We hope to compile a catalogue with players, instruments, tunes, dates, a description of quality and anything else that may be relevant. The catalogue will be updated from your entries. Please provide your observations in a form that helps us to create and update the catalogue.
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Current Catalogue Entry
| Tape | NPS-JFC-E-018-02 | Length m | 43m | Date rec’d | Quality | Good quality recording, though volume of the pipes sometimes causes slight distortion. | |
| Title | Billy Pigg original tape No.1. | Contents | uilleann piper Francis McPeake live recording | ||||
| Notes | THIS is a series of recordings of uilleann piper Francis McPeake. (CO). There is a possible 2 minute set of Billy Pigg. It is clearly a recording of a live event with an audience, size uncertain because no applause is recorded but it sounds quite informal. At the end JFC thanks McPeake “on behalf of everyone”. He replies that “any friend of Eric’s is a friend of mine”. McPeake knows he was being recorded as he tells JFC to keep recording at one point. The catalogue entries below were a a joint effort from Chris Ormston, John Gibbons and Mike Dobson There have been five Francis McPeakes, a musical dynasty, at least three being distinguished musicians. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/oct/28/francis-mcpeake-obituary also https://www.mcpeakemusic.com/heritage GM | ||||||
| Help | Any idea about date? Identifying the tune at 20:21 might help with the date as presumably it was current at the time Venue? JFC’s house or somewhere larger? Was this Francis McPeake III? | ||||||
| Start-End | Performer | Tunes/Titles | Instruments | Notes | by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-0.52 | Francis McPeake | Demonstrating various drone combinations | Uilleann pipes | ident of player based on voice comparison and content – there’s no internal evidence | CO JG MD |
| 0.52-7.12 | Francis McPeake | Silent Night; Miss McLeod/Swallow’s Tail; unid slow air | Uilleann pipes | CO JG MD | |
| 7.12-8.35 | Francis McPeake | Jug of Punch – sung to pipes | CO JG MD | ||
| 8.35-20.21 | Francis McPeake | The Fox Chase; Londonderry Hornpipe; Muirsheen Durkin/unid/Rakes of Mallow/The GIrl I Left Behind Me/The White Cockade; Derry Air (=Danny Boy); St Patrick’s Day as air then jig; unid slow air | Uilleann pipes | CO JG MD | |
| 20.21-23.01 | Francis McPeake | Says “Keep recording this – I want to show you the versatility of the Union pipes”, plays what’s probably a pop ballad/waltz | Uilleann pipes | CO JG MD | |
| 23.01-23.45 | Silence | ||||
| 23.45-25.26 | Francis McPeake | possibly Mary Hamilton | Uilleann pipes | CO JG MD | |
| 26.15-29.05 | Francis McPeake | Wild Mountain Thyme – sung to pipes | Uilleann pipes & voice | CO JG MD | |
| 29.05-34.31 | Francis McPeake | The Castle of Dromore; Barney Brallaghan; unid; Will Ye Go To Flanders? | Uilleann pipes | CO JG MD | |
| 34.31-36.30 | McPeake, JFC and Billy Pigg | Danny Boy (=Derry Air) | Uilleann pipes, fiddle and Northumbrian smallpipes | Players – best guess from the style | CO JG MD |
| 36.30-40.50 | Francis McPeake | Drowsy Maggie/Lark In the Clear Air/Boys of Bluehill (which JFC points out is also Lads Of North Tyne) | Uilleann pipes | CO JG MD | |
| 40.50-42.41 | JFC and Francis McPeake in conversation | Thanks + McPeake talking about his father playing the Ulster Hall before microphones | speech (ends in progress) | JFC identified by voice | CO JG MD |
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