Séamus Ennis: An Appreciation
by Alan Jones
This article is excerpted from “The Irish Uilleann Pipes Through the Music of Séamus Ennis,” presented by the author at Concordia University in March of 2012.
Séamus Ennis was born in 1919 in Jamestown Lodge, Fingal, North County Dublin. His father James was a musician who had an interest in the war pipes and was instrumental in founding a pipe band in (Naul) North Co. Dublin. He played the fiddle, the flute, and the uilleann pipes, and he taught Séamus to play both the uilleann pipes and fiddle as a child, as well as to read music.
A young Séamus Ennis with his make‐believe set of pipes.
As Wilbert Garvin and Robbie Hannan tell us about this picture in their introduction to “The Master’s Touch—A Tutor for the Uilleann Pipes,” by Séamus Ennis:
“His fascination with the pipes began at a very young age. This is evident from the marvelous photograph, shown here, of Séamus as a toddler, complete with dashing boating hat, playing on a make believe set of pipes made from sticks cut from his great-grandfather’s garden in Naul. As a youngster Séamus was so besotted by the pipes that his father used to have to play the pipes for him at night to get him to sleep. He knew the names of a considerable number of tunes and often, when his father thought he had finally gone to sleep, Séamus would ask for yet another tune. On one occasion, when Séamus finally and reluctantly succumbed to sleep as his father was playing Munster Buttermilk, he was to wake up the next morning very cross with himself for having fallen asleep in the middle of it.”
James Ennis was well considered on the pipes but it was his son Séamus that was destined to become a piper of great repute, and it was said that Séamus was the better piper. However (around the turn of the 20th century), James did win a music competition (in London, England) which resulted in him receiving a £5 prize, and Séamus has related that with these winnings, his father went out and purchased an antique Maurice Coyne set of uilleann pipes in a pawn shop for this very sum. It is this very set that Séamus himself inherited and played and used for virtually all his numerous recordings.
Séamus received his primary education at The Convent of the Holy Faith school in Finglas, at the age of eleven he spent a year at Belvedere College, then completed his secondary education at Coláiste Mhuire. In 1937 he attended Darraghs Commercial College where he studied bookkeeping and did studies in preparation for civil service exams. He was not successful in landing a civil service job, but gained his first employment in a publishing firm, proof reading texts in Irish and transcribing words and music. Later, in 1942, he gained the position of folk music collector at the Irish Folklore Commission. He was certainly well qualified for such a position. Already an accomplished piper and singer with a knowledge of the Irish language, had an ability to write musical notation, and was an individual who had both a keen ear and a prodigious memory. He also had an uncanny ability to reproduce tunes and songs on first hearing, and quite often travelling with no mechanical recording equipment (though sometimes with a bulky Ediphone cylinder recording machine), only a pen, paper and a tin whistle to verify his transcriptions, and a bicycle for transportation. In the five years he worked for the commission, he collected more than 2,000 songs, tunes and items of folklore; an achievement not exceeded by any other collector in this field. His travels took him to places such as Cork, Kerry, Connemara, and Donegal, and even to the Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. Séamus remained with the Commission until 1946.
Séamus Ennis during his days as a collector at the Irish Folklore Commission.
In 1947, Séamus was appointed “Outside Broadcast Officer” with Radio Éireann, which was in its infancy at this time. Materials subsequently collected were specifically meant for broadcast, and there was an emphasis on the collecting of dance tunes in particular. In 1951 he was hired by the BBC to work on an extensive recording project of the folk music and song of Ireland and the British Isles, and from November 1951 to April 1952, Séamus worked on a card index and notations of material already collected, before going “out on the road” for the BBC. He based himself in London, travelling extensively in doing his work, building a mammoth collection of material from all over Ireland, England and Scotland, totaling some 1,500 performances. Much of the material he and others collected was broadcast on the popular (BBC) radio programme, “As I Roved Out,” on which Séamus worked for seven years, always with a great sense of pride and enthusiasm. All the archive materials collected by Séamus and his colleagues during the periods mentioned represent an unprecedented achievement in the documentation of traditional music.
In 1957 he left Britain and returned to Ireland to work mostly as a freelance musician, but his health began to fail shortly afterwards. He did present two television series on the newly founded RTE television and he continued playing music, singing and recording, as well as making several radio programmes.
