I'm looking for a haunting traditional fiddle air/tune/lament (NOT a song), to record with a song, and would welcome any ideas (preferably with a link to a rendition of it).
A bonus would be if mermaid/seal/selchie/sea is in the title! but not essential...
It's not a complicated tune. I play it slow and with only a little ornamentation and it just yearns out of the fiddle. It's supposedly a lament of an exile from Decies in Co Wexford for the mountain gCua that he loves. When my fiddle plays it, you really miss that mountain.
Without words....hmmm... that makes it more difficult, as many of my favorite tunes have had words affixed at some time or another. Mrs. Jameson's Favorite is one I like, but more pretty than haunting.
Inisheer is a wonderful tune, written about an island, but is unfortunately recently composed.
Thanks so much everyone, for all suggestions so far - keep them coming! I plan to make some time over the weekend to listen to them...
Ben - it's a song I wrote, with sad lyrics/feel, but its melody works best a little upbeat. Hoping to have a fiddler play on it, and I think it'll work well for the fiddle to then slow into a separate air/lament...
One of my own favourites is 'Marbhna Luiminigh'/'The Lament for Limerick' which I believe is to be found in the Tunes section. It's a very sad air with great historical resonance.
This list merely skims the surface of a very deep pool of culture about which I know little; only I adore these tunes and I think you will too. "By The River Of Gems," or "I Am Asleep, Do Not Wake Me" or the one that is the Irish for "Lord Mayo," or "Were You At The Rock?," or "The Beloved Hired Man," are this piper's favorites. Sorry, but I don't know their Irish names.
Well, if you want a connection to the sea, Kenny's suggestion of Port na bPúcaí is pretty good - get a hold of 'The Poet & The Piper' recording - Seamus Heaney and Liam O'Flynn to learn why. Otherwise maybe Amhrán na Leabhar, supposedly composed about books (heritage) lost in a ship wreck. You could also play the jig, Out on the Ocean, real nice and slow ala Martin Hayes. That should do.
@Wounded, isn't "The Fairy Wind" connected with the Blasket Island, and particularly with a fiddler from there? Come in, Springfield MA. Do you read me? Blasket descendents, am I on the right track?
Lamentably, this is not an elementary air/llament...
(r e a d s l o w e r, mcknowall, and preferably after coming home from the Kyogle pub.)
What is "haunting"? ...and what is haunting to one might be fairly cursory to the next. The op sounds like she would be fairly haunted by port na bucai (get the spelling correct), it should be you tubed by now somewhere.
Skull, would something like "Anach Cuain" be more to your taste? Too tame? There are a bunch of airs that can almost make the listener's hair stand up straight on the head. And it's only music...
"Port na bPuchai" - Tommy Peoples : Comhaltas CL13
"Port na bPucai" - Sean Potts & Paddy Moloney - "Tin Whistles" : Claddagh CC15
"Port na bPucai" - Seamus Tansey -"Sligo Ceili" : Outlet SOLP 1022
"Port na bPucai" - Tony McMahon - "I gCnoc na Grai" : Gael Linn CEFCD 114
"Port na bPucai" - Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill - "Live In Seattle" : Green Linnet GLCD 1195
good man, kenny...
two versions of that at random quickly found...just to illustrate the point. Both of these would be probably far too esoteric for the op, haunting though they may be. It is relative.
the way Cillian Vallely is playing Port na bPucai there
requires, if I may be so bold as to say...a feeling, if not a knowledge of Irish language.
What a gem.
The old chestnut "Hector the Hero" always gets to me. Perhaps because a part of the tune sounds quite like "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" from Cabaret. That's definitely chilling enough.....
What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
I'm looking for a haunting traditional fiddle air/tune/lament (NOT a song), to record with a song, and would welcome any ideas (preferably with a link to a rendition of it).
A bonus would be if mermaid/seal/selchie/sea is in the title! but not essential...
