Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Riverdance - What Instrument?

563 views
Skip to first unread message

Dave Pasquino

unread,
Dec 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/3/96
to

Did anyone catch Riverdance on Channel 2 (Boston) last night?

About half way into the show a gentleman played an instrument that looked
and sounded similar to a bag pipe.

But it seemed to be air driven by a bellow that was pumped by the
musicians left elbow.

What was it?

As for the show itself, it was outstanding!!! Now I've heard that they're
coming to Boston anyone have more info on where/when?


Thanks,

Dave

Dave Dwyer

unread,
Dec 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/3/96
to


That would be the Uillean (pronounced like "illun") pipes, played by Davey
Spillane

Dave Dwyer

--
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
OK...I say that the time has come to stamp out, eliminate, and eradicate redundancy once and for all...

Slainte!!
Dave Dwyer

Bob Cameron

unread,
Dec 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/3/96
to

In article <32A418...@Bose.com>, Dave Pasquino <Pasq...@Bose.com> wrote:

> Did anyone catch Riverdance on Channel 2 (Boston) last night?
>
> About half way into the show a gentleman played an instrument that looked
> and sounded similar to a bag pipe.

> What was it?


>
> As for the show itself, it was outstanding!!! Now I've heard that they're
> coming to Boston anyone have more info on where/when?
>


It would be the Uillean pipes you refer to, as played by Davy Spillane,
and I'm afraid the Boston run is already sold out.

--
The opinions and feeble attempts at humor herein are not in any way endorsed or acknowledged by my employer , etc etc,

Slan leibh, Bob

j:INTERNETPMAILOUT

unread,
Dec 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/3/96
to

--
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
| Dominic Boyle eMail domi...@vistek.demon.co.uk
|
| Vistek Electronics Limited Tel. +44 1628 531 221 ext. 260
|
| Unit C, Wessex Road Fax. +44 1628 530 980
|
| Bourne End, Bucks.
|
| SL8 5DT
|
| United Kingdom
|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
+

Dave, the name of the instrument is 'the Uillean ( or War) Pipes'. If
you want to get into pipe players. Two people i heartily recommend,
1. Liam O Flynn
2. Davey Spillane
Liam O Flynn is a traditional irish pipe player playing mainly reels
and jigs sometimes alone, sometimes with and orchestral background.
Davey is another traditional irish pipe player but his music has a rock
idiom involved with it. Try 'The Shadow Hunter' CD, it has a few nice
Ballads in it as well, if you can get your hands on it. I believe it
may have Davey playing in the Riverdance you were watching!!!!.


Bob Cameron

unread,
Dec 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/3/96
to


>
> Dave, the name of the instrument is 'the Uillean ( or War) Pipes'. If
> you want to get into pipe players. Two people i heartily recommend,
> 1. Liam O Flynn
> 2. Davey Spillane
> Liam O Flynn is a traditional irish pipe player playing mainly reels
> and jigs sometimes alone, sometimes with and orchestral background.
> Davey is another traditional irish pipe player but his music has a rock
> idiom involved with it. Try 'The Shadow Hunter' CD, it has a few nice
> Ballads in it as well, if you can get your hands on it. I believe it
> may have Davey playing in the Riverdance you were watching!!!!.


Dominic, very good points, except that "war" pipes is another, Irish name
for the Great Highland Pipes. Uillean means elbow- note that unlike the
Great or War pipes, both elbows are engaged, one on the bag, one on the
bellows. Liam O' Flynn is one of the world's gretest( if not THE
greatest) pipers, a fine musician and a gentleman. I had the pleasure of a
small conversation with him once.
It is indeed Davy Spillane on the Riverdance tape.

John Cox

unread,
Dec 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/3/96
to

ueallean pipes (not sure of spelling!)

John Cox

unread,
Dec 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/3/96
to

ueallian pipes (not sure of spelling!)

