Okay, I was at a funeral this weekend (Catholic) and the guy singing sang a song called "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say'. The tune sounded very familiar; then I realized the words were set to the tune of "Star of the County Down"! The credits in the hymnal said it was written by a guy called Horatio Kingsford who lived from 1809 to 1889.
What I'm wondering is... which came first? "Star of the County Down" or "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say"? Does anyone know?
The oldest reference to this tune is the song Gilderoy in Alex. Stuart's Musick for Allan Ramsay's Collection of Scots Songs, c 1726. It predates Star of the County Down by over 150 years. This tune and its variants have been used for numerous traditional songs, including Divers and Lazarus, The Murder of Maria Martin, and Claudy Banks, and also several English and American Hymns and Carols. It can be adapted to many songs – if you use just the verse melody (leave out the chorus) to Star of the County Down, you can sing Robert Service's famous poem, The Cremation of Sam McGee.
Thanks, Stewart. I'll try the "Cremation of Sam McGee" to that. Lots of fun! Like the words and melody of the Gilligan's Island theme are interchangeable with Amazing Grace.
Sounds just like...
Sounds just like...
Okay, I was at a funeral this weekend (Catholic) and the guy singing sang a song called "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say'. The tune sounded very familiar; then I realized the words were set to the tune of "Star of the County Down"! The credits in the hymnal said it was written by a guy called Horatio Kingsford who lived from 1809 to 1889.
What I'm wondering is... which came first? "Star of the County Down" or "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say"? Does anyone know?
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by Fiddlephilia
Re: Sounds just like...
The oldest reference to this tune is the song Gilderoy in Alex. Stuart's Musick for Allan Ramsay's Collection of Scots Songs, c 1726. It predates Star of the County Down by over 150 years. This tune and its variants have been used for numerous traditional songs, including Divers and Lazarus, The Murder of Maria Martin, and Claudy Banks, and also several English and American Hymns and Carols. It can be adapted to many songs – if you use just the verse melody (leave out the chorus) to Star of the County Down, you can sing Robert Service's famous poem, The Cremation of Sam McGee.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by Stewart
Re: Sounds just like...
Thanks, Stewart. I'll try the "Cremation of Sam McGee" to that. Lots of fun! Like the words and melody of the Gilligan's Island theme are interchangeable with Amazing Grace.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by Fiddlephilia
Re: Sounds just like...
Gilligan's Island and Amazing Grace also are interchangeable with House of the Rising Sun.
# Posted on August 15th 2006 by GaryAMartin