seamus ennis plays a reel

seamus ennis, genius uillean piper plays us a reel.
taken from documentary Hand Me Down: Seamus Ennis Profile

[@windybaer]

This tune has helped me to get through 13 surgical procedures for cancer. I am a survivor.

[@seanconnor4251]

Séamus would get anyone alive.

[@paddyearly]

What a debt we owe Seamus Ennis for his great work in collecting tunes all round Ireland which has kept our great musical tradition alive✅🇮🇪

[@paddyearly]

He devoted his life to Irish music. He cycled around Ireland gathering tunes and only for him so much good music would be lost.

[@denisbudbud]

This is so gorgeous. Simple but complex. Naturalism at its purest.

[@tziuriky86]

Love the Irish Uillean Pipes! Greetings from the island of Sardinia ;-)

[@jimitheJive]

My name is Jimi Ennis, i'm Irish and decided to start doing a family tree and discovered than I'm related to Seamus Ennis, none of my friend know him so i thought i'd share that here.

[@seamusennis1740]

I’m related to you as well, my name is Also Séamus Ennis

[@sts3884]

Amazing. You should be so proud. He is patriot of Eire.

[@sophieladanyi568]

Lucky you!!

[@MattSaunders]

I hope you started the process of learning

[@kevinhealey8695]

@@seamusennis1740 HH

[@gabrielkeown38]

The late Seamus Ennis was fiercely dedicated to our great lrish trad music and to our great lrish culture generally May he rest in peace

[@williefinn4932]

he had everything...one of the most respected of pipers, great singer, whistler, storyteller, music collector, at a time when it was not fashionable, fine looking man, lovely voice, great company, knowledgable, friendly, courteous etc.

[@DanTheman6004]

Essentially a hero.

[@patrickcannady2066]

@Aldo Bagchus he could scratch out a tune on the fiddle, too...but he was best at the pipes.

[@emilywhitfield2780]

A gentleman too!!!😊😊😊😊

[@seamusmacconmara4087]

not to mention his beautiful soft Gaeilge

[@jsilence418]

" Nowadays I hear the Thrush at home and I can get some of the phrases of the tune from the Thrush" Wow !! how fantastic is that? great post thank you.

[@mrpotato442]

Seamus Ennis and Liam Og O Flynn are natural treasures

[@andreaporcheri8858]

i'm from Italy "Sardinia" and the celtic music is fantastic for my, i love the irish peopole

[@denisbudbud]

Andrea Porcheri forza bello!

[@paulgorman2801]

You have a reed instrument called laudenas in Sardinia that are pretty neat :)

[@elfinia]

Seamus was a devoted musician. You can see that the music flowed through him and sustained him. Wonderful, and to see him play is very moving.

[@andrew3965uk]

That was stunning. I have memories of listening to tapes of Mr Ennis, courtesy of an excellent Irish pal 25 years ago, and his music brings back many happy memories. Wonderful.

[@brycehosseini3319]

Fascinating!

[@robrobusa]

This is beautiful, ...

[@casperkasparov302]

I get the most joyous feeling while I listen to your playing.

[@uilleannaddict]

You've got to love the Coyne set! So soft and sweet! I used to go to sleep listening to recordings of Seamus Ennis playing slow airs! He was such a good musician and a gentleman!

[@runeulriksen]

Peter Browne included this track on his “Séamus Ennis, The return from Fingal”-album. A brilliant album now out of print. It’s worth hunting for. I highly recommend it.

[@cwilde]

One of my favorite tunes, to boot! I never knew the history. Thank you, this is wonderful.

[@geraldstafford2240]

By jesus..tis the first time I heard a man play a magic goose...wonderfull.

[@seanca7]

Seamus Ennis is too intense for words.

[@hypicsiamascarosi]

amazing seamus.

[@namaste91]

sobbing...Uileann pipe soo awesome and beautiful!!!

[@kevo32a]

he is just a legend. there was and never will be abyone as good. look how fast hes pumping. i wonder if those pipes are completely airtight..

[@patrickcannady2066]

They leaked like a sieve

[@stringdancing]

Wonderfull!! thanks for preserving this video!

[@iiijg77]

Under his right hand are the drones and regulators lying across his lap. The regulators are keyed pipes, which he strikes with his wrist to get the chords.

[@RonenBraverman]

So differen from todays pipes. And the sound's quality. It's nice to hear this legendary piper playing!

[@patrickcannady2066]

It's an antique set made in the 1830s or 1840s. Narrow bore. Designed for sweetness, not volume.

[@jean_enzo_xxx_du_2812]

@@patrickcannady2066 i THINK its tuned in C, but im not sure

[@patrickcannady2066]

@@jean_enzo_xxx_du_2812C# or near enough.

