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Kirby161
Jan-29-2004, 8:36pm
He has written many reels jigs and the like, but what is your favorite tune by Aidan Crossey?

Aidan Crossey
Jan-30-2004, 5:50am
Well, I know ONE person at least who'll be following this thread with interest! I consider it a great honour that my tunes are deemed worthy of discussion among the mandolin community.

Since you started the thread Kirby ... have you any tunes that you particularly like?

Kirby161
Jan-30-2004, 6:22pm
im not experienced enuf with your materiel, i have looked at the large volume of your songs and only gotten around to playing about 3;
I have been working on Arty McShane and i do like the tune that i get with The Road Home.

Do you have any of your own tunes that you are perticularly fond of?

AussieBruce
Jan-30-2004, 10:26pm
My practice list includes:

Charlie Murray Reel
The Dollaghan Hornpipe
Gerry Crossey's Hornpipe
The Hunker Slide
all copyright Aidan Crossey.

I have to confess to a blasphemy though. I make a note substitution in Gerry Crossey's. It's a little harder to play but to my ear sounds like it 'fits better' with the tune. In the B part, second full measure, fourth note I play D on the A string rather than the open E as composed, and similar in the equivalent sixth measure. Sorry Aidan, but like lots of music of this genre it has variations. Hope you don't mind too much, and I haven't had a visit from Gerry to put me right so it must be OK.

I also have lots of other music that Aidan has tabbed in my practice set. Only problem I have is fitting it all into a sitting. I start with O'Carolan's Welcome and Hewlett, work through a heap of jigs, building up to King of the Pipers, then some reels, lots of hornpipes, some slides, more hornpipes culminating with the Derry, a short rest, more hornpipes, then I finish with Bally Desmond, The Merry Blacksmith, and O'Carolan's Concerto. If I am not dead by then I have some classical tunes I work through. Oh, before I start on the tunes I do a group of limbering up exercises from Jethro Burns' book.

If only I could play them well!!

Bruce

Aidan Crossey
Feb-01-2004, 3:49am
Kirby ...

It's very easy to either be hypercritical of your own stuff OR be blinded by the fact you've invested some eneregy in its creation and therefore become blinded to its faults. Hopefully I've become reasonably objective over the years.

Tunes which I'm most pleased with include The Mill Quay (hornpipe), The Spoils Of Victory (hornpipe), John Crossey (reel), Anita's Reel, Farewell To The Bay (waltz).

Bruce ...

No need to apologise, mate! Irish music thrives on individual variations. I'll give your variation a blast sometime. You've probably noticed a melodic possibility that passed me by!

Aidan

OdnamNool
Feb-01-2004, 5:24am
Aidan...I've looked up your stuff more than once here. I surely do love the writings/poetry...(I forget what the specific label is now...the stuff that has a warning that it may contain objectional material...) But each time I've tried to listen to examples there...all I can get are those "midi" clips... Any input on that?

The first time I checked out your stuff, I was blown away with your poetry, (was it written by you?) as I recall. But I havn't been able to re-find it! These dang computers!

Aidan Crossey
Feb-01-2004, 11:49am
Odnamnool ...

You surely mean the "Rants And Raves" section at this link?

http://www.paythereckoning.com

Anything that has a "Pay The Reckoning" or an Aidan Crossey sign off at the end is by me. But the Rants and Raves section also showcases some stuff I've come across that has has special appeal.

Aidan

aimee
Feb-03-2004, 12:11am
Favorites here include Crossey's hornpipe or Humours of Lewisham (from volume II).

Can you tell us this: Who was Cuchailain (sp?) and why did he die a sad, lonely death?

Aidan Crossey
Feb-03-2004, 1:06am
Cuchullain - literally Hound Of Ulster - is a hero from Irish mythology. He died alongside his dog and his horse, propped up against a rock, assailed by his enemies. I had a great line drawing in the house which showed Cuchullain, Champion Of Champions, bravely facing down his enemies with his dog and his horse already dead at his feet. After I had first recorded this piece, that image came into my head and I named it after him.

Incidentally, I'm working on a poem at the moment - and have been for a while - and a few of the verses are inspired by the similarity between Cuchullain's sad lonely death and another that gets a fair bit of mention in contemporary western culture ...

For I stood with Cuchulainn, facing his foes
And he asked me if this was the way it all goes
A moment of vigour, you carry the prize
And then the surrender and then the demise

And Jesus spat blood and he snarled through his teeth
"They've put me alongside a hook and a thief
They think they've your measure but little they know
They're too busy dealin' the ultimate blow"

And Cuchulainn said "Christ, you can see my oul' station
I'm meeting my fate with a sad resignation
For heroes, Messiahs must pay a high price
When the mortals demand their blood sacrifice"

And so it goes on ...

Kirby161
Feb-03-2004, 9:50am
tears to my eyes.

Any poems about Brian Boru? (i think thats his name)
As i recall he chased the vikings from ire long ago. Or how about Fin McCumhail?(again im probably off on the spelling)

Aidan Crossey
Feb-03-2004, 12:31pm
Kirby ...

I can't say that Brian Boru or Fionn have inspired any of my musical or verbal noodlings to date. However you may be interested to note that Maurice Lennon - formerly of Stockton's Wing - brought out a concept album a few years back entitled "Brian Boru - The High King Of Tara". Here's a link to some info http://www.taramusic.com/sleevenotes/cd3038.htm

As far as Fionn's concerned ... I was born in a place which was on the southern shores of Lough Neagh. Lough Neagh is claimed to have been formed when Fionn ripped out a clod of earth to fling at some neighbouring giant in Scotland. He missed and the clod fell into the Irish Sea, forming the Isle of Man. When the divot filled up with water it became Lough Neagh. Since many of my tunes are named after people, places, events centring on Lough Neagh (e.g. Raughlan, The Dabchick, Derryadd Bay, The Sconce, Mick Doran's) maybe the Fionn legends have had an indirect influence!

Cheers.

Aidan

Kirby161
Feb-03-2004, 7:53pm
well im glad you have even heard of them!
Thats cool about the myth of Fionn.