Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls

reel

Key signature: Gmajor

Submitted on October 12th 2007 by Twilight_falls.

This tune has been added to 18 tunebooks.

Also known as The Harp That Once, Rise Up & Follow Charlie!.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

X: 1
T: Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
G2 | d3 e d2 B2 | e2 f2 g2 e2 | d3 B A3 B | G6 d2 |
g3 f g2 a2 | g2 f2 e2 d2 | e2 d2 g2 B2 | d6 d2 |
g3 f g2 ba | g2 f2 e2 d2 | e2 d2 c2 B2 | e6 f2 |
g3 f e2 d2 | e2 f2 g2 e2 | d3 B A3 B | G6 :|

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments
The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls sheetmusic
Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Additional information

This is not a reel, but is in fact a ballad (this style is not given as an option when submitting a tune. Both are marked in 4/4 time.) So it should be played at a tempo at which it may be comfortably sung. Here are the lyrics:


THE HARP that once through Tara’s halls
The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara’s walls
As if that soul were fled.
So sleeps the pride of former days, 5
So glory’s thrill is o’er,
And hearts, that once beat high for praise,
Now feel that pulse no more.

No more to chiefs and ladies bright
The harp of Tara swells: 10
The chord alone, that breaks at night,
Its tale of ruin tells.
Thus Freedom now so seldom wakes,
The only throb she gives,
Is when some heart indignant breaks, 15
To show that still she lives.

# Posted on October 12th 2007 by Twilight_falls

Also, please note that whatever software has been used to convert the tune from ABC has produced an incorrect midi file - the notes at the end of each phrase are dotted minims/half notes - as in the sheet music.

# Posted on October 13th 2007 by Twilight_falls

The Harp..

I've noticed that ... anything with a 6 (eg G6) comes out staccato.

# Posted on October 13th 2007 by spindizzy

Ceolachan.

O'Kanes March

# Posted on October 13th 2007 by Conroy

spindizzy, look at the comment directly above yours

# Posted on October 13th 2007 by Twilight_falls

A March

This is a classic tune but I've always thought that it was a march. Mind you the melody was hijacked by Longford singer, Larry Cunningham and converted into a 3/4 waltze for his mega hit, "Lovely Leitrim" back in the sixties.

I'm puzzled by Conroy's reference to O'Kane's March which is a totally different tune. O'Kane's is also a great march but is a three parter in the keys of "D", "G" and "A".

# Posted on October 14th 2007 by Bannerman

Rise up & Follow Charlie

I think most ordinary people in Ireland of a certain age would be better recognise this as the theme tune used by Charlie Haughey and his Fianna Fail party as a TV advertising jingle : Rise up & Follow Charlie!
Rise up me arse.. whilst he was busy lecturing us on financial rectitude and tightening our belts ... turns out he was busy getting backhanders from his business buddies and living the life of a Gaelic Lord a la The King of Tara!!!

# Posted on October 15th 2007 by the wounded hussar

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