More Power to Your Elbow Trivia Quiz

Answer: Finglas

Séamus was born on May 5, 1919, in Jamestown, Finglas. His father had purchased his pipes in 1908 from a London pawn shop, and in 1912 won second place in a competition on the uilleann pipes while winning first place on the warpipes.

Séamus did not begin learning the uilleann pipes until he was thirteen. His father showed him how to read music from Francis O'Neill's book and provided some help with the "difficult bits".

A full set of uilleann pipes consists of bag, bellows, chanter, drones, and regulators. Both elbows are used, one to pump air into the instrument and the other to control the airflow to the chanter.

Answer: The Sign of the Three Candles

Colm Ó Lochlainn had long been interested in collecting music and hired Séamus to help. Part of Séamus' duties were to listen, transcribe and then typeset various bits of music including those by "An Claisceadal", an Irish choir directed by Colm.

In 1952 Colm Ó Lochlainn edited and published "Irish Street Ballads", a collection of Irish songs with both music and lyrics.

Answer: Irish Folklore Commission

Séamus was hired to find and record folk music with "pen, paper and pushbike". Because of his schooling he could speak Gaelic, and he learned the local dialects easily. He could listen to a piece of music once and then be able to transcribe it. He recorded approximately 2,000 songs while working for the Commission.

One of the stories shared is that a piper friend advised Séamus to make sure he kept a copy of the music for himself. Séamus replied that it would not be right to do so since he was being paid, but no matter, he could keep it in his head.

Edited by Ríonach uí Ógáin, "Going to the Well for Water: The Seamus Ennis Field Diary 1942-1946" contains the daily diary of his expeditions that he recorded to provide to his employer. One review of the books states in part, "He appears to have been in many ways a model paying guest, happy to spend hours mending a clock or a pair of boots for his new friends, digging their potatoes or bringing in turf, filling in government forms, teaching tunes or entertaining his hosts with conversation and music at night visits, house parties and concerts that frequently lasted until the early hours. He swam in the ocean and took part in sailing and fishing expeditions and went along to lantern slides, missions and funerals."

Answer: As I Roved Out

Séamus moved from the Irish Folklore Commission to Radio Eireann in August of 1947, traveling around the country to broadcast on radio. This work was focused more on the economical, cultural and historical aspects of different regions of Ireland than on music, but music was included and several famous recordings were made during this time.

He left Radio Eireann to work for the BBC doing the innovative "As I Roved Out". Séamus, once again, was traveling through the countryside to find and record local folk preforming. He worked for the BBC until he was made redundant in 1958.

Answer: yes, both

Christopher sings and plays the fiddle and the whistle. Catherine is an accomplished organist and founded the London Organ Concerts Guide to help encourage interest in organ performances.

The marriage ended in 1958, about the time that the BBC job also ended. Séamus moved back to Ireland and worked in a freelance capacity for Radio Eireann. He lost contact with his children at this time, but was re-united about ten years later.

Answer: The Bonny Bunch Of Roses

Séamus included fourteen traditional songs on this album, and not surprisingly, one of them is "The Bonny Bunch Of Roses".

A CD has now also been released by Tradition.

Answer: Na Píobairí Uilleann (The Uilleann Pipers)

Na Píobairí Uilleann is a non-profit group to promote the uilleann pipes. Their website has a plethora of information on the pipes, the players, upcoming events, etc.

There are a couple of other details which also made this event unique.

The first is that before playing Séamus asked if all the recorders were turned on. Traditionally, pipers would closely guard their playing styles and songs, and those there were amazed at what he openly shared.

The second is that once he finished, he offered the other pipers his one-hundred-thirty year old pipes for playing. These pipes were the ones that his father found in a London pawn shop. His father, after restoration of the pipes, was able to determine that they were a nineteenth century Coyne set of pipes.

Answer: fiddle

Séamus was accomplished on many instruments, the uilleann pipes, whistle, and fiddle being only a few of those mentioned.

The story about the group was shared by Liam Ó Floinn (Liam O'Flynn), but can be found on several sites. Liam played the pipes, Tommy Grogan played accordion and Sean Keane played fiddle.

Answer: Easter Snow

Séamus was delighted to be back "home", and continued to entertain and travel for concerts and recitals, until his death in 1982. He bequeathed his pipes to Liam O'Flynn. To us, he left a compendium of ancient folk song and lore both transcribed and in audio format.

Christy Moore composed a memorial to Séamus using the same song title. The first verses go like this:

"Oh the Easter snow
It has faded away
It was so rare and so beautiful
Now it's melted back into the clay

Those days will be remembered
Beyond out in the Naul
Listening to the master's notes
As gently they did fall

Oh . . . the music
As Seamus he did play
But the thaw crept over the mantle white
And turned it back to clay"

Answer: The Return from Fingal

The Radio Eireann and RTE (Raidió Teilifís Éireann) archives were used to compile this CD from 40 years of recordings stored on acetate and tapes. It includes twenty six solo Séamus Ennis' tracks, vocals and pipes, originally recorded between 1940 and 1980.

Peter Browne, born in 1953, is a prize winning piper. He started playing music at age six, and was taught the uilleann pipes by such as Séamus Ennis, Leo Rowsome and Willie Clancy. In addition, he produces and presents radio programming on famous traditional players.