Finbar Furey – Traditional Irish Pipe Music (1969) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

Finbar Furey is a member of a very small body of musicians who are masters of the Irish pipes, a complex instrument which has developed over the centuries into the most sophisticated form of bagpipes.

The uillean (or elbow) pipes are worked by a bag and bellows. The bellows are pumped by the right arm, the air goes through a nozzle into the bag under the left arm and is pressed by that arm into the pipes. The air going through the reeds makes the sound. There are seven reeds altogether. One in the chanter and three each in the regulators and drones. The chanter is the main part and plays the melody; the rest is complimentary to it. There are thirteen keys on the regulators, which are played usually by the heel of the right hand. They make the chords. Then the drones (treble, bass and baritone) can be switched on and the instrument combines to make the wonderful sound of the pipes, which can’t really be explained on paper. From the sleeve notes.

Track listing:

01. Rakish Paddy
02. The Hag with the Money
03. Castle Terrace
04. Madam Bonaparte
05. The Young Girl Milking the Cow
06. Fin’s Favourite

07. Peter Byrnes Fancy
08. O’Rourke’s Reel
09. Roy’s Hands
10. Planxty Davy
11. The Bonny Bunch of Roses
12. Eddie’s Fancy
13. The Silver Spear

Personnel:

Finbar Furey: Uillean pipes, whistles
Eddie Furey: Guitar
Produced by Bill Leader.
Recorded at Livingston Studios.