Down the Broom (Reel)
Jun 13th, 2011 by errantelbows
This is a nice old version of the famous reel that came from Seamus Ennis. If I recall rightly Ennis announces on some recital tape or other that he collected it from a fiddler... but time plays tricks. There are quite a few nice settings of this tune still extant and I'm inclined to think that it was a very popular melodic theme in the past.
Yes, do not adjust your set, this IS being played in concert pitch. Today I took delivery of my concert drones from pipemaker Makoto Nakatsui in Japan, and a fine job he did too! Makoto also kindly loaned my a couple of regulators to try out although, as you can hear, I'm not feeling very brave on them yet.
It'll take me a while to get used to playing this fine instrument, and recording it, but I think that's a process that I'll quite enjoy.
Regards,
Harry.
Greetings from Japan!
I hope you aren’t rusty on the flute, Harry. I still enjoy playing the Cavan/Fermanagh reel you gave us in a workshop in Tokyo a few years ago.
As for the tune, I myself have learnt several different versions of this popular reel. Christy Barry’s version and Catherine & John McEvoy’s version are similar to the Ennis version you play here in the first part. I remember Christy told me that he learnt “Down through the Broom” from a book, possibly the Joyce Collection. The notes of McEvoys’ duet CD “The Kilmore Fancy” read: “John thinks he got the second tune from renowned fiddle and concertina player John Kelly Snr.” None of the versions actually share the same or even a similar second part. By the way, my favourite version of the tune is what Cathal McConnell recorded as “Peter Flanagan’s.”
Hope you will visit Japan sometime again. We recently had a wee session with Gary Shannon, concluding with the famous Kilfenora set.
All the best,
Hiroyuki Yamada alias Kieran