Percy French (1854-1920)
Last updated: 26.04.24
According to the Internet source given below, William Percy French was an Irish songwriter, entertainer, watercolour panter and polymath born in
Cloonyquin House, near Tulsk, County Roscommon. He was educated at Foyle College in County Londonderry and studied civil engineering at Trinity College Dublin. He joined the Board of Works in County Cavan 1881 as an "Inspector of Drains". Whilst there it is said that he wrote his best songs. In 1891 he became a full-time performer. When on stage he would paint or draw with chalk on brown paper while telling stories or singing his songs. Many of those songs were written together with Houston Collisson, his friend and stage partner.
He moved to London in 1910 staying there until his death.
He died from pneumonia in Formby, England.
| Websites: | |||
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Percy French | Biography by wikipedia.org. |
| Performer | CD Title | Supplier |
|---|
| Folk Music CDs: | |||
 |
Various Artists | The Complete Percy French Collection |        |
| Title | Attribution | Instruments | Source | Remarks |
|---|
 |
Abdull Bulbul Ameer (1877) | P. French (w&m) | Piano, Voice | IMSLP | |
|
Phil the Fluter's Ball (?) | P. French (w&m) | Piano, Voice | IMSLP |
This list is arranged in chronological order and contains 44 works by Percy French (1854-1920).
It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys:
(w&m)
(w&m)
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
|---|
| Abdull Bulbul Ameer (w&m) | 1877 | Percy French (perf.) Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) |
|
| Slathery's Mounted Fut (w&m) | 1889 | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) | |
| Mat Hannigan's Aunt (w&m) | 1892 | ||
| Mountains of Mourne, The | 1896 | Percy French (words)
air: trad |
|
| Are Ye Right There Michael? (w&m) | 1897 | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) | |
| When Erin Awakes | 1900 | Percy French (words)
air: The Flight of the Earls |
|
| Maguire's Motor Bike | 1906 | Percy French (words)
music: Houston Collison |
|
| No More of Yer Golfin' for Me | 1906 | Percy French (words)
music: Houston Collison |
|
| Mrs Brady | 1907 | Percy French (words) Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) music: Houston Collison |
|
| Pretendy Land | 1907 | Percy French (words)
music: J.A. Robertson |
|
| Donegan's Daughter | 1908 | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) | |
| ⇑ Kerry Courting, The | 1909 | Percy French (words)
music: Houston Collison |
|
| Emigrants Letter, The | 1910 | Percy French (words) Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) music: Ernest Hastings |
|
| Father O'Callaghan | 1910 | Percy French (words) Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) music: Houston Collison |
|
| Hoodoo, The | 1910 | ||
| Oklahoma Rose, The (w&m) | 1910 |
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
|---|
| Tullinahaw | 1910 | Percy French (words) Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) music: Houston Collison |
|
| Flanagan's Flying Machine | 1911 | Percy French (words)
music: Houston Collison |
|
| Come Back, Paddy Reilly (w&m) | 1912 | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) | |
| Killyran Wrackers, The (w&m) | 1914 | ||
| Larry Mick McGarry (w&m) | 1915 | ||
| Ach! I Dunno | ? | ||
| Andy McElroe (w&m) | ? | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) | |
| Darlin' Girl From Clare, The (w&m) | ? | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) | |
| Drumcolliher (w&m) | ? | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) | |
| Eileen Oge | ? | Percy French (words) Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) adapted W.H. Collison; |
|
| Fighting McGuire (w&m) | ? | ||
| ⇑ Flaherty's Drake (w&m) | ? | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.)
air: trad. |
|
| Fortunes of Finnegan, The | ? | Percy French (words)
music: Houston Collison |
|
| Gortnamona | ? | Percy French (words) Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) music: Philip Green |
|
| I Fought a Fierce Hyena | ? | Percy French (words)
music: Carline Maude |
|
| Jim Wheelahan's Automobeel | ? | Percy French (words)
music: Houston Collison; |
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
|---|
| Kitty Gallagher (w&m) | ? | ||
| Little Bridget Flynn | ? | Percy French (words)
music: Traditional arr.: M.P. French |
|
| Mary Ann McHugh, The | ? | Percy French (words) Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) air: Limerick is Beautiful |
|
| McBreen's Heifer | ? | Percy French (words) Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) air: The Irish Washerwoman |
|
| Mick's Hotel (w&m) | ? | ||
| Mulligan's Masquerade (w&m) | ? | ||
| Night That Miss Clooney Eloped, The (w&m) | ? | ||
| Phil the Fluter's Ball (w&m) | ? | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) | |
| Phistlin' Phil McHugh (w&m) | ? | Brendan O'Dowda (perf.) | |
| Sailor Courted a Farmer's Daughter, A | ? | Percy French (words)
parody of an old ballad |
|
| Sweet Marie | ? | Percy French (words) | |
| ⇑ Who Said the Hook Never Hurted the Worms? | ? | Percy French (words)
music: Caroline Maude |