Mike Euritt

unread,
Dec 3, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/3/96
to

> About half way into the show a gentleman played an instrument that looked

> and sounded similar to a bag pipe.
>

Oddly enough, it is a bagpipe, one of many different types played
throughout the world. That particular variety is the Irish pipes, or
Uileann Pipes, the most advanced of the pipes, engineering wise.

liam.ru...@swipnet.se

unread,
Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96
to

In Article<32A418...@Bose.com>, <Pasq...@Bose.com> writes:
> Path: mn5.swip.net!mn6.swip.net!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!02-newsfeed.univie.ac.at!01-newsfeed.univie.ac.at!voskovec.radio.cz!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!dciteleport.com!feed1.news.erols.com!news.magicnet.net!news.sprintlink.net!news-atl-21.sprintlink.net!news.ultranet.
com!bose!usenet
> From: Dave Pasquino <Pasq...@Bose.com>
> Newsgroups: rec.music.celtic
> Subject: Riverdance - What Instrument?
> Date: Tue, 03 Dec 1996 07:08:27 -0500
> Organization: Bose Corporation
> Lines: 17
> Message-ID: <32A418...@Bose.com>
> NNTP-Posting-Host: gateway.bose.com
> Mime-Version: 1.0
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.0 (Win16; U)


>
> Did anyone catch Riverdance on Channel 2 (Boston) last night?
>

> About half way into the show a gentleman played an instrument that looked
> and sounded similar to a bag pipe.
>

> But it seemed to be air driven by a bellow that was pumped by the
> musicians left elbow.
>

> What was it?
>
> As for the show itself, it was outstanding!!! Now I've heard that they're
> coming to Boston anyone have more info on where/when?
>
>

> Thanks,
>
> Dave
By the way 'Uileann' is the Irish (Gaelic) word for Elbow
The player uses his elbow to pump up the air bag (of course)

Just thought you would be interested.
Liam


dji...@aol.com

unread,
Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96
to

In article <bcameron-031...@192.136.22.185>,
bcam...@it.berklee.edu (Bob Cameron) writes:

>In article <32A418...@Bose.com>, Dave Pasquino <Pasq...@Bose.com>
wrote:
>

>> Did anyone catch Riverdance on Channel 2 (Boston) last night?
>>
>> About half way into the show a gentleman played an instrument that
looked
>> and sounded similar to a bag pipe.
>

>> What was it?
>>
>> As for the show itself, it was outstanding!!! Now I've heard that
they're
>> coming to Boston anyone have more info on where/when?
>>
>
>

>It would be the Uillean pipes you refer to, as played by Davy Spillane,
>and I'm afraid the Boston run is already sold out.

Aside from the usual places you'd look for Uillean pipes (recordings,
radio, live performances), this Irish insturment seems to be the bagpipe
of choice on soundtracks of movies with Scottish themes, such as
_Braveheart_ and _Rob Roy_. Go figure!

I think it might actually have been Davey Spillane on _Braveheart_.
Anybody know?

Jeri Corlew

jspil...@aol.com

unread,
Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96
to

In article <19961204010...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, dji...@aol.com
writes:

>I think it might actually have been Davey Spillane on _Braveheart_.
>Anybody know?

The piper on the Braveheart soundtrack was Eric Rigler, Davy Spillane did
the honors on the Rob Roy soundtrack.

Jo

Amy Battis

unread,
Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96
to

In article <bcameron-031...@192.136.22.185>, Bob Cameron says...

>
>In article <32A418...@Bose.com>, Dave Pasquino <Pasq...@Bose.com> wrote:
>
>> Did anyone catch Riverdance on Channel 2 (Boston) last night?
>>
>> About half way into the show a gentleman played an instrument that looked
>> and sounded similar to a bag pipe.
>
>> What was it?
>>
>> As for the show itself, it was outstanding!!! Now I've heard that they're
>> coming to Boston anyone have more info on where/when?
>>
>
>
>It would be the Uillean pipes you refer to, as played by Davy Spillane,
>and I'm afraid the Boston run is already sold out.
>

It is sold out (or very very close to it), but be aware that the show is
coming back to New York City in September of 1997, so perhaps a return visit
to Boston is possible then.

