Scots-Irish Music Hammered Dulcimer

2 - The Hammered Dulcimer in Co. Antrim

Although this instrument is relatively unknown now in Co. Antrim, some say it has actually been on these shores, in one form or another since, at least, the 18th Century.

In England it was very popular during the late 16th century and it seems likely that the hammered dulcimer was also being played in Scotland in the C16th, for there is mention of it in a Scottish poem of 1543, calling it a ‘dulsacordis’! It then probably travelled to County Antrim with the Scots, at least 4 or 5 generations ago.

The first player to be mentioned here was a Harry Coudy, who was a well known player in the 20’s. Then there was a John Johnson who only died in 1974. “He made four dulcimers, while Alec Magee of Larne made about a dozen instruments, many of them for young people, who apparently gave up when they found it too difficult; he was a joiner, took the measurements for his instruments from that of John Rea, and used autoharp pins from a music shop.”

Other more recent players included "James & Andrew Davidson of Buckna, Miss Katie Johnson of Owencloughy, William McMullan of Ballyclare, Thomas Taylor of Mullaghmore, Robert Gilbert of Kilwaughter plus others from around Ballyclare including Nat Magee ( Alec's son ), Mrs. Craig, Mrs. Doris Apsey, Jackie Apsey, Mrs. Woodside, William Mundel and Alec Rea of Ballymena."

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.

In Scotland the players used to play a lot of old song airs, and of songs which were popular between the wars, but John Rea tended to play the old traditional tunes he learned from his dad’s fiddle playing. So Reels, Jigs, Marches and Strathspeys were more his cup of tea and a fine healthy mix of Scottish and Irish tunes he played too. John Rea, before he died, used to regularly play duets with his brother William Rea, and thankfully Willie is still going strong, as is Nat Magee, so the glens still ring to the sound of these two men playing their Hammered Dulcimers.

Another well known Hammer Dulcimer player was Derek Bell of the Chieftains, although he called his a Timpan, but it was simply a Hammered Dulcimer.

Today, the best player in Ireland is still a County Antrim man, one Barry Carroll who has also recorded a CD with Hammered Dulcimer & Uilleann Pipes and more recently was a guest
musician on Sharon Shannon’s last CD.

Interestingly, there was very little interest in Hammered Dulcimers in the south.
However "two players from both areas did try to meet up once, but the meeting never happened because both men ended up waiting at 'different stations'!"

In 2002, a Hammered Dulcimer festival took place in Cork and ran for three years, organised by an American player, Christie Burns. Before the first Fest, a call went out for all Irish Hammered Dulcimer players to attend, or at least make themselves known – only four appeared! However, many Hammered Dulcimer players from all over the world did turn up & beginners classes rekindled an interest in this endangered species.

Christie has gone home to America now, but I am determined to do my best to help save this rare Co. Antrim beastie, and in 2003 I organised a concert in Glenarm Castle which was attended by four Hammered Dulcimers players, including myself.

In 2004, for my Black Nun Fest in Ballycastle I brought over an American player Rick Davis, from North Carolina to
help keep the flame burning. Nat Magee, of Larne has also played at my Black Nun folk club.

If you live in North Antrim and you are curious to find out what a Hammered Dulcimer actually looks like, and you would like to hear it being played, then you might like to know that I play mine every weekend in the Smugglers Inn, Bushmills.

Nat Magee would also play with us every once in a while at the Smugglers Inn.

So there you have it, its been around for perhaps a thousand years, made and played throughout Co. Antrim for at least the past 4 or 5 generations, and still, every time I take it out in North Antrim folk ask me what it is! Hopefully the Causeway Dulcimer Festival will put this right.