FRANK
JORDAN (1923- ) FLUTE PLAYER.
Frank Jordan was
born in 1923, in Buckhill, Fairymount, Co. Roscommon, to Pat Jordan
and Mary Ellen Ford. Frank was one of five children, two boys
and three girls. Frank was not only born into an area rich in
music, but also a family rich in music. His grandfather, Thomas
Jordan, was a flute player of some repute in the county, and his
own father though not a competent flute player was a steeped in
music and could whistle or hum a tune at the drop of a hat, and
would often correct Frank and his brother and sisters on a tune,
much to their annoyance. On his mother's side, his granduncles,
Regans from Lisduff, Fairymount, were concertina players, as was
his own mother. Frank went to school in nearby Cortoon, and recalls
his first teacher was Mrs. Sherlock. He started to play music
on the tin whistle at the age of eight or nine. He was completely
self taught and was banished to the porch to practise. Frank well
recalls the night sitting on a bag of turf in the dark on the
porch, when he mastered his first tune. As he puts it himself,
once he had one or two tunes he was away with it. The music at
that time was scarce enough, with the exception of his own area.
His own brother, Tom, played the flute, and his sisters also played
little. Nearby lived the Semple's, the father, Frank, played concertina
whilst his son played the flute. Frank Semple was the first person
to get a gramophone in the area, and Frank Jordan would travel
often to this great rambling house. The gathered crowd would dance
the night away to the records of Michael Coleman, Paddy Killoran,
James Morrison and Hughie Gillespie. Frank's own favourite's were
Coleman and Killoran. Other musicians in his own area included
Mrs. Keenan, a concertina player, and her daughter an accordion
player. Theses ladies would often ramble to the Jordan home to
play music and John Gaffney, a flute player, who is still alive,
from Barnahalia, Fairymount. The popular instruments in the area
were flutes, concertinas and accordions. Out of nine or ten local
musicians, there was only one fiddle player, Kate Hardiman. The
popular tunes of this time included, the 'Blackberry Blossom'
and 'Bucks of Oranmore'. Country house dances provided the opportunity
for musicians to meet and play together. During the summer months
however, the attendance at the house dances proved to be a test
of stamina. Musicians were expected to attend every local house
dance, which, during the summer, meant virtually every night.
As these occasions often lasted to five or six o'clock in the
morning, it proved an exhausting business. Frank himself recalls
often going straight to work having played at a house dance, stopping
off at home only to disturb his bed so that it appeared to have
been slept in.
Work for Frank at this time was farming at home, and council work
when it was available. The outbreak of world was to see a massive
increase in turf production, and Frank got work from March until
October, on the Fourmore bog, about eight miles from Buckill.
Wages jumped during this period from three shillings and six pence
per day to five shillings and two pence. This was fairly good
wages considering it cost six pence to get into a dance hall and
two pence for five Woodbines. The music played in these halls
was mostly for dancing waltzes, quicksteps, the Siege of Ennis
and perhaps the Lancer Set. Frank started to play in halls when
he was about nineteen with the Peadar Noone Ceili Band.
It was strictly ceili for dances such as Stack of Barley, Walls
of Limerick, Siege of Ennis, Schottisches, and the Sixteen Hand
Reel.
After the war, work became scarce and as soon as he was able,
Frank went to England. This was 1947. and Frank got work with
a sugar factory in Newark, Nottinghamshire. The flat rate working
there was eight pounds per week but Frank managed to earn sixteen
pounds per week stacking sugar in the warehouse on piece work.
Frank would travel to Nottingham at weekends, and it was there
he met a Patrick Mills, from Belmullet. Co. Mayo, a cousin of
fiddler, Paddy Mills. Frank heard Patrick Mills playing a fiddle
one night in a pub, in Nottingham. They got talking and Patrick
Mills produced a flute belonging to his landlord. Frank recalls
the flute had an inscription on it, relating to the Coldstream
Guards. 1867. It was a Rudle Rose flute. Frank expressed an interest
in the instrument, and Patrick Mills negotiated with his landlord.
Eventually a price of thirty shillings was agreed. It was the
best flute Frank ever had, but he lent it to someone whilst at
home on holiday in 1953, and it was never returned to him. Flutes
at that time both in England and Ireland, were in plentiful supply
and were relatively cheap, in total contrast to the situation
today. In 1953. Frank moved to Birmingham, and became a founder
member of the Birmingham branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí
Eireanrr, in the late 1950's. He also joined the Birmingham
Ceili Band whose members were as follows, Frank Flanagan,
(flute), Frank Jordan's brother-in-law, from Cloonsuck, Castlerea,
Jack Cullen, his brother Kevin and sister Lily Lawrie, all on
fiddles, from Crossna, Knockvicar, Co. Roscommon, Frank O'Boyle,
on accordion, and his brother Tommy, on drums, from Northern Ireland.
John Ganly, on fiddle, from Gortaganny, Margaret Lawrie, on piano,
and her sister Kathleen, on piano accordion, both Birmingham born.
The band won an Oireachtas ceili band competition in Dublin, and
several All Britain titles. During these years, Frank travelled
all over England to Fleadhs, and often met London musicians like
Raymond Roland, Bobby Casey, Roger Sherlock and Con Curtin. He
also knew the members of the Liverpool Ceili Band and the London
Bands. Frank also played with box player, Pat Gildea, from Ballyhaunis,
and fiddle player Johnny Lynch, from Limerick. The trio played
in the same Birmingham pub for five years, playing Friday, Saturday
and Sunday nights. Irish music was extremely popular around this
time in Birmingham, and music could be heard in a number of pubs
every night of the week. Frank married in 1962, and his twin daughters,
Mary and Frances, were born in 1965. Frank worked with Wimpey,
in Birmingham, as a foreman and was very happy with his life there.
However his parents were on their own and advancing in age, so
Frank and his family returned to Ireland in 1967. His son, Brendan,
was born soon after. His father died aged eighty six and his mother
three years later aged eighty seven.
Frank wasn't at home too long when he started playing with the
Killina Ceili Band, who travelled all over the west playing in
pubs. After this, he joined John Carlos, Pat Gildea and Jimmy
Carney, to form the Foxhunters. This group played
together for a number of years. In this way Frank got to know
musicians at home again, especially by attending Fleadhs and Sessions
country, wide. The music scene was fairly quiet during the 1970's,
but has enjoyed a resurgence over the last few years. Frank believes
there is more respect for the music now, and more young people
are playing due to the existence of teachers such as Paddy Ryan
and Carmel Gunning. About two years ago, Frank started playing
in a ceili band known as the Woodlands. Other band members are
Mick Lohan (on box), and Tom McGowan (on fiddle). Frank believes
the tradition is very healthy at present, reflected by the wide
age span of players.
