Annotation:Martin Byrne's Waltz

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MARTIN BYRNE'S WALTZ. Irish, Waltz. A reworking of the Scottish 6/8 march "Hundred Pipers (A)." Accordion player Joe Burke relates the story that Byrnes had landed a gig playing solo fiddle as an accompaniment to a one-man show being performed in Dublin. After the first week the show seemed to be going well and, since they shared quarters, one of the actors volunteered to fetch pay packets for both performers. He dutifully returned to the room to find Martin playing the fiddle. "Martin," he says, "I've got a confession to make." "Now, why would you be confessin' to me," Byrnes replied, "Surely there's nothing you could tell me." The actor then confided that he had peeked into both pay packets, curious to see their respective wages, and was chagrined to find that they were both being paid exactly the same salary. "And why not," says Byrnes, upon which the actor hotly replied that it was he who was up on the boards, carrying the whole show, doing all the characters and speaking all the lines..."and all you've got to do is play a few tunes on the fiddle!" At this Martin held out the fiddle to him and said, "Lets see if you're as good an actor as I am!"

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Recorded sources: Blue Sun Records, "Ceann Golaim: Art of Irish Accordion Music" (1999). Topic 12TS305/TSDL305, The O'Halloran Brothers - "The Men of the Island" (1976). Chris Sherburn & Denny Bartley - "Last Night's Fun." "Far From Home."