Paul H. Umfleet
Celtic Sounds for Whistle
With a name like Umfleet I am not really sure where my love for Irish music comes from. I have listened to it for years and have long thought about putting this collection together. I wrote the whistle parts ages ago and had dreamt of finding a group that could record the accompaniments for me. I finally gave up on that idea and recorded the accompaniments myself on the computer. I then played these arrangements through my Loudbox and recorded the whistle parts along with them. I did all this in my home studio. Woodcarving studio that is.
I call this collection “Celtic Sounds” because most all of these songs came from the British Isles or at least in my opinion sound like it. I know that within the collection there are 37 traditional Irish, Scottish or Welch tunes including 6 that were written in the 17th or 18th century by the famed Irish harpist Turlough O'Carolan. Four of the tunes have their origins right here in Illinois. I know because I wrote them. “Leaving Of Liverpool ” also has a little touch of me. Rather than just play through the song twice I decided to improvise a little the second time through. Then there is “Waltz Of The Little Girls”. I have seen this tune claimed by the Irish, the French and American fiddle players. I am not sure where it came from but I don’t know when I was last so enthralled by a melody.
A little about my compositions
A few years back we were able to go to Ireland. If you write music you can’t help but be inspired by the “Cliffs of Moher“. Others have written tunes with this title but this is my impression of the place. Way back in 1977 I gave my daughter the Irish name Megan. Back then (as far as I know) there were very few girls in this country with that name. “Megan’s Air” was written for her. The Irish have a song style called a slip jig. It is in 9/8 time and has kind of an awkward sound to it. So, I wrote the slip jig “Baggy Stockings”. There is a long story behind where that title came from. I have been spending a great deal of time studying and arranging the tunes of Turlough O’Carolan. I have done this so much that I decided to write a tune in what I have think is his “style”. Thus my “Mr. O”Carolan”.
List of Tunes
1. Durham Rangers / Three Around Three ----mp3 file
2. Waltz Of The Little Girls ----mp3 file
3. Fingal's March / Dashing White Sergeant----mp3 file
4. For Ireland I'd Not Tell Her Name----mp3 file
5. Fanny Powers----mp3 file
6. 42 Pound Cheque / John Ryan's Polka----mp3 file----sample pdf
7. Ash Grove / Southwind----mp3 file----sample pdf
8. Peggy Morton----mp3 file
9. Megan's Air----mp3 file
10. Fiddler's Green ----mp3 file
11. Star Above The Garter / The Blackhorn Stick----mp3 file
12. Cliffs of Moher----mp3 file----sample pdf
13. Planxty Hewlett----mp3 file
14. Leaving Of Liverpool----mp3 file
15. Baggy Stockings----mp3 file
16. Lord Inchiquin----mp3 file
17. March of the Clan Suibhne (Sweeney)----mp3 file
18. Annie Laurie----mp3 file
19. Bonny At Morn----mp3 file
20. Blackberry Blossom / Bird in the Bush----mp3 file
21. Planxty Sweeney----mp3 file
22. The Lea Rig----mp3 file
23. Willafjord / Spootiskerry----mp3 file
24. The Parting Glass----mp3 file
25. Mr. O'Carolan----mp3 file
26. All Alive----mp3 file
27. Drummond Castle----mp3 file
28. The Big Ship / Road To The Isles ----mp3 file
29. Dingle Regatta----mp3 file
30. I'm So Tired Cutting Bracken / Down The Brae----mp3 file
31. Scarce O' Tatties / Tenpenny Bit / Rakes of Kildare----mp3 file