Key signature: Bminor
Submitted on April 12th 2003 by slainte.
This tune has been added to 63 tunebooks.
Also known as Arrane Ghelby, Arrane Saveenagh Is The Manx Gaelic 'rock A Bye Baby On The Tree Top', Tune 2 Is Arrane Saveenagh.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Song Of The Kelpie
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Bmin
B4- B2|A2 B2 c2|d4- d2|c2 B2 A2|
B4- B2|A2 G2 F2|F2 G2 A2|B6:|
d3 e f2|d2 e2 f2|d3 e f2|f2 e2 d2|
c3 d e2|c2 d2 e2|d2 c2 B2|f4 e2|
d3 c B2|A2 G2 F2|d3 c B2|A2 G2 F2|
d2 c2 B2|A2 G2 F2|F2 G2 A2|B6||
"variation"
F2 B2 B2|B4 F2|A3 G F E|F4 F2|
F2 d2 d2|c4 B2|A4 AB|c2 d2 e2|
f3 e d2|d3 c B2|B3 A B2|F4 F2|
E4 E2|F4 B2|B3 c d2|B6||
Traditional Manx Air
This is the simplest tune as far as I know: maybe, even kids can play it on the whistle. But, you know, it is hard to play such a beautiful tune impressively.
I just transcribed this slow air from the playing of Solas and don't know anything except it comes from Isle of Mann. Does anyone play any other good Manx tune?
# Posted on April 12th 2003 by slainte
Oh, what a bad pianist we hire!
# Posted on April 12th 2003 by slainte
Arrane Ghelby
This tune is a Manx tune called Arrane Ghelby. The translation means Song of Dalby, a place on the West coast of the Island. There is no one credited with composing the tune although it is believed that it was first heard at Dalby. On quiet evenings a person could be heard singing the tune although he was never seen, locals used to believe that it was sung by a fisherman at sea or by the mooinjer veggy (Little People/faeries). Yet another Manx mystery! The original manx tune is slightly different to this version, I will get round to posting one day.
# Posted on August 24th 2003 by jkneale
Water Kelpie
Here is the "Water Kelpie" version played by my friend on harp;
X:127
T:Water Kelpie
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:D Dorian
D3 F Ad|c3 de2|f3g f2|e4 dc|!
d2 e2 d2|c2 A2 AG|G2 A2 c2|d4 e2||!
D3 F Ad|c2 d2 e2|f3g f2|e4 dc|!
d2 e2 d2|c2 A2 AG|G2 A2 c2|d4 e2|!
fe de fe|fe de fe|fe de cA|e2 ag fe|]
I will ask where she found it.
# Posted on December 5th 2007 by Ben Steen
It makes a very nice Morris jig I play it in Dm on C/G concertina and it has echoes of an old carol I heard as a kid. And carols were danced in the olden days.
# Posted on October 30th 2009 by Michael Sam Wild
It really is beautiful in its simplicity. As serene as the sea can sometimes be. I prefer to play all c's natural though. Try it!
(you might want to keep the first c in the variation sharp)
# Posted on July 20th 2010 by birlibirdie
Arrane Saveenagh
The variation is not a variation but a different song entirely. Arrane Saveenagh is the Manx gaelic 'hush a bye baby on the tree top' the first verse translates exactly, the second one is 'hush a bye baby on the crest of a wave' the third is 'hush a bye baby on the windy hill, listening to 'themselves' . I often sing this accompanied on the harp. Arrane Ghelby has no words that I know but is a very useful tune for improvising around and leading in and out of other tunes - it's really addictive once you know it well and I almost always include it somewhere. A really beautiful arrangement of this is by Charles Guard.
# Posted on December 28th 2010 by christabelle