Irish Fridays

[johncorrigan]

I'm sure Padraig regularly took part in the tradition of the 'Octopus Jig', but here's the Dubliners at it - they must have earned a few squid over the years performing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcA3MmV6Ymk

[Padraig]

I'm sure Padraig regularly took part in the tradition of the 'Octopus Jig'. . .

Beyond my reach, John, but here's an octet of sixteen light-of-foot polka dancers that should have you fairly hopping. Watch your step.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhQdUmlKFU

[johncorrigan]

Beyond my reach, John, but here's an octet of sixteen light-of-foot polka dancers that should have you fairly hopping. Watch your step.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhQdUmlKFU

Good hearing you, Padraig...that floor looked like it had seen a power of dancing on it over the years. The music sounded right Scottish, I should add, but the dancing was definitely Irish...loved it!

[Globaltruth]

I've been reading about the old Irish legend around the Slieve Mis mountains in Kerry, near Dingle and the harpist Dubh Ruis.
It's just the standard 2 thousand year old tale of a woman, Mis, so consumed by grief at witnessing the sight of her fathers body brutally murdered in battle that she moved to a place, known from that day to this as the Valley of the Mad.
The valley is in the mountains now known as the Slieve Mis in her honour.
There she grows claws and feathers and kills everyone who tries to pass through.
This causes many problems for the local inhabitants, so they try a different approach - the King sends his harpist Dubh Ruis to play to her.
She is finally cured by his harp music. Also he roasts a bit of venison for her which has a civilising effect.

I wondered what tune he actually played her?

Well. I still haven't found it but along the way found something special.

It's a musician called Simon Chadwick playing a harp that is a reconstruction of Carolan's and he is playing a version of Róisín Dubh (Gaelic for Black Rose) which was collected in 1796 from the old Irish harper Daniel Black, at Glendaragh, Co. Antrim. I have absolutely no proof or reason to think that was the tune - but the sight of him in his kitchen making mighty music on a beautiful instrument...well, it's worth a diversion.

The song is regularly interpreted; here are a few examples - Iarla does a version in If I could read the sky, other versions by Dolphin Boy who takes modern liberties with the song performed sublimely by Roísin Elsafty but I've not included the Thin Lizzy version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al2xHZ7U3n4

PS If/when you read this Padraig you are the only person who may have a few thoughts on what tune it was. until then....

[johncorrigan]

I've been reading about the old Irish legend around the Slieve Mis mountains in Kerry, near Dingle and the harpist Dubh Ruis.
It's just the standard 2 thousand year old tale of a woman, Mis, so consumed by grief at witnessing the sight of her fathers body brutally murdered in battle that she moved to a place, known from that day to this as the Valley of the Mad.
The valley is in the mountains now known as the Slieve Mis in her honour.
There she grows claws and feathers and kills everyone who tries to pass through.
This causes many problems for the local inhabitants, so they try a different approach - the King sends his harpist Dubh Ruis to play to her.
She is finally cured by his harp music. Also he roasts a bit of venison for her which has a civilising effect.

I wondered what tune he actually played her?

Well. I still haven't found it but along the way found something special.

It's a musician called Simon Chadwick playing a harp that is a reconstruction of Carolan's and he is playing a version of Róisín Dubh (Gaelic for Black Rose) which was collected in 1796 from the old Irish harper Daniel Black, at Glendaragh, Co. Antrim. I have absolutely no proof or reason to think that was the tune - but the sight of him in his kitchen making mighty music on a beautiful instrument...well, it's worth a diversion.

The song is regularly interpreted; here are a few examples - Iarla does a version in If I could read the sky, other versions by Dolphin Boy who takes modern liberties with the song performed sublimely by Roísin Elsafty but I've not included the Thin Lizzy version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al2xHZ7U3n4

PS If/when you read this Padraig you are the only person who may have a few thoughts on what tune it was. until then....

Sorry, Global. I have nothing to add to your excellent post except that I loved all three of those pieces - Iarla sounds so young back then. Great trio, which sounded very eastern, I thought. However, I couldn't help wondering if Simon Chadwick had a rosey black setting on his washing machine - loved it.

[Padraig]

I'm with John, G. Enjoyed the music, but no clue about the original mythic performance. Simon Chadwick's harp looked like Carolan's but I could not relate his 'Rois bheag dubh' to a tune of that name. Of course, that tune came from an Antrim harper, which brings up associations with the Belfast harpers festival of the eighteenth century - and thereby hangs an interesting tale!

