Recordings

The Picturesque Piccolo

 

1. The Bee’s Wing - Trad. Arranged by Jim Gornall/James Gornall
Not an easy tune, but worth the shot. The slow version at the beginning sets the scene - A warm summer’s afternoon in the garden - then the Bumblebee arrives. A tune with a sting in it’s tail.

2. The Piccolo Jigs - composed by Jim Gornall. Arranged by James Gornall
Originally written to be played at normal speed, I decided to play them as slow jigs for this CD. Some of the first tunes I learned on the Piccolo were slow jigs from the LPs of the great Piccolo player, John Doonan .

3. Three Little Boats went out to Sea - Manx trad. J Cubbon. Arranged by Jim Gornall/James Gornall
Probably my favourite piece on this album. I found it in a book of Manx music many years ago. It appears in the book written as a Jig, but I always felt it played much better at this speed. There is so much sadness in the tune that I cannot help feeling the three little boats were lost at sea and never returned.

4. Fall from the Stars/The Crabs Jig/Jump at the Sun - Jim Gornall/Trad. & Jim Gornall/Trad. Arranged by James Gornall.
I heard Jump at the Sun played some twenty five years ago by Martin Dunne, a Flute player from the North East of England. I have not heard it since, so I am playing it as I remember it. I wrote the first tune to go with it, but decided that another tune “Crabs in the Skillet” would go nicely between the two. However, I really did not like the second and third parts so I wrote new ones. Quite an interesting set.

5. Blind Mary - O’Carolan. Arranged by James Gornall
A beautiful piece. Definitely one of O’Carolan’s best. Written, I believe, for another blind harp teacher with whom he was acquainted. Full of pathos since he too, or course, knew the pain of blindness.

6. Fr. O’Flynn/Irish Washerwoman/Haste to the Wedding - Trad. Arranged by James Gornall
Known to the lads I play with regularly, Mickey MacConnell and Stevie Flynn, as ‘The Bus load of Yanks’. There is a funny story attached to this name, and the reason it came about. I don’t have the space to tell it here, but the tunes were thrown together hastily to try to appeal to a coach load of American tourists who had just pulled up outside the door of the pub were were playing in. Old Favourites!

7. Carolan’s Receipt for Drinking - O’Carolan. arranged by James Gornall
Another lovely tune that appears in “O’Neills Music of Ireland”. A tune that does not seem to be very popular. Don’t know why!

8. Little Heathy Hill (The March of the Piccolo Player) - Trad. Arranged by James Gornall
A beautiful old set dance. The first tune I learned on the piccolo - or should I say, the first one I could play all the way through without passing out from oxygen starvation. A tune taken from one of John Doonan’s LPs. Played here to a march rhythm.

9. Spellan the Fiddler/Dunphy’s Hornpipe - Trad. Arranged by James Gornall
More of John Doonan’s tunes. I make no apology for using some of John Doonan’s material. It was hearing him that inspired me to play the picollo, and since I had no-one to teach me, all I could do was learn his tunes off the LP’s. I could not have had a better tutor.

10. Killarney Boys of Pleasure/The Gokden Stud/Dunmore Lasses - Trad. Arranged by James Gornall
Killarney Boys of Pleasure is one of those reels that sounds great played slowly. Followed by two more reels played with a bit more gusto!

11. Carmel’s Lullaby - Composed by Jim Gornall. Arranged by James Gornall
The first tune I ever wrote. I woke up early one morning with this rattling round inside my head like a bird trapped in a cage. I got up, and wrote it down as quickly as I could before I lost it. I was so excited at having written a tune that I woke my wife and insisted she listen to it. Not a good idea early on a Sunday morning. That’s why I called it Carmel’s Lullaby. Well “I” thought it was funny.

12. Madame Bonaparte - Trad. Arranged by James Gornall
Something a bit different to end with. A famous old set dance played to a Reggae rhythm (Yah Maan!). If I was a member of Comhaltas, I would no doubt be excommunicated on the spot!

 

                             Jim's CD was launched at St. John's Arts and Heritage Centre, Listowel, on Sat. Oct. 20th.2007.                      

  Photos taken at the Launch © Tom Fitzgerald

 

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