Amy


bobpe...@aol.com

unread,
Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96
to

Dear Dave,

That was an uillean pipe (pronounced "eelan"). It is the common
bagpipe of Ireland. Yes, it has a bellows that rests between the inside
of the right elbow (uillean means elbow) and the chest. It is connected
to a bag held under the left arm which drives air into a chanter (the
thing that plays the tune) and various drones in which the pitch can be
controlled (called regulators). Hope this was helpful.
Bob

jane...@aol.com

unread,
Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96
to

Anyone else annoyed at the Riverdance video as shown on tv? Granted there
were some lovely girls and handsome boys, but I wanted to look at their
feet, or their entire bodies, not their faces! My husband and I found
ourselves often shouting at the cameraman!

Jane Yolen

laughren

unread,
Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96
to

>I think it might actually have been Davey Spillane on _Braveheart_.
>Anybody know?

The player in _Bravheart_ was Eric Rigler on the smallpipes, not the Uillean
pipes.


Sean Smith

unread,
Dec 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/4/96
to

In article <19961204122...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
jane...@aol.com wrote:

I imagine the producers of the broadcast wanted to add a bit of variety,
for the camera operators as well as the viewers, in trying to come up with
expressive close-ups. After all (so the reasoning went, I imagine), this
wasn't simply a drill or demonstration; these were _dancers_, who were all
supposed to elicit personality as well as technique.

My quibble, actually, is they didn't show enough of the musicians, other
than Davey Spillane, the four drummers (what kind of drums were those,
BTW?), and the gentleman playing Spanish guitar.


Sean Smith

smt...@bcvms.bc.edu
Because some things can't be helped: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6504; now featuring
"Daze and Quirks"--self-indulgent tripe masquerading as literary pretension!

**"Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book."
--Cicero**

dji...@aol.com

unread,
Dec 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/5/96
to

In article <19961204122...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
jane...@aol.com writes:

>Anyone else annoyed at the Riverdance video as shown on tv? Granted there
>were some lovely girls and handsome boys, but I wanted to look at their
>feet, or their entire bodies, not their faces! My husband and I found
>ourselves often shouting at the cameraman!

I didn't get to watch enough of it in one block to notice how it was being
filmed. I got the impression that the PBS station on which I watched it
couldn't care less if anyone enjoyed it or not. Twenty minute intervals
of "give us your money or you won't be able to watch quality shows like
this" interrupted by fifteen minute snippets of Riverdance. The show
material, which I taped, was just over an hour - obviously cut. I know
they need money, but there are better ways to get it.

While I didn't *yell* at the TV, there was a blue cloud of imaginative
profanity floating around my living room which is only now beginning to
dissipate.

Jeri

Lee Thompson-Herbert

unread,
Dec 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/5/96
to

In article <smthsen-0412...@oc24.bc.edu>,

Sean Smith <smt...@bcvms.bc.edu> wrote:
>I imagine the producers of the broadcast wanted to add a bit of variety,
>for the camera operators as well as the viewers, in trying to come up with
>expressive close-ups. After all (so the reasoning went, I imagine), this
>wasn't simply a drill or demonstration; these were _dancers_, who were all
>supposed to elicit personality as well as technique.

Right, but the closeups often obscured _any_ idea of what the dancers
were doing with their bodies. It was especially annoying with the
flamenco dancer, because it was impossible to even see her hands much
of the time. It'd have been nice to have less face-only shots, since
dancing is done with the whole body.

>My quibble, actually, is they didn't show enough of the musicians, other
>than Davey Spillane, the four drummers (what kind of drums were those,
>BTW?), and the gentleman playing Spanish guitar.

Taiko drums. Japanese. The rhythms they were playing were remarkably
sedate for taiko drumming, though. Taiko drumming usually takes the
whole body, and drummers often dance while drumming.