Séamus’s daughter, Catherine Ennis, tells the story (her parents having split up when she was very young) of how one day, “out of the blue” Séamus turned up to visit her. He was quite ill and his speech was slow, but he played the pipes for her. She was 19 at the time and it had been 15 years since she had seen her father. Catherine said it was a very moving experience to hear the pipes after such a long absence and to learn that her father was the renowned Séamus Ennis, and to find that he had a wonderful and special character. As Catherine was a trained organist, Liam O’Flynn suggested that they record the Irish air “Easter Snow” together, on organ and uilleann pipes. Séamus loved this particular tune and had the name up on his property at his caravan in Ireland.
The final years of his life were spent in Naul, North County Dublin, until his untimely death at 63 years of age in 1982. He was buried in Naul, where there is now a Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre which tells the story of his life, his collecting, and his important contributions to the preservation of Irish traditional music, song and the uilleann piping tradition.
A Muscial Critique
In the field of Irish traditional music and song, the name Séamus Ennis is legendary. His invaluable contributions to the uilleann piping tradition and the folk music of Ireland cannot be overstated, and he is unquestionably one of the most influential figures in Irish music of the 20th century. In the words of piper Liam O’Flynn: “Séamus Ennis has stamped an indelible impression of himself upon traditional Irish music and upon the uilleann pipes in particular. Seamus’s world revolved around music, and his willingness to impart his great store of knowledge and piping skills was extraordinary. His technical mastery of the pipes was absolute and his tone unmistakable.”
People often seemed instinctively drawn to Séamus Ennis’s distinctive style of playing, and the C# Maurice Coyne set of pipes in the hands of the master player that he was certainly had a distinctive sound that was (and is) instantly recognizable.
Séamus unquestionably had a deep and life-long passion for Irish traditional music, had endless fascinating stories to tell, songs a-plenty, and a great store of traditional tunes which he performed. As a musician, Gaelic speaker, and academic, his knowledge of the traditional songs and tunes was second to none. When employed by both the BBC and RTE, his collections of thousands of songs and tunes from traditional singers and musicians throughout Ireland became a treasure trove and resource for many a musician and singer. If it was not for the dedicated efforts and work of Séamus Ennis, the tradition would be far less rich today.
I think the following text aptly sums up something of the character and pipe playing of Séamus Ennis:
In his article in Vol. 8, No.1 (February 2012) of An Piobaire (the journal of Na Píobairí Uilleann), Bob Rundel speaks of how Séamus would dress when playing the pipes. “I don’t recall him ever wearing anything other than a grey double-breasted suit with a white shirt and tie, whatever the occasion. Whenever I saw him perform, he started sessions by strapping on the pipes over his jacket, then much later when he was fully fueled and warmed up to full power, he’d stand up, remove his jacket, put the pipes back on and loosen his tie.” At the time I met him (in 1979), he was dressed in similar attire!
Bob Rundel goes on to say: “It was my first close encounter with the Uilleann pipes, resulting in a shock I was not prepared for. I was, as to say, blown away! I spent the next day in a daze— recovering from the intoxicating Ennis experience. But it was not just the incomparable sound of his pipes, his style of playing or the chance to study the workings of this complex instrument: it was the presence of this lanky man wrapped in his pipes, leather on knee, elbows working, and his long fingers coaxing the chanter to wail, growl, cluck, trill and spit staccato notes by employing all the tricks and techniques known to the old master pipers for melodic decoration. In particular, Séamus never over-did the use of the regulators but selected harmonies at tastefully spaced intervals.
A virtuoso exponent of the indigenous music of Ireland, passed down through generations. His rich voice and enviable brogue, his singing, whistle playing and droll humour, completed the spell.”
Tomás Ó Canainn (in his book Traditional Music In Ireland) informs us that all melodic traditions attach considerable importance to ornamentation and that the style of ornamentation is in fact, one of the distinguishing features of a particular tradition. As a practitioner within the Irish tradition, an integral element of Séamus Ennis’s piping was certainly distinguished by his use of traditional piping ornamentation, but also encompassed many personalized elements of his own interpretation, so much a feature of his performances on the pipes. (Ó Canainn:) “Ornamentation gives the movement between main notes a logicality and inevitability which it would not otherwise have. It smooths the musical texture, and whilst indispensable, its overall effect should nonetheless be so subtle as to make the listener barely aware of it.” He also adds that all Irish traditional music will be somewhat influenced by sean nos singing, to some extent. Given
that Séamus was a Gaelic speaker and singer of Gaelic songs, it is certain that his intricate ornamentation on the pipes would certainly be so influenced.
