Author: peadar

 

The Bullock on the Bonnet

The “Bullock on the Bonnet” was born late one night when an ambulance delivered my friend Seamus Creagh to the door of our house where we were having a bit of a session.  At the time he was a neighbour and worked with me.  Seamus had been in a row with a loose bullock on the road – the animal ended on top of Seamus who was in the driving seat.   While he was explaining the details of the accident, and others were suitably fussing over him, this tune came to me.   I was playing the accordion at the time.

The Bullock on the Bonnet.mus

An Braon Báistí  (The drop of rain) (1:57)

It was still raining when I got to put this one together.   The week before we recorded, I would put a tune a day together in order that we had something to work on.  Martin and Caoimhín are really talented and learn or pick up tunes in a very short time.   In fact Caoimhín knows more about my tunes than I do, and Martin and I are constantly referring to him to remember how a tune starts.   I expected Martin’s head to explode, as he had to learn so much in such a short time – and yet he did.  And his head, hair and all, is still perfectly intact!

An Braon Báistí  (The drop of rain).mus

Ceantar Glas Mhuscraí (5:27)

This air was born to fulfil a promise to Morgan Fisher in Japan who had this idea of asking 60 people to provide 60 seconds of music to mark the turning of the last Millenium in the year 2000 (Miniatures 2).   I was honoured to be asked and I thank him.   Recently my fellow member of Acadamh Fódhla, the historian Donal Ó hÉalaithe came in to the house with a few verses, started by an older generation, praising the local area.   I found that the meter fitted this tune best.  Donal composed a good lot of further verses in which I aided and abetted.  Donal is Éarlamh of the History School (Dáimh) and there is no end to his knowledge of our people and the land we live in.

Ceantar Glas Mhúscraighe.mus

Margaret Batt ( 2:26 )

Margaret Bat was one of those rare things, a person with a beautiful soul.  She was shy and gentle and kind and warmhearted but also had the artists ‘súil eile’.   She took up painting later in life. Her work was evocative being, usually, a montage of scenes depicting a story associated with her subject.   I could see her sweeping her brush across the canvas with the first notes of this tune.  She died of cancer.   Her energy and our affection for her is what created this tune.

Margaret Batt.mus