Wednesday 3 December 2025
Traditional Irish jig
This jig is taken from Francis O'Neill's collection The Dance Music of Ireland, published in 1907. O'Neill obtained this version of the tune from the manuscripts of Timothy Downing, a gentleman farmer of Tralibane, County Cork, who taught O'Neill the rudiments of the flute when the latter was a boy during the 1860s.
At one time, three halfpence a day was referred to as the common wage for an ordinary laborer or soldier.
Tuesday 2 December 2025
from “Thirty Easy and Progressive Studies”
This is étude No. 16 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.
Monday 1 December 2025
Flute duet by J.B. de Boismortier
Here is another duet from 55 Easy Pieces by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier'. This is a bourrée, so it should be played as if to accompany a quick double-time dance.
Sunday 30 November 2025
A Ragtime Two Step by Scott Joplin
When this rag was first published in 1908, it was evident to many that it was based on the same format of Joplin's first big hit, “Maple Leaf Rag”, which was published nine years earlier. Indeed, in the opening section “Sugar Cane” is stylistically identical to its famous predecessor. But it still rings with originality, in spite of the detractors. One of those was his now-estranged publisher John Stark, who derided Joplin's efforts of the time in personal notes. He postulated that Joplin's “spring of inspiration had run dry”, and seemed to show little compassion for the composer that had helped build his empire. Just the same, Joplin rags sold no matter who published them.
Saturday 29 November 2025
Traditional Irish jig
This jig is taken from Francis O'Neill's collection The Dance Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1907.
Friday 28 November 2025
from “20 Easy and Melodic Studies”
This étude in E minor is taken from the second book of Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies by Italian composer Ernesto Köhler.
Thursday 27 November 2025
from “Sonates sans Basse à deux Flutes traverses”
This common-time Allegro is the second movement of Georg Philipp Telemann's Sonata No. 4 in E minor for two flutes or recorders.
