__'Stories from the Old World'
(2008) 20'
for
Uilleann pipes, Narrator/Sean nós singer & String quartet
_Premiered by Eoin Duignan (pipes), Annóg Theatre
group (Voices) and the Engegard Quartet. October 2008. Kerry International
Chamber Music Festival, Blasket Islands Centre, Kerry.
Excerpts from live performance with Mick O'Brien (uilleann pipes), Breanndán Begley (narration) and the Con Tempo Quartet.
Stories from the Old World - Mov I (excerpt) by daveflynn
Stories from the Old World - Mov II (excerpt) by daveflynn
Stories from the Old World - Mov IV (excerpt) by daveflynn
Programme Note
_This piece is based on four stories as narrated by the famous Kerry Storyteller Peig Sayers. Each story is set to music with String Quartet accompaniment; in addition the uilleann pipes provide musical interludes with the Quartet.
Stories I, II and IV are narrated by actors, Story III is a song sung by a Sean-Nós Singer.
Each Story is followed by an instrumental section which is inspired more by the music that came before it than the text.
The musical material is almost entirely influenced by sounds and techniques found in Kerry traditional music and in uilleann piping.
The rhythms of Kerry Slides and Polkas are used, as are Slip Jig and Reel rhythms; these intertwine with poly-rhythmic and poly-metric material in the Quartet. There is some influence from Zimbabwean Mbira music in the use of very close canonic material, indeed the use of close canons is central to the piece.
The music is primarily modal in nature, centred on D and G modes, reflecting the modal nature of the uilleann pipes.
The piece was commissioned by Kerry International Chamber Music Festival with funds from the Arts Council of Ireland.
It was premiered in the Blasket Islands Centre by Eoin Duignan (uilleann pipes), The Engegård String Quartet and Annóg Theatre Group at the 2008 Kerry International Chamber Music Festival.
Stories I, II and IV are narrated by actors, Story III is a song sung by a Sean-Nós Singer.
Each Story is followed by an instrumental section which is inspired more by the music that came before it than the text.
The musical material is almost entirely influenced by sounds and techniques found in Kerry traditional music and in uilleann piping.
The rhythms of Kerry Slides and Polkas are used, as are Slip Jig and Reel rhythms; these intertwine with poly-rhythmic and poly-metric material in the Quartet. There is some influence from Zimbabwean Mbira music in the use of very close canonic material, indeed the use of close canons is central to the piece.
The music is primarily modal in nature, centred on D and G modes, reflecting the modal nature of the uilleann pipes.
The piece was commissioned by Kerry International Chamber Music Festival with funds from the Arts Council of Ireland.
It was premiered in the Blasket Islands Centre by Eoin Duignan (uilleann pipes), The Engegård String Quartet and Annóg Theatre Group at the 2008 Kerry International Chamber Music Festival.
