Patsy Touhey facts for kids
Patrick J. Touhey (born February 26, 1865 – died January 10, 1923) was a very famous musician who played the uilleann pipes. These are a special type of Irish bagpipes. Patrick Touhey was known for his new ways of playing music and how he made sounds. He traveled all over America, performing on stage in variety shows and vaudeville. His recordings also helped spread his unique style to many Irish-American pipers. Many people think he was the most important person to create a special American way of playing the pipes.
You can listen to recordings of Touhey from the 1900s online. These old recordings have been saved and put on the ITMA website.
Contents
The Life of Patrick Touhey
"Patsy" Touhey was born on February 26, 1865, near Loughrea in County Galway, Ireland. He came from a family of talented pipers. His grandfather, Michael Twohill, and his father, James, were also skilled musicians.
His family moved to Boston, USA, around 1868. Patsy's father arranged for him to learn the pipes from Bartley Murphy. But when Patsy was ten, his father passed away, and he stopped playing the pipes for a while.
Returning to Music
When Patsy was a teenager, he went into a Bowery music hall in New York City. There, he saw John Eagan, known as the "White Piper," perform. Patsy was amazed by Eagan's amazing playing. This made him want to play the pipes again. He learned from Eagan and another piper named Billy Taylor. Soon, Patsy became a master of the instrument himself.
In 1885 and 1886, Touhey and Eagan toured the northeastern United States. They performed with a group called "Harrigan's Double Hibernian Co." This was Patsy's first experience with performing on stage. The show featured Jerry Cohan, whose son, George M. Cohan, later became a famous songwriter.
Performing on Stage
Between 1886 and 1895, Touhey appeared in several theater shows. These included "Inshavogue" and "The Ivy Leaf." He also played at big events like the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. There, he performed at the Irish Village. He was also hired to play at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.
From about 1896 until 1921, Patsy Touhey performed in vaudeville shows. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with different acts. He often performed with his wife, Mary, and their partner, Charles Henry Burke. Their shows included funny jokes, silly acts, and songs that reminded people of Ireland. Patsy would play the pipes, and Mary would dance.
A Kind Musician
Francis O'Neill, a Chicago Police Chief and a famous collector of Irish dance tunes, spoke highly of Touhey. He called him "the genial wizard of the Irish pipers." O'Neill also said that Touhey was never jealous or unkind to other musicians. He was always happy to share the stage.
Touhey lived in the Bronx, New York City, for many years. He and Mary also lived in East Haddam, Connecticut, and Freeport, New York. He passed away on January 10, 1923, and is buried in St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx.
Touhey's Playing Style
Patrick Touhey played the uilleann pipes left-handed. This was different from how most pipers played. He used special instruments made by the Taylor brothers. When he played dance music, he played fast. But he would change the speed slightly to make the tune sound more interesting.
Using the Regulators
Uilleann pipes have parts called "regulators." These are keyed pipes that lie under the player's hand. Touhey used these regulators to add to the music's main structure, not just to keep the beat. He could play smooth, flowing parts and then quickly switch to short, sharp notes. He used many difficult techniques like runs, triplets, and crans, all very skillfully.
However, he did not use some common tricks that pipers use today. For example, he didn't lift the chanter (the main pipe) off his knee to make a note louder. Because of these differences, his style was unique compared to pipers who stayed in Ireland, like Willie Clancy and Seamus Ennis.
Most uilleann pipes have three drones (pipes that make a continuous sound) and three regulators. Touhey's pipes were special. One of his drones was replaced with a regulator that played an E-note. This note would not usually be available. You can hear his pipes being played by their current owner, Sean McKiernan, .
Recordings and Influence
Some of Touhey's old recordings show how he could smoothly change from one type of tune, like a jig, to another, like a reel. He also had a special trick: for an encore, he would play the American song "Turkey in the Straw" in his piping style. Captain Francis O'Neill said this would "take the audience by storm," even if they were from different countries.
You can hear his music on three old records from 1919. These include two groups of reels and one group of jigs. He also recorded another group of hornpipes, but it was not released. Two of his recordings can be found on the CD The Wheels of the World, which features early Irish-American musicians.
Touhey also made his own recordings at home as early as 1901. He would record tunes onto wax cylinders and sell them. Many of these recordings still exist today. Captain O'Neill also made cylinders of Touhey playing. You can tell the difference because either Touhey or O'Neill's voice introduces the player and the song.
Father Richard Henebry, a Gaelic scholar, was very impressed by Touhey's playing. He said that Touhey's performance of "The Shaskeen Reel" was an amazing achievement.
While many pipers admired Touhey, some, like Brother Gildas O'Shea, felt his style was not traditional. However, most pipers were amazed by his playing. Séamus Ennis, another famous piper, said that he and his father thought Touhey's playing was "hyper-phenomenal." He even called Touhey "the best of the men who came before my father."
Touhey did not have children, but he taught several students, including Michael Carney and Michael Morris. His unique style influenced many other pipers, especially those who lived in the United States. This included musicians like Michael Gallagher, Paddy Lavin, and Tom Ennis. Tom Busby, a student of Michael Carney, described this style as the Connaught style of piping.
Discography
Solo Album
- "The Piping of Patsy Touhey" (2005)
Various Artists Including Patsy Touhey
- "A New Dawn" (1999)
- "The Wheels of the World Vol 1" (2000)
- "The Wheels of the World Vol 2" (2000)
- "Farewell To Ireland" (2005)
