Published by Na Píobairí Uilleann, the fourth in the DVD series Piper’s Choice – Understand the art of uilleann piping presents the playing and insights of three more players: Séan Potts, Brian MacNamara and Peter Browne. Previous volumes of Piper’s Choice featured Mick Coyne, Nollaig Mac Cárthaigh, Paddy Keenan, Emmett Gill, Mick O’Brien and Jimmy O’Brien-Moran.

Presented by piper Jackie Small of the Irish Traditional Music Archive, this latest volume has the three featured pipers performing some of their favourite pieces and explaining their individual approach to each selection and to the instrument in general, giving viewers an unusually direct insight into the techniques and different styles of pipering.

Seán Potts’ closed-fingering, ornate piping style is influenced largely by the likes of Seamus Ennis, Tommy Reck and Willie Clancy. (See below.) He cites some of his former pupils as a source of on-going inspiration.

RTÉ presenter and producer, Peter Browne received tuition from Séamus Ennis, Leo Rowsome and Willie Clancy. He has twice been the winner of the Oireachtas uilleann-piping competition and has also won the prize for slow-air playing in both those years.

Brian MacNamara, from County Leitrim, sees his own musical style as formed by his family, in particular his father Michael, a flute player, and his teacher Peter Maguire of County Cavan, who also made his first instrument. MacNamara is known for his instantly recognisable style. He plays both flat and concert pitched pipes.

The playlist for this one is as follows:

Seán Potts
1. Reel: Colonel Frazer
2. Jigs: Doctor O’Neill’s, The Morning Lark
3. Air: Bean Dubh an Ghleanna
4. Reels : The Beauty Spot , The Pigeon on the Gate
5. Hornpipes: The Derry Hornpipe, The Liverpool Breakdown
6. Air & Reels: Eochaill, The New Policeman, The Geese in the Bog

Peter Browne
7. Reels: The Cat that Ate the Candle , Julia Delaney’s
8. Jigs: TheShores of Lough Gowna , The Yellow Wattle
9. Air & Slide: Caoinead Ui Neill, Denis Murphy’s
10. Polkas: As I went out Upon The Ice & The Ballydesmond
11. Hornpipes: Fitzgerald’s & Callaghan’s
12. Reels: The Fox on the Prowl & Finbar Dwyer’s

Brian McNamara
13. Air & reel: The Bright Lady, The Little Hills of Offaly
14. Hornpipes: The Groves,
15. Jigs: TheTrip to Athlone, When Sick is it Tea you Want, The Humours
of Drinagh
16. Hornpipes : The City of Savanah, The Woods of Kilcooley, the Not
so Bashful Batchelor
17. Air: Ag Taisteal Na Blárnan
18. Reels: The Basket of Oysters, The Kerry Lassie

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