Micho Russell
Encyclopedia
Micho Russell was an Irish
musician
and author
best known for his expert tin whistle
performance. He also played the simple-system flute
and was a collector of traditional music and folklore
.
, County Clare
, Ireland
. Russell came from a musically renowned family, his mother played the concertina, and his father was a sean-nós
singer. He had two brothers, Packie and Gussie, who were also musicians. He also had two sisters. He never married.
brought him attention and performance opportunities. In 1973, Russell won the All-Ireland tin whistle competition, which further increased demand for his performances. Like Séamus Ennis
, Russell was also known for his spoken introductions to tunes in his live performances, which incorporated folklore and legend. His knowledge of tradition extended past music to language, stories, dance, herbal lore, and old country cures.
. His best-known songs were John Phillip Holland and The Well of Spring Water.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
best known for his expert tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
performance. He also played the simple-system flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and was a collector of traditional music and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
.
Biography
Russell was born in Doonagore, DoolinDoolin
Doolin is a coastal village in County Clare, Ireland, on the Atlantic coast. It borders the spa town of Lisdoonvarna. It is a noted centre of traditional Irish music, which is played nightly in its pubs, making it a popular tourist destination. There are numerous nearby archaeological sites, many...
, County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Russell came from a musically renowned family, his mother played the concertina, and his father was a sean-nós
Sean-nós song
Sean-nós is a highly ornamented style of unaccompanied traditional Irish singing. It is a sean-nós activity, which also includes sean-nós dancing...
singer. He had two brothers, Packie and Gussie, who were also musicians. He also had two sisters. He never married.
Music
Russell taught himself to play the tin whistle by ear starting at age eleven. The 1960s revival of Irish traditional musicMusic of Ireland
Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces...
brought him attention and performance opportunities. In 1973, Russell won the All-Ireland tin whistle competition, which further increased demand for his performances. Like Séamus Ennis
Séamus Ennis
Séamus Ennis was an Irish piper, singer and folk-song collector.- Early years :In 1908 James Ennis, Séamus's father, was in a pawn-shop in London. Ennis bought a bag of small pieces of Uilleann pipes. They were made in the early nineteenth century by Coyne of Thomas Street in Dublin. James worked...
, Russell was also known for his spoken introductions to tunes in his live performances, which incorporated folklore and legend. His knowledge of tradition extended past music to language, stories, dance, herbal lore, and old country cures.
Original music
"Micho Russell's Reel," his only known composition, is a variant of an older tune he called "Carthy's Reel." He told Charlie Piggott, "...So Carthy was beyond anyway and he heard the old tune from a piper playing it and he had the first part but only three-quarters of the second part. So when Séamus Ennis came around collecting music, I put in the last bit. That's roughly the story of the tune." The reel has been recorded by other artists such as Mary BerginMary Bergin
Mary Bergin is an Irish folk musician who is widely acknowledged as one of the great masters of the tin whistle. She plays in both the Irish Traditional and Baroque styles.- Biography :...
. His best-known songs were John Phillip Holland and The Well of Spring Water.
Discography
| Year | Artist | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Micho, Pakie and Gusie Russell | The Russell Family of Doolin, Co. Clare | Topic Records | Recorded in O'Connor's Bar, Doolin January 1974. |
| 1976 | Micho Russell | Traditional Country Music of Co. Clare | Free Reed | Reissued on CD by Free Reed in 2008 |
| 1990 | Micho Russell | Under the Cliffs of Moher | Xeric | |
| 1993 | Micho Russell | The Limestone Rock "The Man from Clare" features duets with Eugene Lambe on Flute and Tin Whistle 1995 'The Wind that shakes the Barley" Features Music, Song and Folklore "In Our Own Dear Land" A similar mix of Music,Song and stories. |
Recorded by GTD Heritage Recording Co. Ltd. All four titles are now Distributed by Trad Ireland |
|
| 1995 | Micho Russell | Ireland’s Whistling Ambassador | The Pennywhistler’s Press | Includes a 28 page booklet with a biography and notes on his music. There is also a video release with different music. |
Books
| Year | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Piper's Chair | Ossian Publications |
| 1986 | The Piper's Chair No. 2 | Canal Press, N.Y. |
| 1988 | The road to Aran: Songs, Folklore and Music of West of Ireland | Micho Russell, Doolin. |
| 1990 | Doolin's Micho Russell | N.Y. |
| 1991. | Micho's Dozen | Ennistymon Festival of Traditional Singing, Co. Clare. |
| 1992 | Music & Folklore of Doonagore | Micho Russell, Doolin. |
External links
- Biography at Micho Russell Festival Weekend Includes biographical abstract and select bibliography / discography.
- Ireland's Whistling Ambassador Publisher's site.
- Ireland's Whistling Ambassador review in Musical Traditions Internet Magazine
- Technique and Style in Irish Music Includes MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
sound clips and extensive commentary on Russell's style - Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann biography
- Old Photos of Micho Russell and Doolin