Irish traditional music :"The Chieftains" & James Galway play "The Butterfly"

"Third Party Copyright" is acknowledged on this particular arrangement.
"The Chieftains" and James Galway play an arrangement of the Irish slip-jig, "The Butterfly". Possibly the best-known "slip-jig" [ in 9/8 time ] in Irish traditional music. It was made popular by "The Bothy Band" on their first eponymous album. It is often thought of as an original composition by Dublin fiddle-player Tommy Potts, but it is generally accepted these days that he "re-arranged" parts from other traditional tunes, and possibly only the 3rd part is original. In any case, a great tune. "The Chieftains" arrangement plays the original - a great introduction by Matt Molloy - and then change the time signature into 12/8.

[@evelynoconnor3062]

THE CHIEFTAINS' MUSIC MAKES FOR A GREAT LISTENING EXPERIENCE AT ANY TIME ---- IT'S LIVELY TO WAKE UP TO IN THE MORNING--- IT'S GOOD FOR AFTERNOON MEDITATION---- AND SOOTHING BEFORE BEDTIME.--- IT'S ALWAYS FABULOUS! .LOVE ❤️ EVELYN O'CONNOR

[@myramurphy3933]

Remembering dancing with my little ones in the kitchen with background music 🎶 f the chieftains playing. They would laugh and dance to see their mom doing a wee jig. A nice memory.

[@tommyhawk7940]

I grew up breathing the Chieftains, literally as I was gifted a tin whistle at the age of 5 and learned how to play by playing along with them and this was my absolute favorite songs done by them. I've only just heard this for the first time in almost 30 years and I'm filled with absolute JOY! Thank you for sharing this.

[@heathermcbride6118]

Agree with all the comments! Love the Chieftains too and our daughter had the honor of dancing with the Chieftains! Irish Dancing!

[@tommenefee2226]

This actually called “The Red Admiral Butterfly”, and it’s my all time favorite Chieftains song.

[@douglashadden2172]

Not exactly. "The Red Admiral Butterfly" refers only to the section of the piece where they re-arrange the time-signature. The original "Butterfly" is played up to 2m35s, the setting in the different time signature after that was named "The Red Admiral Butterfly", almost certainly by Paddy Moloney [ RIP ] and this follows on from the original.

[@tommenefee2226]

Thank you, Douglas. I wasn’t aware of that. I stand corrected.

[@douglashadden2172]

@@tommenefee2226 You're welcome. Tom. I'm afraid I'm a bit of a nerd about things like this. The important thing is that you enjoy the music. A' the best.

[@PiperPride33]

Have had the joy of playing with the Chieftains twice and such great guys.. Love the music in this and had a guilty laugh at how high some of the pants legs were

[@princesshippymama3299]

grew up listening to the chieftains now my son is listening to them xx

[@reidspeed77]

You can add as you like ... because "we "have a solid foundation 🔥☘

[@angelacunningham]

I was gifted a ticket to this concert as a Birthday present from a dear friend. Thank you for posting this and bringing back some sweet precious memories for me. I can assure you it was totally awesome.

[@lauramondon913]

Belle musique celtique: vive le peuple celtique! Bretonne que je suis et fière de l'être.

[@nikosblaxabas6731]

bloody fantastic

[@runeulriksen]

If you listen closely, to the start of the 3rd part, when they play it in 12/8-time, it sounds remarkably like the first part of “The Kilfenora”-jig. Sadly, Paddy Moloney left us this week.

[@RenaissanceEarCandy]

The first time I've heard the harpsichord in Irish trad music. Lovely.

[@douglashadden2172]

thesession.org/recordings/6040 Claire Keville recorded a complete CD of Irish music on harpsichord. See link above.

[@cwilde]

Neat. Thanks for posting! The longer I play this music, the more I appreciate the Chieftains. Absolute genius. ... Hey. Have they just turned this into a horo? Ooop, never mind. Brilliant.

[@Wafaloo]

A horo?

[@subswithoutavideo-ne5zc]

c wilde what's a horo

[@madtrainspottermacrae6744]

I have the cd of the James Galway and the chieftains

[@mgeo25]

Brilliant find!

[@celticbassoon]

Very nice!

[@crishugo2004]

Amazing. Would It posible to know the year of the recording?? ....thanks a lot!

[@douglashadden2172]

The Chieftains released their first recording with James Galway in 1987.

[@crishugo2004]

@@douglashadden2172 I thought that It were poder. Thaks for sharing these documents and for your response. Thank's a lot.

[@douglashadden2172]

Just to confirm this, I've just found a front page cover of the BBC "Radio Times" I kept with Galway and The Chieftains on the front cover. I think it was this programme which I recorded, broadcast on the week of St. Patrick's Day, 1987.

[@crishugo2004]

@@douglashadden2172 thanks again. You are doing a good job to share a great culture.

[@madtrainspottermacrae6744]

I had the cd of James Galway and the chieftains

[@liamg353]

Do you notice the difference between the two Flautists, i.e. Matt Molloy plays by ear wheras James Galway has to rely on sheet music. James is a great player but I would pick Matt over him any day of the week.

[@douglashadden2172]

For traditional Irish music , certainly, but how would Matt Molloy get on with "The Flight Of The Bumblebee" ? They are both undoubted experts in their respective fields of flute-playing, and we should be grateful for the mutual respect in which they hold each other as musicians.

[@liamg353]

yep but he is a professional and i doubt if they would throw a tune at him like that, I would say he was given the tune well in advance. I think if you gave a new tune to Matt he would have it in minutes without any sheet music., but two brilliant musicians just the same.

[@subswithoutavideo-ne5zc]

Liam Gaule was james also a classical musician? If so, the trad flautist will always have the upper hand seeming that sheet music plays little part in traditional music

[@arcticwanderer2000]

You are just pulling guesses out of the air. When James Galway auditioned for the Berlin Philharmonic he played all the pieces they asked him to play from memory without sheet music and without knowing which pieces he would be asked to play. He could probably sight read any piece of music put in front of him and probably did that for this performance having only looked it over once or twice before playing it. He once said he could play any piece of music by ear if he heard it a few times except what he called " far out jazz sax music" ie.. solos by Coltrane.

[@feargach2107]

Competitive flute-playing? That's what you hear. Sad.

[@Wafaloo]

Just curious where this clip is from? Because I have the James Galway and The Chieftains in Ireland DVD, but this number isn't on there...

[@de0lh0]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏❤

[@CosmosDweller]

Very nice! ☘

[@cephasstonelewis2114]

Great post.

[@fjmarcelo]

Awesome!!!

[@mattk6719]

Not bad

[@douglashadden2172]

It was composed [ more or less ] by Tommy Potts, a fiddle player.