[@sirsteven88]

I think that traditionally in Ireland the wedding ring is worn on the middle finger of the right hand and that many people would wear two rings, one to maintain tradition and another to incorporate the more widely recognised symbolism. Don't quote me on this though. I remember reading this out of my anthropology text book so I know that this is true for a particular culture and I believe it was Irish but I could be mistaken.

[@Mike990920]

I just discovered Seamus this morning. What a neat man and what a wonderful tune. Thanks for sharing!

[@piobairesicago]

@xrismoran 1980. Seamus passed in 1982. This little film is a gift for all of us pipers and aspiring pipers.

[@ChicagopipersOrg]

Maximum respect to this fine old gentleman piper and the incredible body of work he produced.

[@tristanburke6575]

That is some talent! There is so much going on there to listen to. Purely Irish. Love it!

[@carasda]

surely a master piper

[@canislupus4670]

Seamus fucking awesome!! Come back to life!!

[@dvdmsch]

magic

[@walkingpictures]

Total respect for a great musician

[@jonathancollins9431]

A National treasure.

[@alconsirra]

Amazing! I could hear the bird call in the tune. I have to watch it again.

[@dukadarodear2176]

Yes. The thrush notes are there. Priceless.

[@cynpost3581]

Amazing, he makes it look so effortless.

[@wgority]

Ennis was the man!

[@breffnipark]

beautiful piece !!!! Thank you !

[@emilywhitfield2780]

Love this he was so talented

[@John27346]

His hands are like two of the creatures from Alien. Fantastic instrument played by a master.

[@INCYTER]

I love this. Thanks!

[@66gadus]

the master at work - superb pipering!

[@Dagvalda]

this is pitched between C# and C ( around 269Hz in case anyone was interested), and given that these sets are 'flat', I'd say this was a C# set. then again, what do I know eh?!

[@mactcampbell]

Do you know what key his father wrote/composed it in?

[@Dagvalda]

@@mactcampbell I'm sure I read somewhere that the pipes James Ennis played were an early 19th Century Coyne set in C#, so I imagine that'd be the tonal centre of the piece. I'll have to do a bit more digging!

[@tomgreene2282]

@@mactcampbell Probably D

[@Goetterdaemmerung86]

@@Dagvalda Indeed, the same one Seamus here is playing, an old Maurice Coyne set of pipes, made in the 1830's or 1840's

[@FiddleTramp]

What a great tune! One of my all- time favourites. A great reminder we are all part of nature! Afraid there arent too many thrushes outside these windows , being aboard an aircraft at 10000 feet - but hooray for technology bringing us youtube and morning thrush up here... Hear , hear...

[@CJCopperJet]

Beautiful!!! Thanks for posting. "The Morning Thrush" written by James Ennis. He says here that his father entered the tune in the Oireachtas (championship competition) in 1914 or 1915 (held by the Gaelic League during that time).

[@SuperUFB]

That is unbelievable...I'm not at all surprised that his Da won the competition.

[@mrgabest]

Well spoken.

[@Lisnageeragh]

@S1Khorne S Ennis was wonderful he came to our house a few times. Notice how slowly he plays this particular reel to enhance the musical line.

[@DJFozter]

I just love his accent! Oh and also his playing, that goes without saying though...

[@dolphinsdaydreams]

Thanks so much for sharing

[@harrybarrow6222]

That was great!

[@omarshinken]

What sweet and gentle Artist

[@tondehaan8252]

respect for this one

[@59pantouflards]

i usually find uillean pipes boring but that's just wonderful

[@princhemc]

these type of instuments were olso prevelent in north africa particulaly with a tribe in algeria who ive been told share alot in commen with the irish

[@dukadarodear2176]

Berbers?

[@frankatack385]

Awesome

[@vinnyj4897]

I is real music for sean nos dance! Bravo!:):):)

[@krispy432]

Man, the length of his fingers is terrifying. Talk about a physical gift. They would have allowed him to excel at piano or guitar as well.

[@marcusuadonnghaile1855]

Great man :-)

[@Bellerophon2200]

this guy is REALLY good!

[@_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-]

@JOHNOOH don't forget the dudelsack and the sackpfeife from Germany, the gaita from Galicia, the zampogna from Italy, the kaba gaida from Bulgaria, the cornemuse from France, the bock from Czech Rep., the biniou from Bretagne, the tulum from Turkey, the sakpipa from Sweden, and the koza from Poland!

[@martinmartinshaw2]

My wife used to get the Morning Thrush! she treats it with an anti fungal

[@paulgalligan1916]

I'm just gonna acknowledge your 12 year old joke 😂😂😂😂🇮🇪🍀

[@Banshun]

It's his famous C# set made by Coyne.

[@muscovyducks]

The most personality in all of piping

[@UISTMAN59]

It's true. A 'thin man' with glasses and also great piper.