Many thanks
Sue
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by suesinger
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1811
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by Kenny
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
How about 'Leaving Lerwick Harbour'?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2owQhQ-RnGE
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by gam
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Leaving Lerwick Harbour isn't a tradional tune, it was written by Willie Hunter - which is not to say that it's not a good tune.
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by stoneboy2
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Might be considered public domain now and a Finnish tune:
Skinner - Valley of Silence:
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/display.php?ID=JSS0025
Trad - Metsakukkia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6EuFdvWT5Y
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by celticturntable
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Suigan. I believe it's a Welsh air. We played it in my pipe band a few years ago. Very nice. We are currently playing one named the Unknown Air.
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by baxdrum
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Suo Gân. It just means lullaby.
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by ethical blend
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
What's the song?
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by Ben Steen
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Here's one Charlie Lennon Play's on this Album
More the haunting air..
jim...
http://www.allcelticmusic.com/music/a14e6b1c-f86f-102a-8020-000f1f67beb1/Time_For_A_Tune.html
14) Air: Iarthar Mhaigh Eo
I put it on the Back of this Video my wife made while out walking our dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjzMdzp76qM
jim,,,
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by FIDDLE4
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
I vote for "Cape Clear"
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by plunk111
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Sliabh Geal gCua.
It's not a complicated tune. I play it slow and with only a little ornamentation and it just yearns out of the fiddle. It's supposedly a lament of an exile from Decies in Co Wexford for the mountain gCua that he loves. When my fiddle plays it, you really miss that mountain.
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by Sky fiddler
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Without words....hmmm... that makes it more difficult, as many of my favorite tunes have had words affixed at some time or another. Mrs. Jameson's Favorite is one I like, but more pretty than haunting.
Inisheer is a wonderful tune, written about an island, but is unfortunately recently composed.
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by AlBrown
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Thanks so much everyone, for all suggestions so far - keep them coming! I plan to make some time over the weekend to listen to them...
Ben - it's a song I wrote, with sad lyrics/feel, but its melody works best a little upbeat. Hoping to have a fiddler play on it, and I think it'll work well for the fiddle to then slow into a separate air/lament...
# Posted on June 2nd 2011 by suesinger
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
The Coulin
Hands down the most beautiful air I've ever heard.
Played it tonight at a session, and the whole place fell silent, its magical.
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by ormepipes
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
One of my own favourites is 'Marbhna Luiminigh'/'The Lament for Limerick' which I believe is to be found in the Tunes section. It's a very sad air with great historical resonance.
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by amhrán
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Nathanial Gow's Lament to the Death of his Brother is very haunting and very beautiful!!
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by crfiddler
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Gloomy Winter's Noo Awa...........played slowly
Beautiful!
Mary
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Antikhntr
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Sean McGuire's version of 'Taimse Im Chodladh' (I am asleep)
does it for me.
http://youtu.be/SNVI2RBMPP8
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Free Reed
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Fill the Glass
Pulls my heartstrings right out of their sockets.
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by oriley
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
"Bessie The Beauty Of Rossinare Hill" - O'Connor makes his
fiddle sound like a chanter in this recording. It looks like you
can a sample of it here:
http://www.gerryoconnor.net/journeyman.html
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Hup
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
This list merely skims the surface of a very deep pool of culture about which I know little; only I adore these tunes and I think you will too. "By The River Of Gems," or "I Am Asleep, Do Not Wake Me" or the one that is the Irish for "Lord Mayo," or "Were You At The Rock?," or "The Beloved Hired Man," are this piper's favorites. Sorry, but I don't know their Irish names.
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Try this one :
Thugamar Fein an Samradh Linn
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/10447
and "I will go home to Kintaill
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/10481
They both got words, but I play them mostly as slow airs...
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Nikita Pfister
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Well, if you want a connection to the sea, Kenny's suggestion of Port na bPúcaí is pretty good - get a hold of 'The Poet & The Piper' recording - Seamus Heaney and Liam O'Flynn to learn why. Otherwise maybe Amhrán na Leabhar, supposedly composed about books (heritage) lost in a ship wreck. You could also play the jig, Out on the Ocean, real nice and slow ala Martin Hayes. That should do.
