New compositions coming..
A Fund it campaign ( https://fundit.ie/project/the-tunes-foundry–2-new-compositions) started – if you support music projects/new compositions/new Irish music (traditional style) or if you have been following my story so far – please read on.
This new album in production is called The Tunes Foundry 2. When I’m composing I always use my tinwhistle to try out the new phrases.. so I’ve used the whistle entirely on this cd – no flute this time. Hopefully the whistle will give a nice clear version of each tune that I’ve recorded. It’s the only time really that I use my whistle as I continue to use my flute in sessions for all other tunes! Matt is accompanying me with guitar on a lot of the tracks. I once again asked Dave Keary of Red Door Studios in Limerick to record for me and thankfully he had time to do it this March/April – a great studio engineer and a lovely guy!
Each track on this album will have just one tune on it which should make it easy for you to decide which new tune(s) you like and therefore will make it easier to learn too. There will be between 25 and 30 tracks.
The other half of my new project this year is the production of a Tune-book containing most of the new tunes from The Tunes Foundry (click on Music page/Reviews/Shop for more info) and The Tunes Foundry 2 – so up to 50 new tunes. It’s been really exciting working with Laura Ugur in Corofin, Co Clare getting all the tunes in PDF format and she has been invaluable in working out the notes in abc format too so that the tunes can be played by midi player. (I’m not even sure I said all that correctly! lol ) Anyway, the book will be a useful tool for some, I’m certain.
If you would like to buy either the new album or the new Tune-book why not have a look at the Fund it page where you can pre-order them and that will help in the actual funding of the project! I intend to get it finished soon so as it will be useful for music teachers who might like new tunes for competitions/concerts etc. for the new school year. (Check out the rewards section for those who pre-order!)
Composed in honour of Jimmy Clancy, co-host of a weekly session in Cruises Bar, Ennis.
Jimmy’s set!
As promised, here are the manuscript notes and video of ‘Jimmy Clancy’s Fancy’ and ‘Jimmy will find a relation’ – two reels I wrote last month. There are many of you out there who can do a better job of playing these than I can so please give them a try. (Am not a great trad player – a good musician, I hope!) There are musicians who are used to translating manuscript into abc notation – I’m not very used to it, but will do that for you soon. Thanks Olaf Sickman for asking to be the first to record a composition of mine – Olaf plays a lovely solo guitar version of ‘Bláthú’ on his album ‘Cafe Rialto’!
Áine Heslin and Jimmy Clancy. Photo by Betty Connor.
From Friels to Cruises
CRUISES seisiún tonight from 8:30pm.;)
Had a wonderful night in Friels Lynches Pub in Miltown on Sat night last with Sorcha Curtin and Caroline Tubridy. We were joined by Dolores Hamill who was looking forward to some West Clare tunes as was Denya DeVine from Cape Cod! We had a friendly and appreciative audience too, thanks all. Some photos below mixed in with some snaps from last Thurs night’s session in Cruises! That was a great night of music, which was fitting as Jimmy had laid to rest a dear friend and relation who loved the music always! Ronan from ‘Ireland’s Inner Beauty’ came in and took several Facebook Live videos during the evening (I captured a shadowy pic of him in the process!) Jimmy nor I feature in the photos but I’ll drop in one so you don’t forget us!!! 😉
Caroline Tubridy on concertina.
Sorcha Curtin on concertina and Denya DeVine on fiddle.
Dolores Hamill on concertina.
Áine Heslin and Jimmy Clancy. Photo by Betty Connor.
Michael on tinwhistle being Live videoed by Ronan from ‘Ireland’s Inner Beauty’!
Brian Burke on flute, Theresa on concertina Mary Caldwell on accordion, Michael McGrath out of sight! And Seanie on guitar.
Seanie on guitar/vocals.
Seanie on guitar and Andy Lambert on bouzouki – both sang songs during the night!
Paula O’ Regan on fiddle (beside her Patsy Hanrahan on piano accordion) Brian Burke and Michael Coffey on flutes
‘Casper the dog’ (new jig)
The story behind this jig!
Thurs 16th Feb my good friend Paula (O Regan – Clare fiddle player) came into our session and was looking pensive. She was after doing her leading of the adult slow session in Ciarán’s pub and as usual came over to ours for the last few tunes. (We love to see her come in the door) Well, it turns out she had heard just 10mins before her session in Ciarán’s was due to start, that her little dog Casper (who was 10yrs old – a gorgeous, happy little dog) had eaten poison somewhere and had just died at the vet’s! Paula had bravely decided to go ahead with leading the session even though she was of course, gutted. 😦
Her generosity to her fellow musicians (and her good spirits every other night!!) lead me to offer to write a tune for Casper, and Paula was gracious enough to accept that night. I asked her to send me her beautiful photo of Casper and to tell me what type of a tune she would like. I wasn’t surprised when she said a jig – jigs are her favourite! Happy or sad? – ‘Happy’.
This jig is the one I composed for Casper but, the edited version, as I was unhappy with it for a week until I tweaked it. I hope everyone enjoys it! Play it for Casper!
(I appreciate Paula’s allowing me to write this account!)
Paula has begun composing tunes herself so watch out for these in the future.
Paula and her dog Casper!
Aine Heslin Music 
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