The Rambles of Kitty

2011-09-19T12:12:00.004+01:00

“The Rambles of Kitty” was the first recording released by Comhaltas, back in 1967. The LP featured music and song from some of the leading traditional performers of the mid-’60s: there were solos from Liam Flynn, Séamus Connolly, Joe Burke and Michael Crehan; Pilib Ó Laoghaire contributed three slow airs, Dónal Standúin and Seán Keane were featured in two duo items and there were selections from the Connemara Quartet and the Bunclody Céilí Band. Eibhlin Ni Bheaglaoich and Anne Mulqueen each sang two songs, and some items were introduced by Eoin Ó Súilleabháin, a well known actor and presenter of that era. After some prompting, Comhaltas has re-released this historic recording as a CD.

Tracks

You can listen to the tracks from this CD by following the links below.

	Track	Artistes
1	Introduction	Eoin Ó Súilleabháin (Presenter)
2	Reels: The Moving Bog/Miko Russell’s Reel	Dónal Standúin (Banjo), Seán Keane (Fiddle)
3	Introduction to Slow Airs	Eoin Ó Súilleabháin (Presenter)
4	Slow Airs: An Binnsin Luachra/Gol na mBan san Ár	Pilib Ó Laoghaire (Fiddle)
5	Jigs: The Cat in the Corner/Molloy’s Jig/Moloney’s Favourite	The Bunclody Céilí Band
6	Introduction to the Blackbird of Sweet Avondale	Eoin Ó Súilleabháin (Presenter)
7	Song: The Blackbird of Sweet Avondale	Anne Mulqueen (Singer)
8	Reels: The Boy in the Gap/The Mistress of the House/The Cup of Tea	Liam Flynn (Uilleann Pipes)
9	Jig: The Freize Britches	Joe Burke (Button Accordion)
10	Introduction to the Song ‘An Seandúine Dóite’	Eoin Ó Súilleabháin (Presenter)
11	Song: An Seandúine Dóite	Eibhlin Ní Bheaglaoich (Singer)
12	Set Dance: The Job of Journeywork	Séamus Connolly (Fiddle)
13	Reels: The Dublin Reel/The Sunny Banks/My Love is Fair and Hands	Michael Crehan (Whistle), Ned O’Farrell (Bodhrán)
14	Marches: Erin go Bráth/Oh ! Th Sight Entrancing/Mount Cashel Brigade	The Bunclody Céilí Band
15	Reels: Jackie Colemans/Mulvihill’s/The Pinch of Snuff	The Connemara Quartet
16	Song: Mary on the Banks of the Lee	Anne Mulqueen (Singer)
17	Reels: Murphy’s Wife/Bonnie Kate/Seán ‘sa Cheo	Joe Burke (Button Accordion)
18	Slow Air: Caoine Eoin Rua	Pilib Ó Laoghaire (Fiddle)
19	Jigs: Down the Back Lane/The Rambles of Kitty	Seán Keane (Fiddle), Dónal Standúin (Banjo)
20	Introduction to song	Eoin Ó Súilleabháin (Presenter)
21	Song: Raghadsa ‘s mo Chitty a bháilcearacht	Eibhlin Ní Bheaglaoich (Singer)
22	Hornpipe: McGlinchey’s and Reels: Rahy’s No’s 1 & 2/The Broken Pledge/The Morning Dew	Séamus Connolly (Fiddle)
23	Jig: Banish Misfortune	Michael Crehan (Whistle), Ned O’Farrell (Bodhrán)
24	Reels: Rakish Paddy/The Tailors Fancy/The High Reel	The Bunclody Céilí Band

Original Sleeve Note

We include here the original sleeve note written in 1967 by Liam Ó Murchú of Cork and RTÉ.

One of the most remarkable features of cultural life in Ireland over the past decade or so has been the development of interest in Irish traditional music. A number of factors has contributed to this: the world-wide upsurge of folk-music, born of popular movements for emancipation and self-expression everywhere; a genuine affinity of spirit with the native mood and nuance; and, in Ireland, the many good radio shows which have worked with the persistence of a drip-effect to bring the native music to attention.
Through all of this, organising and promoting and advancing it, has been Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, who present this record. This is music of the grass-roots, fostered and refined at countless anonymous cross-roads and hearthstones down through the generations. True, there was a halt which for a time looked like death when, in Frank O’Connor’s words, “a whole people were struck dumb”; that was the Great Famine of the 1840’s. But a tradition that went so deep is not easily killed It is a matter for pride, in an age when there is much movement from the local, the indigenous and the inborn, that native music should begin again to find its true voice. And it is even more remarkable that it should find it essentially unchanged in a world which has changed so much in the interim.
The musical advisor on this record was Micheál Ó hEidhin, who has travelled much in the Connemara Gaeltacht and knows the authentic breath of its music and song. Production is by Michael Slevin, who has given pace and style to many good traditional music programmes on stage and television.

The Rambles.....

The Rambles of Kitty

Tracks

Original Sleeve Note