rafferty, born in Ballinakill, Co. Galway, in 1926 [Harker].

Printed sources: Alewine (Maid that Cut Off the Chicken’s Lips), 1987; p. 28. Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1986; No. 109. Cranitch (Irish Fiddle Book), 1996; p. 93. Flaherty (Trip to Sligo), 1990; p. 112. Harker (300 Tunes from Mike Rafferty), 2005; No. 52, p. 17. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 187. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1657, p. 308. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 769, p. 134. O’Neill (Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody), 1922; No. 294. Taylor (Traditional Irish Music: Karen Tweed’s Irish Choice), 1994; p. 20. Taylor (Music for the Sets: Yellow Book), 1995; p. 3. Taylor (Music for the Sets: Blue Book), 1995; p. 5.

Recorded sources: Cló Iar Chonnachta CICD 165, John Wynne & John McEvoy – “Pride of the West” (2007. Learned from Vincent Griffin, Feakle, east Clare, in the key of G Minor). Gael-Linn Records CEF 075, Denis Murphy – “Na Ceirnini 78.” Green Linnet Records SIF 1058, Matt Molloy & Sean Keane - "Contentment is Wealth" (1985). Larraga Records MOR 1302, Mike & Mary Rafferty – “Speed 78” (2004). Rounder 1123, Dennis Murphy – “Milestone at the Garden” (reissue of the Gael-Linn 78). Piper Padraig Mac Mathúna recorded it with Edel McWeeney (fiddle) and Conal Ó Gráda (flute) - "Mind the Dresser."

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources []
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info [1]

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