During the late 1980s, Na Píobairí Uilleann (The Pipers’ Club) of Dublin, in association with Brooks Academy, produced six cassette recordings of set dance music which featured some outstanding instrumentalists playing over 200 tunes of the first water. These tunes have been accurately notated and brought together, with chords, in this, The Blue Book and its sister collection, The Yellow Book. There are 212 fabulous tunes to play for set dances and Irish music sessions, All these tunes can be heard on the Na Píobairí Uilleann website (pipers.ie). Search for the six recordings: Round the House, Mind the Dresser, Pay the Piper, Call the Tune, Show the Lady and Face the Hob.
Ard An Bhóthar
The Barren Rocks of Aden
Bill Sullivan’s
The Blackbird
Bonny Ann
The Bowna
The Bride’s Favourite
Bunratty Boys
The Butchers’ March
Cailleach an Airgid
Captain Byng
Christmas Eve
The Clare Jig
Colonel Fraser
An Comhra Donn
Connie Walsh’s
Dan Patsy’s
The Dark Girl Dressed in Blue
Denis Doody’s
Denis Murphy’s
Din Tarrant’s
Din Tarrant’s No. 5
The Doon
Down the Broom
The Eavesdropper
Eibhlín ní Riordáin’s
Fairy Reel
Finnegan’s Wake
Fly By Night
The Frost Is All Over
Gallope, An
Ger the Rigger 21
Give Us a Drink of Water
The Gold Ring
The Golden Eagle
Gorman’s
The Guillane
Happy to Meet, Sorry to Part
Hardiman the Fiddler
The Humours of Drinagh
The Humours of Kesh
I Have a Bonnet
I’ll Tell Me Ma
Jack Ryan’s
Jenny’s Wedding
Jerry’s Beaver Hat
Jessica’s
Joe Derrane’s
John Egan’s
Johnny O’Leary’s
Julia Clifford’s
The Killavil
Kiloran’s
Kimmel’s No. 1
Kimmel’s No. 2
The Ladies’ Pantalettes
Leslie’s
The Lisheen
Maguire’s
Maids of Mullach
Merrily Kiss the Quaker
Miss McGuinness
Miss Ramsay’s
The Mug of Brown Ale
Munster Buttermilk
Murphy’s
My Darling Asleep
Neily Cleere’s
The Newmarket
Not for Joe
O’Keeffe’s
Oh! The Britches Full of Stitches
The Old Bush
Old Hag You Have Killed Me
Old Tipperary 5
The Old Torn Petticoat
The Otter’s Holt
Over the Moor to Maggie
Paddy Fahey’s
Pádraig O’Keeffe’s
Pádraig O’Keeffe’s Favourite
Paidín Ó Raifeartaigh
Piper’s Despair
The Pullet
The Ravelled Hank of Yarn
Ride a Mile
The Road to Lisdoonvarna
The Roscommon Reel
Sergeant Cahill’s Favourite
The Ship in Full Sail
Sliabh Russell
Spike Island Lasses
Stay and Have Another
The Stoney Step
Terry Teahan’s
Tom Billy’s Favourite
Tommy Peoples’
Tony Lowe’s
Trip to Durrow
The Weaver’s
Traditional Irish Music for Sets and Sessions Blue Book
The Blue Book and its sister collection, The Yellow Book, contain a wealth of popular traditional Irish tunes, transcribed from recordings accurately arranged for Irish set dancing, each track being the correct length for each figure.
These tunes represent a typical cross-section of repertoire heard in Irish music sessions and crop up regularly. They form an excellent reservoir of tunes for session players and the added aid of soundtracks, played by top performers, makes learning them very accessible, for both newbies and seasoned players.
The tunes in this book can all be heard on the Na Píobairí Uilleann website (pipers.ie).
9 Set Dances
101 Tunes
21 Polkas
14 Slides
25 Double Jigs
3 Single Jigs
3 Slip Jigs
28 Reels
1 Single Reel
6 Hornpipes
16 Photographs