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by the wounded hussar
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Haunting ailment? well now let's see there's.....................
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by mcknowall
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Ailimentary, my dear mcknowall!
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by AlBrown
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
@Wounded, isn't "The Fairy Wind" connected with the Blasket Island, and particularly with a fiddler from there? Come in, Springfield MA. Do you read me? Blasket descendents, am I on the right track?
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Looked up the commentary -- which I should have done in the first place -- and got most of the answer. The fiddler has a name though.
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Lamentably, this is not an elementary air/llament...
(r e a d s l o w e r, mcknowall, and preferably after coming home from the Kyogle pub.)
What is "haunting"? ...and what is haunting to one might be fairly cursory to the next. The op sounds like she would be fairly haunted by port na bucai (get the spelling correct), it should be you tubed by now somewhere.
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Georgeous rendition of a beautiful tune
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMqV869
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by deirjon
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Sorry. Next try
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMqV869zcHw
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by deirjon
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Skull, would something like "Anach Cuain" be more to your taste? Too tame? There are a bunch of airs that can almost make the listener's hair stand up straight on the head. And it's only music...
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
OP, "The Sea Maid" is a lovely air, though not exactly a spine tingler.
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Atahualpa Quigley
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Caoineadh Bean Ui Chiarrai (The Kerry Woman's Lament) would tick several boxes : spine tingling( in more than one way), nautical theme and all that..
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
"Get the spelling correct......"?
"Port na bPuchai" - Tommy Peoples : Comhaltas CL13
"Port na bPucai" - Sean Potts & Paddy Moloney - "Tin Whistles" : Claddagh CC15
"Port na bPucai" - Seamus Tansey -"Sligo Ceili" : Outlet SOLP 1022
"Port na bPucai" - Tony McMahon - "I gCnoc na Grai" : Gael Linn CEFCD 114
"Port na bPucai" - Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill - "Live In Seattle" : Green Linnet GLCD 1195
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Kenny
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
good man, kenny...
two versions of that at random quickly found...just to illustrate the point. Both of these would be probably far too esoteric for the op, haunting though they may be. It is relative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvPXbIfu9_Y&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2TgqnQkqmY
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
the way Cillian Vallely is playing Port na bPucai there
requires, if I may be so bold as to say...a feeling, if not a knowledge of Irish language.
What a gem.
# Posted on June 3rd 2011 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Try The Beauties of Autumn.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4553
If you understand some of the more classical musical terms, I'd say play it at about Andante, and piu espressivo.
# Posted on June 4th 2011 by an fidleir
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Oh wait, my bad, not piu espressivo, but molto espressivo.
# Posted on June 4th 2011 by an fidleir
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
I love Bovaglie's Plaid. Grave and haunting. Just beautiful.
# Posted on June 4th 2011 by skyedance
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
The old chestnut "Hector the Hero" always gets to me. Perhaps because a part of the tune sounds quite like "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" from Cabaret. That's definitely chilling enough.....
# Posted on June 5th 2011 by cboody
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
For Ireland I'd not tell her name is a beautiful and moving air. The Boys of the Lough do a great setting of it.
# Posted on June 5th 2011 by Geoff Pollitt
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
Dervish - Ar Éirinn ní nesfainn cé hí
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRg_gich7q4&feature=related
# Posted on June 5th 2011 by Ben Steen
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
fishermans song for atrtacting seals, or the great silkie of sule skerry
# Posted on June 6th 2011 by Joseph Tailyour
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
The Wild Hills o'Wannies (feel free to correct my spelling)
# Posted on July 1st 2011 by The Archivist
Re: What's the most haunting air/lament you know?
May morning dew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T0O7WPKMtU&list=FL7QlOsGjSMCofnUm1eZYgsA&index=16&feature=plpp_video
# Posted on January 29th 2012 by eddieV3