[@Hassenmusic]

RIP him!

[@hanno21664]

hello friend, how are you. no worries, please i came here to learn so i feel(well personally we are all gulliable) if we seek the correct knowledge. and thank you for sharing the differences between the two. I only used bagpipes because i had read what others posted so i thought i was using the correct terminology. iam sure my question sounded silly or dumb but hey you cant find the answer if you dont ask or inquire about a subject. so thanks again for the info it will help me.blessings

[@DidYaServe]

That's remarkable. Like an uilleann pipe Rossini's Thieving Magpie or jazz.

[@Lisnageeragh]

@Bellerophon2200 He is indeed! He was multi talented ...and would have been a great exponent of any genre.

[@seanconnor4251]

Séamus is in the great dance hall. My Grandad told me He's there with all of Them. Sound like that never dies

[@hazelennis]

beautiful music and i have to say im proud to say im a ennis aswell

[@Seamus616]

Play the Greatpipes, i play Scottish piobareacht, but i love playing me native Irish tunes. But i have to say, the Uilleann pipe is the best sounding pipe in the world. Developed where else but Ireland :)

[@pipes0987]

Here is a tidbit of trivia, the Scottish Piobrareacht Society claims on their web page that Piobrareacht is actually Irish harp or cláirseach music that immigrated to Scotland with that ancient instrument and then, when the whims of fashion caused people to play the bagpipe (GHB) they dumped the harp as instrument of choice but kept the music, playing it on GHB.

[@CitroenCX]

Morning thrush. We've all been there.

[@MandyJMaddison]

With bagpipes, the bag (a resevoir of air) is filled by the player blowing into a pipe. With these pipes, the player is using his right arm to operate a small set of bellows which suck in air. The person who told you that they originated in the Middle East wasn't bullshitting you. They probably date from Biblical times. Variations on the bag pipes are played in many different countries.

[@ericmower]

What is the significance of the middle finger ring on his right hand. I have noticed that a lot of uilleann pipers have this ring. Is it a piper thing or an Irish thing? Just wondering...

[@marcvcivsnoveboracensis]

Fine playing, but what a delightful accent!

[@jamiefitzgrade7960]

+Matthew Marcucci Sounds Limerick

[@feidhelmofoghladha5525]

+Jamie Fitzgrade he was from Dublin

[@paulgalligan1916]

@@feidhelmofoghladha5525 the Naul north county Dublin tis indeed

[@bl44378]

His dad must have been a bit of a gun as well - it's such a brilliant tune!

[@hippojuice23]

He's old school! :)

[@Sahara-ms6xb]

This man had some freakishly long fingers!

[@enginesspanielman]

@JOHNOOH Do not forget the Northumbrian Small Pipes!

[@dukadarodear2176]

Yes. Very nice pipes too. But don't forget that Iona and Lindisfarne monastic settlements were Irish. The Irish withdrew from Lindisfarne after they lost their case for Easter at the synod of Whitby against the Roman Church and withdrew back home to Ireland. So there may have been a bit of 'give and take' there.

[@UberLu]

Does anyone know what pipes he's playing? (I mean is this his Cis-set or a "normal" D-set...)

[@hanno21664]

hello friend thank you for your response i will be doing research my self on the bagpipes you have struck my coriosity. the way my buddy told me with a sarcastic smile is how i took his story bullshit when he mentioned the middle east. she smile through my off i guess. but thanks again friend for your response. take care friend

[@BenjDeath]

God bless his long fingers agus thats an t-amhrán ar maidin

[@MarkRobertCuthbert]

the 8 you dislike have no Irish blood

[@kevinhealey8695]

This guy sounds just like my dad as he was from county cork God test his soul!

[@kevinhealey8695]

He doesn't sound like a Dublin man more like a cork man I just don't get it

[@kevinhealey8695]

But he's a hell of a pipe player

[@_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-]

Grundy, how could a machine with a name like that produce anything tuneful?

[@JosephChordmichael]

Psh, forget piano or guitar, pipes are the best! Then again, I guess I am biased... he does have long fingers, though... wow

[@machdieduerzo]

The "Morning thrush" ? Is it the blackbird? Or what kind of bird is meant? In summer I use to listen to the beautiful solo of the blackbird ending the day and leading mankind to sleep - a really wonderful enjoyable song.

[@JackFknTwist1]

A Song Thrush......not like a blackbird at all, but about the same size !

[@fullstrutn]

a robin[ North America] closely related to the blackbird in the British Isles ,Ireland Scotand etc. Wales is actually a thrush ,though the European sings better than our robin

[@jaygilbert4546]

A Thrush is a specific species, not related to blackbirds at all, so far as I know.

[@JackyRowe]

@jimitheJive do you play?

