Planxty Warnock features the Uilleann Pipes, a distinctly Irish instrument with a sweet, mellow, haunting sound accompanied by a blend of traditional and classical instruments for a sound that surely would have sat comfortably in the repertoire of the Baroque-period Irish harpers and pipers.
It is not completely certain where the term "Planxty" originated. though some claim that it originated from the Gaelic word "sláinte", while others claim that the word was used to hide the true identity of the composer during the penal law era in Ireland, when traditional Irish song was banned.
If you look at any online dictionary, you'll find "planxty" defined as perhaps a "medieval lament" or "mournful tune written for the harp." Another possibility is that it is an Anglicization of an Irish phrase meaning "from the house of", which seems to fit the pattern of tunes written by the famous harper, Turlough O' Carolan. In essence, a planxty is a tune dedicated to a person or family and is the way the word is used in the title of this tune.
I hope you enjoy, "Planxty Warnock."
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