"May your son not wake you up at 5:30 am on your day off" is my mantra, but Jesus going up on the cross for my sins is a big enough favor that I won't poke any more fun.
~b
Speaking of that, Seamus Tansey has an album called Easter Snow, where he plays a song called Easter Snow, with harp accompanyment. It's painfully beautiful. I don't have the album here with me, but it's supposed to be an old church melody, and the whiteness of the snow is related to the purity of Christ. I've never seen a transcription of that (JC doesn't have it).
There is an old recording of the fiddlers John and Michael Doherty telling the folk story behind the song Easter Snow, on a field recording tape from John Moulden's Ulstersongs website. On another tape it is sung by Brigid Tunney, born in 1886, recorded in 1952 by Sean O Boyle. She says she learned it 40 years before at a dance party. On the Doherty tape, Johnny says, "there was no such thing in those days as Easter snow. We never had snow at Easter time, this was a beautiful young lady, and her name was Easter Snow, and her height was six feet one and she stood someplace in the county, I don't recall where in the county, but her name was Eater Snow.".. then he plays the tune on the fiddle. He is a great story teller, with lots of folk tales mixed with the fiddle playing. I highly recommend the recording - it is Folktrax FTX-073, John and Michael Doherty - THE DONEGAL FIDDLER AND THE FAIRLY. I think I added the link to John Moulden's site some time ago on thesession.org links.
Here's what Seamus Tansey has, in his liner notes: "This slow air or lament was first played by Seamus Ennis on the pipes. He would not say where he found it or what its origins were. There is a townland called Easter Snow in Co. Roscommon and legend has it that it was an ancient monastic chant in celebration of the rising of Christ on Easter, as white as the snow. I wonder does the tune come from there?"
I'm listening to it as i copy these notes, and Seamus' flute and the awesome wire-strung harp accompanyment are so beautiful.
I just got Eamonn Cotter's CD, and he also has a very beautiful interpretation of this air (with piano accompanyment, of all things). Very nicely done.
Easter
Easter
Happy and Holy Easter to you all!
No seisiuns around here this Sunday. Most everyone is traveling or is with family...as it should be. "May the sun rise with you..."
Linda
# Posted on March 29th 2002 by linda
Re: Easter
And may the Son rise with you as well.
# Posted on March 29th 2002 by flyinfiddler
Re: Easter
And may you also rise with the Son, even if you don't rise with the Sun.
# Posted on March 29th 2002 by glauber
Blessing
Actually, the kind of blessing i crave these days is: "may you not have to rise with the Sun".
# Posted on March 29th 2002 by glauber
Re: Easter
"May your son not wake you up at 5:30 am on your day off" is my mantra, but Jesus going up on the cross for my sins is a big enough favor that I won't poke any more fun.
~b
# Posted on March 29th 2002 by B Rad
Re: Easter
Speaking of that, Seamus Tansey has an album called Easter Snow, where he plays a song called Easter Snow, with harp accompanyment. It's painfully beautiful. I don't have the album here with me, but it's supposed to be an old church melody, and the whiteness of the snow is related to the purity of Christ. I've never seen a transcription of that (JC doesn't have it).
# Posted on March 30th 2002 by glauber
Re: Easter Snow
There is an old recording of the fiddlers John and Michael Doherty telling the folk story behind the song Easter Snow, on a field recording tape from John Moulden's Ulstersongs website. On another tape it is sung by Brigid Tunney, born in 1886, recorded in 1952 by Sean O Boyle. She says she learned it 40 years before at a dance party. On the Doherty tape, Johnny says, "there was no such thing in those days as Easter snow. We never had snow at Easter time, this was a beautiful young lady, and her name was Easter Snow, and her height was six feet one and she stood someplace in the county, I don't recall where in the county, but her name was Eater Snow.".. then he plays the tune on the fiddle. He is a great story teller, with lots of folk tales mixed with the fiddle playing. I highly recommend the recording - it is Folktrax FTX-073, John and Michael Doherty - THE DONEGAL FIDDLER AND THE FAIRLY. I think I added the link to John Moulden's site some time ago on thesession.org links.
Alice Flynn
# Posted on March 30th 2002 by aliceflynn
Re: Easter
that should be THE DONEGAL FIDDLER AND THE FAIRY (I don't know how that extra "L" got in there... typing too fast, I guess).
Happy Easter, everyone.
Alice
# Posted on March 30th 2002 by aliceflynn
Re: Easter
hello everyone!
just to say happy easter to you all.
hope u have a lovely day
Mairead
# Posted on March 31st 2002 by Tune_fanatic
Easter Snow
Here's what Seamus Tansey has, in his liner notes: "This slow air or lament was first played by Seamus Ennis on the pipes. He would not say where he found it or what its origins were. There is a townland called Easter Snow in Co. Roscommon and legend has it that it was an ancient monastic chant in celebration of the rising of Christ on Easter, as white as the snow. I wonder does the tune come from there?"
I'm listening to it as i copy these notes, and Seamus' flute and the awesome wire-strung harp accompanyment are so beautiful.
# Posted on April 1st 2002 by glauber
Re: Easter Snow
I just got Eamonn Cotter's CD, and he also has a very beautiful interpretation of this air (with piano accompanyment, of all things). Very nicely done.
# Posted on April 10th 2002 by glauber