Flynn learned “Johnny’s Gone to the Ceilidh” (aka “Johnny Goin’ to Ceilidh” and “Back of the Change,” among other titles) from a track on Paul Brady’s classic 1978 album, Welcome Here Kind Stranger. On that recording, Brady played mandolin in a duet with the legendary fiddler Tommy Peoples. Flynn pays homage to Brady’s style on this D-modal single reel with lots of pick triplets and “crans,” an ornament adapted from uilleann pipes technique. An Irish ceilidh is a traditional social gathering, usually with live music, singing, dancing, and perhaps storytelling. In this video, Flynn lays out the A part of the tune.
