Post by Ptarmigan on May 26, 2008 10:26:31 GMT
John Rea ~ Glenarm
However the most famous Co. Antrim Hammered Dulcimer player of them all was John Rea of Glenarm. He started out on the Dulcimer at the age of eight, and says his brothers all got fiddles but he was too small, so he got the dulcimer! John worked on the tug-boat in Belfast Lough and lived on board a lot of the time, which I suppose gave him plenty of time to practice. Today people play the dulcimer with little wooden hammers but John Rea used hammers made of thick steel wire, wound with wool, which were his own idea.
John, in his day, was very famous. He performed on the TV, played with ‘The Chieftains’ and recorded two LPs.
The Dulcimer ~ Co Antrim
YouTube ~ Irish Jig played on a Hammered Dulcimer
However the most famous Co. Antrim Hammered Dulcimer player of them all was John Rea of Glenarm. He started out on the Dulcimer at the age of eight, and says his brothers all got fiddles but he was too small, so he got the dulcimer! John worked on the tug-boat in Belfast Lough and lived on board a lot of the time, which I suppose gave him plenty of time to practice. Today people play the dulcimer with little wooden hammers but John Rea used hammers made of thick steel wire, wound with wool, which were his own idea.
John, in his day, was very famous. He performed on the TV, played with ‘The Chieftains’ and recorded two LPs.
The Dulcimer ~ Co Antrim
YouTube ~ Irish Jig played on a Hammered Dulcimer
John Rea was a hammered dulcimer player from Glenarm in County Antrim, Ireland.
Born in 1915 (some sources say 1922), John was the youngest of ten children. His six older brothers were all taught to play the fiddle by his father. However, as he was too small, his father had a dulcimer made by John's brother Alexander (a carpenter), using a borrowed dulcimer as a pattern, and that became John's instrument.
Glenarm Musician ~ John Rea
Born in 1915 (some sources say 1922), John was the youngest of ten children. His six older brothers were all taught to play the fiddle by his father. However, as he was too small, his father had a dulcimer made by John's brother Alexander (a carpenter), using a borrowed dulcimer as a pattern, and that became John's instrument.
Glenarm Musician ~ John Rea
John Rea himself is generally reckoned to be the best Northern Ireland dulcimer-player; he works on a tug-boat on Belfast Lough, and lives on board, except when at home in Glenarm. He started playing when he was 8, and can play anything he can hear in his head: "I just picked it up - my father was a great fiddler". He is one of the fewer dulcimer-players of an older generation who is still learning new tunes.
Dulcimers ~ John Rea
Dulcimers ~ John Rea
Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland produced several very good hammer dulcimer players, and the most famous of these was perhaps John Rea of Glenarm. He started out on the Dulcimer at the age of eight, and was the exception in an Irish family of ten children, all of whom except him were fiddle players.
John Rea (1922-1983)
John Rea (1922-1983)
I need to back up a bit, though. Before the visit to the castle, Nat took us up to John Rea's house overlooking Glenarm and the Irish Sea, which is still owned by family who were most gracious to allow us to tromp around on their lawn and take pictures.
John Rea's House & Grave
John Rea's House & Grave