At left is a transcription from the hand of Séamus Ennis, of the famous traditional piping tune The Bucks of Oranmore. Séamus has commented that he is of the opinion that this is one of the most difficult of tunes within the Irish piping tradition. Note the intricate use of ornamentation:
It is unfortunate that during the years that Séamus collected, he was much less appreciated
than he is today, but this never daunted him. His passion, dedication and strong will kept him going and undaunted, and the Irish piping, music and song traditions have been unquestionably enriched by his work, which is now highly valued as a treasure trove of indispensable resource materials.
A Muscial Appreciation
I don’t quite remember when or where I first heard the piping of Séamus Ennis, but I do recall being instantly enthralled with the sound and his piping certainly had a big influence on me and my future involvement with uilleann piping.
Séamus’ mastery of the uilleann pipes is without question, and (as Bob Rundel quoted above) when I first heard the recorded piping of Séamus Ennis, I too was “blown away.” Or as Wilbur Garvin once said of the sound of the uilleann pipes: “a hive of honeyed sounds,” and for me, this quote aptly sums up and describes the sounds emanating from the pipes of Séamus Ennis.
And how did Séamus’s music directly influence me and my continued passion for and involvement in uilleann piping? For one thing, it certainly gave me the desire to discover further what at the time was the eclectic and somewhat mysterious world of uilleann piping. When I listen to the playing of Séamus Ennis I am so often transported in my mind to another place. His piping has the effect of moving me to a different level of emotional experience, and it was his seminal LP recording “The Pure Drop” that really did it for me, and when I first got it, I just could not stop playing it. The sounds achieved on this solo uilleann pipe recording was the real game changer, so to say. Maybe it’s the magnetic effect of his drones, or the total absorption one gets from the encompassing sound of his pipes or the total expressiveness and nuances of Séamus’s playing on the chanter, or the percussive use of the regulators that give a whole new dimension to his piping; again, so unique and all so much an integral element of Séamus’s playing.
I attended a lecture by uilleann piper and academic Jimmy O’Brien Moran at the North East Uilleann Piper’s Tionol in East Durham, New York, a few years back, focusing on the intricacies of the piping of Séamus Ennis. Jimmy talked about Seamus’s technique, expression, technical mastery, style, musicality, and virtuosity on the pipes. He projected a particular piece of music on a screen, which was a transcription of a piece exactly as Séamus played it. He then played the recording from which it was taken, then described the intricacies of Seamus’s ornamentation, chanter technique and regulator accompaniment. This gave me a further appreciation of the brilliance of Seamus’s piping.
Many musicians regard style as being one of the chief distinguishing marks of a traditional performance, and Séamus certainly possessed style in his playing. It was colourful, flowing, with wonderful expression and energy, and his tone is certainly unmistakable. Not to mention the character of the player that went with the music!
Séamus traveled and performed extensively throughout Ireland. Authors Tommy Fegan and Oliver O’Connell in their recent publication Free Spirits—Irish Travelers & Irish Traditional Music, recount how Seamus’s wonderful piping could often be heard in O’Donoughue’s Pub in Merrion Row, Dublin, and often on the same night as would be heard the music of the then young Paddy Keenan. This brings to mind a personal recollection Paddy told me about whenever he would meet up with Seamus. Séamus was most certainly a character in every sense of the word, and even though Séamus knew that Paddy never used a popping strap, every single time they met and Paddy was getting ready to play his pipes, Séamus would always offer Paddy his popping strap, and say to him something to the effect of: “now son, you’ll be needing one of these, won’t you!” (Paddy also told me that his father knew Séamus well, and it was Séamus that wrote the cover sleeve notes on Paddy’s first solo piping album.)
Liam O’Flynn shared an apartment in Dublin with Séamus for a number of years and learnt much about the man and his music. I recall Liam having commented on the fact that Séamus Ennis was amazing when it came to his recordings, in that most of the tracks he put down on record were done in one or at most two takes.
A Personal Anecdote
I met Séamus in Ireland in Bettystown at NPU’s AGM in 1979. His reputation was that he had a unique personality, and this certainly came through when I had the privilege to meet and speak with him.
The story I relate here is as vivid for me today as it was that weekend in April 1979, when I had the honour and pleasure of meeting one of my musical idols—the great Séamus Ennis.
