The intro sounds like a harp to me, but perhaps I'm mistaken because the notes I've read seem to suggest it's Dave Richardson on cittern.
It's a slow tune, like an air, but all the other references on this site and elsewhere say it's a hornpipe, and the other versions I have play it quite fast. I gather that this tune was originally a 'couple dance'.
My question is, assuming it's the same tune as the one archived here, can hornpipes be played very slow and still be called hornpipes ? Or would it be more correct, technically, to call the Boys of the Lough version an air ?
The sleeve notes from my LP say "This is a Munster version of a fairly common Gaelic love song. Cathal has the air Michael O hAlmhain, a flute and fiddle player from Dublin. In the song the young man tells how it is not the land or wealth of his love that he desires, but rather the sweet kisses from her lips. Alison Kinnaird leads Cathal and Robin on the Scottish knee harp, a smaller version of the clarsach she usually plays. It has 23 strings against 31 of the clarsach, its advantage being ease of mobility. The knee harp was specially made for her by Sanderson and Taylor the Edinburgh instrument makers"
Hope that's of some help. Must stick it on and listen to it now.
" . . . There is no sound from the seals or sweet music from the birds on the branch since I lost my first-love, who would take the mist from my heart . . . It wasn’t for the little field of barley, my dear, that I loved you . . . but for the taste of a few of your kisses . . . "
Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
I have this tune, the Little Stack of Barley, the one from the Boys of the Lough second album
(here http://www.softshoe-slim.com/lists/b/boys_lough.html)
The intro sounds like a harp to me, but perhaps I'm mistaken because the notes I've read seem to suggest it's Dave Richardson on cittern.
It's a slow tune, like an air, but all the other references on this site and elsewhere say it's a hornpipe, and the other versions I have play it quite fast. I gather that this tune was originally a 'couple dance'.
My question is, assuming it's the same tune as the one archived here, can hornpipes be played very slow and still be called hornpipes ? Or would it be more correct, technically, to call the Boys of the Lough version an air ?
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
I should have mentioned, the tune is about halfway through number 80, here
http://kohm.org/blog/?cat=8&paged=7
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
The sleeve notes from my LP say "This is a Munster version of a fairly common Gaelic love song. Cathal has the air Michael O hAlmhain, a flute and fiddle player from Dublin. In the song the young man tells how it is not the land or wealth of his love that he desires, but rather the sweet kisses from her lips. Alison Kinnaird leads Cathal and Robin on the Scottish knee harp, a smaller version of the clarsach she usually plays. It has 23 strings against 31 of the clarsach, its advantage being ease of mobility. The knee harp was specially made for her by Sanderson and Taylor the Edinburgh instrument makers"
Hope that's of some help. Must stick it on and listen to it now.
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by strayaway
Re: Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
That, of course should read "from Michael O hAlmhain"
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by strayaway
Re: Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
Thanks so much, strayaway. I'm trying to learn it. Does what you say mean this is a completely different tune to the Little Stck of Barley hornpipes ?
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
The tune is "The little field of barley" and is an Irish air.
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by strayaway
Re: Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
Aha! Thanks again. I was misled. The site I first found a reference has 'stack' not field. Great. That's my question resolved
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
I'm just listening to the LP now and quite brilliant it is, as indeed are all BOTL albums from that time.
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by strayaway
Re: Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
Yes. I know it's thirtyfive years old, but it's tragic that such good albums become unavailable.
# Posted on July 8th 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Boys of the Lough, An goirtin eornan
" . . . There is no sound from the seals or sweet music from the birds on the branch since I lost my first-love, who would take the mist from my heart . . . It wasn’t for the little field of barley, my dear, that I loved you . . . but for the taste of a few of your kisses . . . "
http://www.osiochru.com/2004_07_01_finola.html
# Posted on July 8th 2008 by wolfbird