Union Pipes - Irish Traditional Music Archive

COUrTney’S ‘UnIOn PIPeS’ AnD The TerMInOlOgy OF IrISh BellOWS-BlOWn BAgPIPeS 34
From William Reeve etc., The Overture, Favorite Songs, Duets and Choruses
in the grand Pantomime Ballet of Oscar & Malvina, Longman & Broderip,
London, n.d. [1791]
Favourite Overture in Oscar and Malvina’. he is supported by
Weippert, Mr Incledon, Mrs Mountain, Miss leary, and other leading
london entertainers. 97 later in the month Courtney and Weippert are
accompanying the singing of a Scottish duet by Incledon and
Mountain in a theatrical evening in Covent garden which featured as
the afterpiece the popular comedy The Irishman in London. 98 For the
first time in his london career, Courtney is billed as playing the ‘Irish
Pipes’; this was doubtless thought appropriate for the theme of the
comedy, which also featured ‘A Planxty’ sung by the Irish specialist
singer Mr Johnstone. 99 But ominously Courtney fails to appear for the
last night of a run of Oscar and Malvina in the same venue: ‘Mr.
Weippart with his harp, undertook the whole piece by himself, with
wonderful execution and taste; the sweet tone which he brought from
the harp astonished the Company’. 100 By the beginning of november
97
Morning Herald, london, 7 May 1792. The ticket price had increased from the
5s of his earlier benefit in the same venue to 7s 6d: his stock had obviously risen
because of Oscar and Malvina.
98
Public Advertiser, london, 28 May 1792.
99
Gazeteer and New Daily Advertiser, london, 22 May 1792.
100
Morning Herald, london, 2 June 1792.