When I went to Ireland for the first time in 1979 to attend the Na Píobairí Uilleann (NPU) AGM in the Neptune Hotel, Bettystown, (Irish: Baile an Bhiataigh), previously known as Betaghstown, County Meath, I had the great honour of hearing Séamus play live and also getting to meet with him in person. I recall the great anticipation by all, on awaiting his arrival, and I remember getting to the room (i.e. bar) early where the performance/ concert was to take place, to be sure I got a good seat “up front.” In fact, I think I was the very first person to arrive. I found out exactly where he was going to be performing, got a suitable location and chair, and (with prior approval) set up my tape recorder. After all, Séamus was one of my musical idols, I had been listening to his music on record for a number of years, and it was his wonderful piping that influenced me in pursuing the playing of the Irish uilleann pipes. I adored his piping and the sound of his C# Coyne uilleann pipes.
It was quite a long while before maestro Séamus arrived and the anticipation from the audience that had now gathered in significant numbers was building all the while. And when he did eventually show, some considerable time after the advertised concert start time, it was somewhat like “the King” had arrived. He was shown where he would be performing, and after getting a drink at the bar and speaking with numerous individuals, he eventually came to his prescribed spot a good 40 minutes or so late. He sat down right in front of me and I was so pleased that I would be able to see and hear him play at such close quarters. The excitement was intense... After some initial fussing and tinkering, he decided he would move to another location in the bar. At that point everyone present hastily picked up their chairs, and before one could say “Jack Robinson”, had moved to the new location where he was going to perform. I now went from being in the front to being right at the back. It was a great disappointment, but I moved to a new location with my tape recorder and made the best of it. After some more preparation and tinkering with his pipes, Séamus again hesitated and decided he preferred where he had been positioned initially, so moved back to the first location. Everyone took their chairs and rushed back enmasse to the previous position. I was just not quick enough with my recorder and chair, and I again, ended up at the back (and of course, had I stayed where I was initially, I would have still had my prime spot). However, not to be, so I made the best of it and settled in for maestro Séamus’s performance. And what a thrill it was, too, to visually observe his technique and pipes and hear his amazing playing firsthand. And so eventually began the Séamus Ennis performance. I had not heard too many Uilleann pipers live up to this point, so it really was a thrill. He played tunes I was familiar with and tunes I did not know. One thing I vividly do remember is that his pipes were not as loud as I expected. When listening to his recordings at home, I could put the volume to any level I wanted, so maybe this was one reason I had a misconception about the volume of the instrument. And I think up until that time, all the pipers I had heard live were playing D pitch pipes. However, the performance was magical, and I was fortunate enough to make a personal recording. At one point, Séamus said he was going to play the tune “The Lark’s March” and that there was a story that went with this tune. And almost in unison, the audience sighed “Oh no!” (They had heard the story so many times before—in fact every time Séamus played this tune, he made a point of telling this story!) And the story goes … There was an English piper and an Irish piper who were in competition. After hours of playing, it could not be determined who was the better piper. They matched each other’s playing tune for tune. At one point in the proceedings, both pipers went outside for a break/smoke, and the Irish piper heard the singing of a lark. He was most inspired, and on returning inside to play again, the Irish piper played the tune “The Lark’s March,” and ended up winning the competition!
One other particularly memorable moment/event during the concert was when Séamus played his chanter reed up into the third octave! People (and numerous pipe aficionados) were amazed at the reed going into the third octave, but Séamus decided he needed to adjust his reed. He took it out of the reed cap, exposed the reed, and pretended to adjust it. He then went to put it back into the reed cap, but pretended to slip and almost put the reed cap through the centre of the blades of the reed! A combined gasp from many in the audience went out; but Séamus was only “playing” to the audience! All part of his character and showmanship.
The next day, Liam McNulty, then secretary of NPU, said he was sure Séamus would love to see the ivory and silver set of Northumbrian Pipes I had with me, so he took me over to meet him. The set was a Queen’s Jubilee Year set made in 1977 by David Burleigh of Lonframlington, Northumberland. Although it was of course a great honour for me to meet Séamus, he actually said to me that it was a great honour to meet me! I was humbled, to say the least. He said he had wanted to get a set of “those Northumbrian Pipes” and asked if I could help him get a set! And that is the conclusion of my story of meeting uilleann piper/ storyteller/singer/collector Séamus Ennis and hearing him play. What a character! And what a wonderful experience it all was for me: an honour to meet in person one of the most influential uilleann pipers of the 20th century.
Alan Jones is a long-time player and collector of many types of bellows-blown bagpipes.
For a complete PDF of the original Spring2013 Pipers Review this article is from, click here.
