Light Touch / Dancing Bow The Music of Joseph Browne JBCD01
The idea to produce a CD of Joseph’s music became a reality when we received five possible tracks from concertina player Neil Bettinson. Neil is a regular at the Willie Clancy Summer School and in July 2005 was present when Joseph was persuaded to play a few tunes for an audience which included legendary fiddle players such as Joe Ryan, Peadar O’Loughlin, Sean McNamara, John Joe Tuttle, Vincent Griffin and Peter Mackie. These were the performers in the performance class held every year as part of the fiddle section of the Willie Clancy Summer School. Joseph played one track on his own and was joined for another four sets by fiddle player Máire O’Keeffe, who was Joseph’s fiddle teacher for many years. (Tracks 1, 7, 12, 14, and 15 on CD)
We have provided below, 3 sample tracks from the CD of Joseph Browne - light touch dancing bow. Please click on tracks. To use this feature, you will need Realplayer, which is available for free from RealPlayer.com
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Subsequent searching for some more material for the CD led to Pat Costello in Shannon. Pat has presented an excellent weekly programme of traditional music for many years every Friday night on Clare Fm. He has always been a great champion of younger musicians and very willing to record them. Track 4 on the CD, a set of slip jigs was the result of one such collaboration and was recorded when Joseph was about thirteen years old. His sister Lara joined him on concert flute as did Elaine Hogan on harp.
Clare Fm was the source for the recording on Track 3 where Joseph plays a piece called ‘The Lark’, composed by multi-instrumentalist, Seamus Egan. It is followed by two rousing reels all played on piano. This music was originally recorded at a prizewinners’ concert in Cois na hAmhna, Ennis.
Joseph learnt to play concertina from Tim Collins, who gave us the recording of Joseph playing Port na bPúcaí, a fairy lament associated with the Blasket Islands off the coast of Kerry. (Track 6)
Family recordings make up the rest of the CD and include Joseph’s wonderful fiddle and piano playing as well as a beautiful piece composed by Joseph himself. (Track 9) This was arranged and played by Joseph’s sisters, Lara and Karen with Joan Culloo on piano and Tara Breen on fiddle. During the recording of this piece in Creg Studios in the heart of the Burren, Marie Quigney recorded piano accompaniment to two sets of reels played by Joseph Browne and Máire O’Keeffe. (Tracks 1 and 15)
All the pieces were then put together by the internationally renowned producer Garry O’Briain who also played guitar and mandocello with a number of Joseph’s solo fiddle pieces. The CD was mastered by Bruno Staehelin of Openear Productions and the result is an important collection of the music of Joseph Browne.