Here's one of those tunes which lots of people say is very common but can't remember the last time they either heard or played it. No I come to think of it, I've never heard anybody say "Hey, isn't The Morning Star a popular reel?". I've spent too much time typing stuff on this site and am starting to come out with solipsistic claptrap.

It is popular though, I think.

If you find the record "The Star Above The Garter" of Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford, you'll have a good version of this reel close at hand. If you do find the record (either in LP or CD format), it might even be mine. I never had much luck instilling a homing instinct in my copies of that recording.

I think I said I'd record this tune in my note about "The Bank of Ireland".  I'll have to be more careful in future.

This tune was composed by an Italian / Scottish violinist called  Parazotti.  I think it was in E flat.  I used to try it on the flute in D.  On this occasion I appear to be all at sea.

Here's a very popular reel. I think someone asked me to record this; sorry it took so long.

I'm not sure about naming good things like tunes after banks is totally appropriate. The tired old utterance "at least Dick Turpin wore a mask" comes to mind.

There's another tune called "The Bank of Turf" which is I suppose, referring to another Bank of Ireland, i.e. a bank made of Ireland. I'll maybe record it if and when I remember how it goes.

There's another one called "The Banks". It's not really a flute tune but I sometimes try to fool it into thinking it is. I'll have a stab at it now.

I learned this tune from the Donegal fiddle player, James Byrne.  I thought long and hard about the name and came up with this one.

Here's a popular hornpipe which deserves to be so.

I'm off for a pint.  I don't have to go to California for it which is a relief, although I'm sure the pints are excellent there.

Here's a march popular with flute players where I come from. I'm not sure where it came from originally.

I think the "pike" in question is the weapon variety and not the ingredient Olympic divers include to get more points per plunge. Are the extra points as compensation for any potential lacerations they might sustain if the pike bites them? Maybe the chlorine in the pool sedates it and stops this from being a risk anyway.

I played it a second time on a piccolo (or pikeolo) but got very self-conscious as people playing little flutes haven't always got on too well with my neighbours. Anyway, I think the tune suits the tiny treatment.

Here's a slightly less common Gordon's reel than the Lordy version. This one has the marked advantage of being much shorter. I'll have to work myself up to recording the longer one in the next while. In the meantime, I'll go for the Gordons that goes in a glass, with a slice of lime.

This is a very popular tune. I hope you like it.

Here's a slightly less common Gordon's reel than the Lordy version. This one has the marked advantage of being much shorter. I'll have to work myself up to recording the longer one in the next while. In the meantime, I'll go for the Gordons that goes in a glass, with a slice of lime.