Jump to content

Theme Of The Month, August 2015: The Music Of Turlough O'carolan


Jim Besser

Recommended Posts

As with others, here's one I did earlier.

 

Eleanor Plunkett/Fanny Powers

 

I like these two together, they seem to me to fit very nicely and I play Eleanor Plunkett slowly then take the tempo up a little with Fanny Powers. I have never really seen Fanny Powers as waltz though I appreciate that many people play it as one. The notation I have is from a book of Carolan tunes I bought some years ago and it's notated in 6/8 in there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 72
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I have never really seen Fanny Powers as waltz though I appreciate that many people play it as one.

 

If it would have been meant to be a waltz, the composer would have to be elauded for ist Invention... :ph34r:

 

(will listen to your takes when adequate...)

 

Best wishes - Wolf

 

(edit: formatting under Windows 8 can become really annoying - still waiting for the promised Windows 10)

Edited by blue eyed sailor
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I have never really seen Fanny Powers as waltz though I appreciate that many people play it as one.

 

If it would have been meant to be a waltz, the composer would have to be elauded for ist Invention... :ph34r:

 

(will listen to your takes when adequate...)

 

Best wishes - Wolf

 

(edit: formatting under Windows 8 can become really annoying - still waiting for the promised Windows 10)

 

 

True. I keep forgetting that many of the tunes that are currently played as waltzes actually predate the waltz. I got a somewhat intemperate answer on another forum some time ago when I pointed out that the Playford tune "Westmoreland" is not a waltz (the band run by the person concerned played it as a waltz and it works well as one. I suspect he might have been a bit miffed because he was not aware of its origins)

 

In one of my tune books, the author suggests that when the waltz arrived in Britain in the early 19th century the country musicians simply took the triple time tunes they already knew and changed the stressing to turn them into waltzes.

 

You commented on that recording when I first posted it, Wolf.

 

I abandoned Windows for Linux when the shambles that was Windows Vista appeared. It involved learning some new ways of doing things and finding alternative software for several functions but I've never regretted it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are two new recordings from me, played on English tina 3087 by George Case from about 1860 (old pitch). Recorded on a Sony IC recorder, in my man shed, so a bit acoustically flat. Dots and abc for both tunes are available in my Paul Hardy's Session Tunebook.

First is Carolan's Welcome,

Second is Carolan's Draught. I played this twice - once straight, and once with a dotted (swung) rhythm. Which is best?

 

Regards,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Second is Carolan's Draught. I played this twice - once straight, and once with a dotted (swung) rhythm. Which is best?

 

Regards,

 

Nice to hear it played both ways, Paul. I personally prefer it straight but then that's what I'm used to hearing. Of course, there's no reason why it couldn't be played with just some bars dotted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are two new recordings from me, played on English tina 3087 by George Case from about 1860 (old pitch). Recorded on a Sony IC recorder, in my man shed, so a bit acoustically flat. Dots and abc for both tunes are available in my Paul Hardy's Session Tunebook.

 

First is Carolan's Welcome,

 

Second is Carolan's Draught. I played this twice - once straight, and once with a dotted (swung) rhythm. Which is best?

 

Regards,

 

Nicely done. I prefer straight, but that's just personal preference and familiarity .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As with others, here's one I did earlier.

 

Eleanor Plunkett/Fanny Powers

 

I like these two together, they seem to me to fit very nicely and I play Eleanor Plunkett slowly then take the tempo up a little with Fanny Powers. I have never really seen Fanny Powers as waltz though I appreciate that many people play it as one. The notation I have is from a book of Carolan tunes I bought some years ago and it's notated in 6/8 in there.

 

Nice, thanks.

 

Fanny Power gets played a lot as a waltz around here. And in the civil war band I sometimes play with - it was a popular as a waltz for Victorian era dances.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a new one--new to me, at any rate.

 

http://youtu.be/1UfjydeLXNg

 

I found the music the other day at http://www.oldmusicproject.com/occ/tunes.html (thanks, Jim), but I'm not sure whether I've ever actually heard it played. It might be my current favorite Carolan tune, though.

 

Bob Michel

Near Philly

Edited by Bob Michel
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny story: today I decided to try O'Carolan's Concerto on Anglo. Ran thru it a few times and thought 'wow, this is way easier than I thought.'

 

Before recording, I thought it would be prudent to check what I was playing - I learn everything by ear - against the dots. And quickly realized that it was easier because I was playing Morgan Megan, which I already knew.

 

Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Edited by Jim Besser
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny story: today I decided to try O'Carolan's Concerto on Anglo. Ran thru it a few times and thought 'wow, this is way easier than I thought.'

 

Before recording, I thought it would be prudent to check what I was playing - I learn everything by ear - against the dots. And quickly realized that it was easier because I was playing Morgan Megan, which I already knew.

 

Fata Morgana? :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Funny story: today I decided to try O'Carolan's Concerto on Anglo. Ran thru it a few times and thought 'wow, this is way easier than I thought.'

 

Before recording, I thought it would be prudent to check what I was playing - I learn everything by ear - against the dots. And quickly realized that it was easier because I was playing Morgan Megan, which I already knew.

Fata Morgana? :unsure:

 

Déja vu!

(have been there too)

 

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure this one really counts, because although Carolan is known to have played this tune & had his own arrangement of it, it was actually composed by another great Harp player, Rory Dall O'Cahan (whose period was roughly 1550-1650) but he actually called it - Port Atholl. However, Carolan actually composed the song Ode to Miss Moore to this melody, so it certainly has strong Carolan connections. :)

 

Interesting to note too, that, although .. "little is known of Rory Dall except that he was born to a noble County Derry family, he lived and composed mainly in Scotland where he found patronage for his music (which consisted of tunes he called "ports") among the nobility of that country." ... Hawk of Ballyshannon

"Would be originally known as "Port Atholl", somewhat varied by Carolan (as "Katherine O'More"). http://pybertra.free.fr/ceol/tunes.htm

 

Hawk of Ballyshannon

 

Cheers,

Dick

Edited by Ptarmigan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure this one really counts, because although Carolan is known to have played this tune & had his own arrangement of it, it was actually composed by another great Harp player, Rory Dall O'Cahan (whose period was roughly 1550-1650) but he actually called it - Port Atholl. However, Carolan actually composed the song Ode to Miss Moore to this melody, so it certainly has strong Carolan connections. :)

 

Interesting to note too, that, although .. "little is known of Rory Dall except that he was born to a noble County Derry family, he lived and composed mainly in Scotland where he found patronage for his music (which consisted of tunes he called "ports") among the nobility of that country." ... Hawk of Ballyshannon

 

"Would be originally known as "Port Atholl", somewhat varied by Carolan (as "Katherine O'More"). http://pybertra.free.fr/ceol/tunes.htm

 

Hawk of Ballyshannon

 

Cheers,

Dick

 

Well, it counts as far as I'm concerned.

 

A lovely, intricate tune.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's another one that was new to me, "Miss Murphy":

 

http://youtu.be/zzW4Dll96oY

 

I picked it because it sits so well on an Anglo that it's hard to believe it wasn't written for that instrument. Which would have been a pretty neat trick in the early 18th century, I suppose.

 

Bob Michel

Near Philly

 

Haven't heard that one before. Not a simple tune! Well done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...