Carolan's Welcome

waltz

Key signature: Aminor

Submitted on October 18th 2002 by x.

This tune has been added to 236 tunebooks.

Also known as Carolan's Air, O'Carolan's Welcom, O'Carolan's Welcome, O'Carolon's Welcome.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• A Rival Heart by Mark Evans
• A Tribute To Paddy Cronin... Master Irish Fiddler by Tom Dunne
• About Time 2 by Wendy Stuart
• Apples In Winter by The Itinerant Band
• At The Source by Celtic Spring
• Barefoot On The Altar by Chulrua
• Boil The Breakfast Early by The Chieftains
• Carolan's Favourite by Derek Bell
• Celtic Guitar Dreams by Iris Nevins
• D Is For Dulcimer by Glenn Morgan
• Fonnsheen by Fiona Davidson
• Garden Of Butterflies by Jody's Heaven
• Otherworld by Lunasa
• The Coming Of Spring by Cliff Moses
• The Irish Girl by Robin Bullock And Michel Sikiotakis
• The Music Of Turlough O'Carolan by Patrick Ball
• The O'Carolan Quartet by The O'Carolan Quartet
• The Salmon's Leap by Randal Bays
• True...Never Been Known To Lie by Knot Fibb'n
• Vol. 2 - Celtic Secrets by Greg Joy

X: 1
T: Carolan's Welcome
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Amin
cB |: A2 cd e2 | A2 cd e2 | dedcBA | B2 G2 E2 |
c3 B A2 | d3 c B2 | ce E2 G2 | A4 cB |
A2 cd e2 | A2 cd e2 | dedcBA | B2 G2 E2 |
g3 f e2 | a3 g ed | cedcBc | [1 A4 cB :| [2 A4 A2 |
|: e2 ab c'2 | e2 ab c'2 | c'bagab | c'2 e2 e2 |
f2 afed | e2 gedc | d2 e2 g2 | a6 |
ageg a2 | gede g2 | edcdec | d2 B2 G2 |
c3 B A2 | d3 c B2 | ce E2 G2 | [1 A4 A2 :| [2 A6 |]

In honor of Derek Bell

From the Carolan “bible,” i.e., Donal O’Sullivan’s book*, page 287: “This and the other tunes in Part Two were probably composed for patrons whose names have been lost; they have come down to us either with wrong titles or with no titles at all. The present tune was given to Forde by Patrick MacDowell and is marked ‘said to be Carolan’s’. Also known as ‘Carolan’s Welcome’.”
And from p. 362 (in the appendix to the 2001 edition, not in the earlier edition):
“Tune 171 (untitled) is now commonly known as ‘Carolan’s Welcome’. Derek Bell, harpist with the Irish traditional group The Chieftains, recorded it on his second album of Carolan’s music, Carolan’s Favourite, with Uilleann piper Paddy Moloney joining him. The Chieftains also played it as a group, in honour of The Pope’s visit to Ireland in 1979, from which the piece acquired its name. This music received further exposure when The Pope’s composer, Monsignor Frisina, orchestrated it for the album A Christmas in Rome.”

Note: In O’Sullivan’s book, in measure 7 of the B part, the g is sharped. I play it as a g natural. I’m not sure how Derek Bell played it, as I don’t have that recording. Also, all of Carolan’s compositions predate the waltz, so technically this tune is not a waltz.

*Donal O’Sullivan, Carolan: The Life Times and Music of an Irish Harper, Cork, Ireland: Ossian Publications, 2001. ISBN 1 900428 71 7 (paperback edition).

# Posted on October 18th 2002 by x

What a cool tribute to Mr. Bell.

# Posted on October 18th 2002 by cuchulain54

: Chords

This is the best resource around but I wonder if chord text could be added.......Im sure it would be helpfull for many!

# Posted on December 12th 2005 by Mafidguit

"Sarah's Welcoming Mazurka" ~ duplication (?) ~ a rescued curiosity?

Key signature: G Major
Submitted on April 9th 2007 by JACKB.
~ /tunes/display/7059

X: 1
T: Sarah's Welcoming
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: mazurka
K: Gmaj
|: BA |
G2 Bc d2 | G2 Bc d2 | cd cB AG | F/G/A F2 D2 |
B3 A G2 | c3 B A2 | Bd D2 F2 | G4 BA |
G2 Bc d2 | G2 Bc d2 | cd cB AG | F/G/A F2 D2 |
f3 e d2 | g3f dc | Bd cB AB | G4 :|
|: dc |
d2 ga b2 | d2 ga b2 | ba gf ga | b2 d2 d2 |
e2 ge dc | d2 fd cB | c2 d2 f2 | g4 g2 |
gf df g2 | fd cd f2 | dc Bc dB | c2 A2 F2 |
B3 A G2 | c3B A2 | Bd D2 F2 | G4 :|

Sarah's Welcoming ~ A beautiful tune.
# Posted on April 9th 2007 by JACKB

And a response to that from MTGuru:

Duplicated: "O'Carolan's Welcome"

What is the source of this setting? Shouldn't the key signature here be G Minor (2 flats)? I've heard it more commonly played in A Minor. What is the source of the unusual tune title? All the linked recordings have it as (O')Carolan's Welcome. Does anyone play this as a mazurka?

# Posted on April 10th 2007 by MTGuru

My answer to MTGuru's last question ~ "Not anyone in their right mind!"

# Posted on April 18th 2007 by ceolachan

"O'Carolan's Welcome" ~ e minor

X: 1134
T: O'Carolan's Welcome
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: piece
K: e minor
GF |
E2 GA B2 | E2 GA B2 | A>B AG FE | D/E/F D2 B,2 |
G2 GF E2 | A2 AG F2 | GB B,2 ^E2 | E4 GF |
E2 G>A B2 | E2 GA BG | AB AG FE | D3 C B,2 |
d2 dc B2 | e2 ed BA | G/A/B AG FG | E4 ||
B^A |
B2 ef g2 | B2 ef g2 | gf ed ef | g2 B2 B2 |
c2 ec BA | B2 dB AG | A3 B d2 | e4 e2 |
ed Bd e2 | dB AB d2 | B>A GA B/A/G | A2 F2 D2 |
G3 F E2 | A2 AG F2 | GB B,2 ^E2 | E4 ||

# Posted on April 18th 2007 by ceolachan

~ corrected ending ~ GB B,2 ^D2 | E4 ||

Yes Dow, you are right, who in their right mind would play an ^E... I must have been semi-conscious again, that damned firewater I keep brewing up and drinking... Just don't report me to the authorities. It should have been ^D not ^E... I hang my head in shame ~

# Posted on May 27th 2007 by ceolachan

Interesting reading

There is a page and a half blurb on Carolans tunes in the 'Irish Reel Book' by Patrick Steinbach comes with a cd too. It has this tune and other Carolan tunes also

# Posted on December 18th 2007 by tuning in