A Dossan of Heather
Here on the board and in some fine reviews, much has already been written about A Dossan of Heather. (Dossan means a large sprig or tuft of heather or hair.)
This review will give you a very good understanding of the book: the 85 fresh and in some ways stark tunes it contains, most of them known only within a small circle of Donegal musicians; the wealth of information in theintroduction about Packie’s life, the sources of the music, the stories and personalities behind the tunes, the method of compiling the collection, a truly fascinating analysis of the characteristics of the tunes (which I might add in just one page gave me more insight into Irish traditional music than I can ever remember learning in one place), and a charmingly personal and detailed treatment of Packie’s whistling style, with wonderful quotes. Here’s Packie on the characteristic triplets:
...I had very nimble fingers at one time. But then I discovered that to make any job of a reel like that [The Skylark], I had to put in the little trebly things, and I done it with me tongue…..I do it with the tongue against the top of my mouth, but I cannot do it so well since I got the false teeth. When I had my own teeth I had much more room for the tongue to hop about! Y-till-diddly, i-till-diddly…You could keep that diddly-diddly thing going all the time.
I think a lot of people here on the board would also be most interested in what Packie has to say about rolls.
The tunes, and the stories that accompany them, are the heart of this book. Click herefor a sample jig, highland, reel, and air. Here you’ll get a sense of the distinctive character of the tunes, the story that’s presented with each, the charming drawings accompanying many of the tunes, and, from the mp3 clips, the satisfying arrangements of the 33 selected tunes on the companion CD, performed by Jean Duval (whistle, flute, harmonica), Steve (whistle, fiddle, bodhran, vocals), Johanne St-Laurent (harp), Lynda Dowker (keyboards), and Reinhard Görner (guitar).
But, as I said, all of this has been written about very well before. So I’d just like to add a personal reaction, one that crystallized for me in this picture, from the introduction of the book. The caption says: Jean Duval transcribing from Packie Manus’ playing, Ardara, February 1997. During an evening out, the tune Barefoot Biddy had resurfaced in Packie’s memory. Arriving home at 1 a.m., Jean and Packie set to work immediately, Packie not waiting to take off his cap!
As I looked carefully at that scene--at Duval, listening so intently to what Packie is playing, at Packie himself, so eager to have the tune transcribed that he doesn’t wait to take off his jacket and cap--I realized that this book made me think a lot about important things: about why we need old people and how we, all of us, get old so fast; about what, for better or worse, we leave behind us when we move on; about why in a culture that tugs so many toward material pursuits these collaborators gave so much of their time and life energy to a project like this, and with such loving respect; about what this music has meant and still means to the Donegal drovers and to cityfolk like me as well; and about what the attentions of Steve and Jean Duval must mean to Packie himself in these late years of his life. I was moved by this collection of musical memories and recollections of a life well lived, and I heartily recommend it. I got my copy from The Whistle Shop, and it came (in three days, I might add) with a complimentary copy of another little gem, My Friend Flanagan: tall tales told by Packie Manus Byrne. It’s also available from Mel Bay.
Phenigma
Steve and Jean Duval, along with Dowker-Kathan on keyboards and vocal harmonies, Görner on guitar and bass, and vocalist Sine McKenna, bring the same warmth and spirit to this CD that they brought to A Dossan of Heather. And, as I said, they bring Packie to it as well. The opening track is a set of bouncy jigs ( “Willie Dear,” “The Wheels of the Train,” and “Teelin Rowdies,” an original tune by Packie) which appear in A Dossan of Heather. A later track showcases a march from Packie, with Duval’s flute floating sweetly above a softly chiming keyboard, followed by a leisurely highland from Packie as well, featuring Steve’s earthy fiddling (and the bowing equivalent of triple-tonguing). Phenigma also has a number of expressive Gaelic songs, accompanied mournfully at times, with sustained fiddle and guitar tremolo; at other times with a harplike keyboard and lyrical flute; at others still, as in a song warning a lover that his enemies are in close pursuit, with an ominous drum beat. There’s also an appealing set of mouth music from Scotland, the second part of which has the joy and energy of an Appalachian stomp.
The standouts for me on this CD, however, are the evocative original tunes by Steve and Duval. The stunning arrangement of Duval’s quite simple Reel St-Liguori puts flute, fiddle, and keyboard in increasingly complex and textured counterpoints, creating a very rich and tenderly moving piece. The title track (6) is a set of introspective, melodically refreshing tunes with the warm blending of flute and fiddle over the sometimes dark harmonies of the guitar. Track 5, my favorite, is a set of waltzes which begins with a graceful tune with a touch of sadness, composed and played by Steve in as warmly G major a setting as G major can get; the second, also composed by Steve, is much more rhythmic and modal, a great contrast; and the final waltz, by Duval, carries the set to a pulsing and soaring finish. The rich sonorities in this set grow from the simple fiddle and keyboard of the first tune to the flute and guitar of the second; and finally to a fuller ensemble with uplifting high harmonies--as if the joy were too great to hold down.
I love this CD. It’s fresh and full of personality, a delight to listen to, even on as many repeat plays as I give it. As I understand it, there are just a few copies left, along with some tapes. Try to get one. You can email Steve to order.
(Brothersteve AT rogermillington.com)
Carol
I was very touched to read Carol's review and all the kind comments from readers of Dossan. This kind of reaction makes me feel very glad that (after sitting on the project for 15 years) I finally got the book out. It would never have happened without Jean Duval, who not only prodded me into action but also did all the really hard work of transcribing the tunes. 