[@Drew_The_Man]

perhaps a someone who plays this instrument can help me. I play the Great Highland Pipe and when we learn tunes we use a practice chanter. Do Ullieann pipers learn finger work and tunes on a practice (mouth blown) Chanter? or do you start out on a Bag with a bellows and chanter? any info on this would be much appreciated! Keep on piping!

[@julian.castro18]

Drew Kenyon you start out on a practice set; as you said: a bag, a bellows and chanter.

[@ballockybill2277]

Hi Drew !! I hope you're still playing ?? They start the children on the tin whistle , or feadóg as they call it here . Greetings from Ireland . Seamus Ennis lived in my hometown , Finglas in Dublin

[@antseanbheanbocht4993]

@@ballockybill2277 A finglas man like myself, are you still here and are you a Piper ? I've taken to calling this the Finglas reel just to wind some of my country friends up, and because it must have been composed when the family lived in Finglas.

[@ballockybill2277]

I'm not a piper unfortunately , I never got the opportunity to learn music , and never heard Seamus Ennis mentioned in school or anything . That looks like the inside of one the houses on Jamestown Rd , or McKee Ave. I've lived in Wexford this long time .

[@antseanbheanbocht4993]

@@ballockybill2277 ahh no bother, I heard Davy Spillane playing on Riverdance and I was hooked, I bought a practice set from Des seery down in Bray who doesn't make them anymore. I'm not sure Seamus was in Finglas at this point, he lived in a caravan on his grandparents land in the Naul co. Dublin. He called it the Easter snow, Christy Moore wrote a lovely song about it. Take it easy.

[@Melik1100]

@jimitheJive in which way are you two related?

[@Tyr-not-mars]

Uniting the Clans Connachta ..and friends/ chairde....Book of Collosians ...2020

[@gamewizard7562]

@r4wmaterial How would you know?

[@OgYokYok]

His ability to get down there and play the chords with edge of his right hand at appropriate times in the tune blows me away. I have trouble coordinating the bellows with the chanter... I guess that's why I stick with the whistle.

[@hanno21664]

hello all asking for a little help here, all can reply saw this awesome video and had a question(it is ok to laugh) but need to ask it, i know the difference between the uillean and bag pipes KNOW where did the both versions of the pipes orginate? what country? someone told me middle east the way he told me i think he was just bullshitting me. what books can i read or where online can i go thank you blessed be

[@JN-om6rw]

The British army took to themselves the bagpipes because they were loud and good for army marching and morale the uileann pipes were mostly played in Ireland to dance and song. Then of course the Welsh and Bretons in France had their own pipes and still play - and not forgetting the Spanish Celtics- so you see this is a big big Celtic thing going way back probably hundreds of years. Sorry for the late reply

[@omarshinken]

@windybaer godbless you

[@AnthonyTucker8777888036]

The highland pipes are carried they were adopted from the Uilliean pipes later to be carried into war both type pipes need a constant flow of air which the lungs are unable to do, thus the use of a bladder in both, except that the Uilliean pipes use a bladder filled by air from a ballast pumped by the arm, the Highland pipes use a bladder filled by the lungs. When learning to play the Highland pipes the use of the canter is as much about teaching your lungs to produce large volumes of air as well learning the finger work. From a musical point of view the Uilliean pipes have more drones. Which makes it physically easier but musicale a little more complicate. The fingering for both is the same and can be learnt on a tin whistel.

[@seancavanaugh6701]

Anthony Tucker What? Where did you get your information from?

[@TheBrienboru]

+Anthony Tucker That is absolute Tosh! I play Tin whistle and the highland pipes they're nothing alike! There are always huge arguements as to who developed what pipes. The fact of the matter is that piping in various forms is prominent all over Europe. From my limited understanding on the subject the warpipe in Ireland was outlawed leading to the developement of the uilleann pipes, as these where purely played in the sitting position and cannot be carried onto the battlefield.

[@gajda1984]

The highland pipe developed in the 14th century from many other similar bagpipes found everywhere in Britain during the Middle Ages. Bagpipes with a large conical bore chanter were common during the Middle Ages. The Uilleann pipes were developed in the 18th century and they evolved from Scottish border pipes and union pipes. They are a much advanced instrument that have a keyed chanter fully capable almost of a full chromatic scale and regulators in addition to the three drones. The highland pipes are a much more older, primitive instrument that goes back much further. And they go back even further in Eastern, and Southern Europe. The bagpipe migrated northwest from Mesopotamia.

[@Londubh1]

All those who have responded need to acquaint themselves with the actual historical facts before displaying their ignorance in a public forum. Ye could do worse than read Hugh Cheape's book, 'Bagpipes'.

[@zyke6534]

So much misinformation here folks... be wary of what you read on the web everybody