Seán Moloney

Traditional Irish Flautist

Sean Moloney Boehm system and simple system flute and whistle

Lucy Farr’s Slides

1. The Shoemaker

2. Music on the Wind

Lucy Farr Traditional Irish Music Composition

I first heard these on a recording by Nollag Casey and Arty McGlynn and very well played by them. They called them Brady’s because I think they got them from Paul Brady.

Later on meeting Lucy Farr she informed me that they were her compositions and she recorded them with her Céilí band in London in the 1960’s. (I can’t recall the name of the band). Reg Hall was the piano player in that band and no doubt had much to do with the recording as well. Lucy gave me a cassette tape of the recording. I was very impressed with the tunes and the lively manner in which the Céilí band played them. Lucy informed of the names of the tunes.

I have interpreted and transcribed the tunes from that tape.

They should be played relatively fast with heavy emphasis on the note which comes in on the beat. Some of the notes which are a crotchet and a half in length can be rolled – I didn’t show that in the notation. I would compare Lucy’s playing of these tunes to the way the Sliabh Luachra musicians Dennis Murphy, Julia Clifford and Billy Clifford would play slides. Of course this is no surprise as Lucy often played with Julia in London. There is a weave or maybe a wave effect in the playing of the tunes. The rests in bar 6 of Music on the Wind are very abrupt giving the tune a great lift. The long low D’s should be played with good volume and crescendo decrescendo effect within each crotchet and a half D – particularly in the last bar of Music on the Wind.

Refer track 20 of the CD Music on the Wind for my arrangement with the Moloney Family.