--
Lee M.Thompson-Herbert KD6WUR l...@crl.com
Member, Knights of Xenu (1995). Chaos Monger and Jill of All Trades.
"There are some people who will argue whether the flames are blue
or green, when the real question is that their arse is on fire."

Bob Cameron

unread,
Dec 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/5/96
to

In article <smthsen-0412...@oc24.bc.edu>, smt...@bcvms.bc.edu
(Sean Smith) wrote:
snip

> My quibble, actually, is they didn't show enough of the musicians, other
> than Davey Spillane, the four drummers (what kind of drums were those,
> BTW?), and the gentleman playing Spanish guitar.
>

The drums are called "Riverdance Drums", and are derived from the Lambeg
drums we hear so much about on this very newsgroup every July and August.
( replay from earlier posts- and I don't even harangue for contribs (
listening, PBS?) ;->

jiglesias

unread,
Dec 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/5/96
to


Dave Pasquino <Pasq...@Bose.com> wrote in article
<32A418...@Bose.com>...


> Did anyone catch Riverdance on Channel 2 (Boston) last night?
>
> About half way into the show a gentleman played an instrument that looked

> and sounded similar to a bag pipe.
>

> But it seemed to be air driven by a bellow that was pumped by the
> musicians left elbow.
>

> What was it?
>
> As for the show itself, it was outstanding!!! Now I've heard that they're

> coming to Boston anyone have more info on where/when?
>
>

> Thanks,
>
> Dave
>

Obviously it was Davy Spillane playing Uillean Pipe, the irish bagpipe.
Un saludo
Ablanedo

jspil...@aol.com

unread,
Dec 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/5/96
to

In article <584b57$d...@lvl-sun673.usc.edu>, laug...@lvl-sun673.usc.edu
(laughren) writes:

Eric Rigler played the Uillean pipes on the _Braveheart_film soundtrack.
As did Davy Spillane on the Rob Roy_ soundtrack. Check out the liner
notes of the CDs.

The difference that you hear may be that there are two different artists
interpreting music by two different composers on each film.

Dave Dwyer

unread,
Dec 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/5/96
to

In article <5860tu$6...@crl3.crl.com>, l...@crl.com (Lee Thompson-Herbert) wrote:

>
>
> >My quibble, actually, is they didn't show enough of the musicians, other
> >than Davey Spillane, the four drummers (what kind of drums were those,
> >BTW?), and the gentleman playing Spanish guitar.
>

> Taiko drums. Japanese. The rhythms they were playing were remarkably
> sedate for taiko drumming, though. Taiko drumming usually takes the
> whole body, and drummers often dance while drumming.
>


Actually no...they are called celtic drums, made at Roundstone Musical
Instruments in the Connemara,
County Galway by Malachy Kearns (we were they, and they have a set up
describing their make)

Ed Marchewicz

unread,
Dec 6, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/6/96
to

j:INTERNETPMAILOUT wrote:
>

> Dave, the name of the instrument is 'the Uillean ( or War) Pipes'.

?? I beg to differ, the "War Pipes" (now obsolete) were larger and
mouth blown for outdoor use and more similar to Scottish Highland
pipes.
Uillean means "elbow" and these pipes
are bellows blown and for indoor use while seated.
You'd have a job to march while playing the Uillean pipes !

Cheers,

Ed

Lee Thompson-Herbert

unread,
Dec 7, 1996, 3:00:00 AM12/7/96
to

In article <bcameron-051...@192.136.22.185>,

Bob Cameron <bcam...@it.berklee.edu> wrote:
>
>The drums are called "Riverdance Drums", and are derived from the Lambeg
>drums we hear so much about on this very newsgroup every July and August.
>( replay from earlier posts- and I don't even harangue for contribs (
>listening, PBS?) ;->


Er, sort of. I always thought that lambeg drums were carried like
field drums (slung to one side). What I saw were too small to be
bass drums, but carried the same way. Which is why I mistook them
for taiko drums.

0 new messages