However, it is odd that the name of the song Roisin Dubh pervades your post, G. From the name of the legendary harpist 'Dubh Ruis' to Chadwick's Rosey Black there is a consistent thread - is it a conspiracy? Roisin Dubh - Little Black Rose - is more significant than Rosie Black. Incidentally, the suffix 'in', in 'Roisin', itself indicates 'little'. Whereas Rosie Black suggests a sweet girl of that name, The Little Back Rose represents Ireland herself in song.

I checked up on Dolphin Boy and he appears to be an experimental Scottish musician. It sounds as if he has provided a most interesting rhythmic accompaniment to Roisin Elsafty's classic version of the song.

[Globaltruth]

Thanks both for your comments. It's sometimes better not to get every question answered...

Yes, I knew Little Black Rose was about Eire, but didn't know about the diminutive which made it "Little"

A Róisín ná bíodh brón ort fé'r éirigh dhuit: (Little Rose, be not sad for all that hath behapped thee:)
Tá na bráithre 'teacht thar sáile 's iad ag triall ar muir, (The friars are coming across the sea, they march on the main.)
Tiocfaidh do phárdún ón bPápa is ón Róimh anoir (From the Pope shall come thy pardon, and from Rome, from the East-)
'S ní spárálfar fíon Spáinneach ar mo Róisín Dubh. (And stint not Spanish wine to my Little Dark Rose.)

Here's a traditional version by Nioclas Tóibín

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxBkmW62Us8

and, by way of light amusement and completely unconnected...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SmWUMJRIDo

PS

the Belfast harpers festival of the eighteenth century - and thereby hangs an interesting tale!

you can't tease us with that surely.

[Padraig]

Here's a traditional version by Nioclas Tóibín

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxBkmW62Us8

PS
you can't tease us with that surely.

In reply to Nioclas Toibin, above, I momentarily forgot about Sean ORiada's contribution:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGPe9qeN_VY

And as for the Belfast Harpers reference I always associate it with a pivotal period in Ireland - historical, political and cultural - encompassing the 1798 Rebellion, the Act of Union, 1801 and the work of Edward Bunting and others in promoting Irish music.

https://www.reclaimtheenlightenment.net/harp-festival-1792-2022

[johncorrigan]

When I noticed it was Lopa presenting Music Planet this week, I decided instead to have a look on the MP Website to see what I had missed lately, and plumped for an episode from a couple of weeks back featuring Ye Vagabonds. They did a cracking version of this one live in the show...'Blue is the Eye'. Quality Irish Friday material.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WMBtCOzYks

[Globaltruth]

Soon be Friday; in the month of May:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gRC-hCI7tA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2SonMa4uMw

next clip is just in case Padraig drops by...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTqe3FJed7M

nice bit of cane there...

[johncorrigan]

Thought I'd intervene with a bit of Scots this Friday thanks to a lovely gift I got this week of a book called '101 Scots Songs', collected by Norman Buchan. Norman gave great mention to our local hero, Hamish Henderson, in the introduction, and this song was included in the book, so I thought I'd let Hamish do the introduction - 'The 51st Highland Divisions Farewell to Sicily'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kNaBy9D96A

[Ein Heldenleben]

In reply to Nioclas Toibin, above, I momentarily forgot about Sean ORiada's contribution:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGPe9qeN_VY

And as for the Belfast Harpers reference I always associate it with a pivotal period in Ireland - historical, political and cultural - encompassing the 1798 Rebellion, the Act of Union, 1801 and the work of Edward Bunting and others in promoting Irish music.

https://www.reclaimtheenlightenment....ival-1792-2022

Thanks for the link. Like a lot of people the only Irish Harpist I could name is Mary O’Hara. Interesting that so many were blind and that the billing draws attention to that. I suppose it was one of the few ways of earning a living with that affliction.The Respect The Enlightenment group looks well worth exploring further. We forget in this US internet dominated age how cities like Edinburgh, Dublin , Manchester , and indeed Belfast were places of great political and intellectual ferment with new ideas being thrown up all the time.

[Padraig]

Soon be Friday; in the month of May:


next clip is just in case Padraig drops by...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTqe3FJed7M

nice bit of cane there...

It so happened, G.

The nearest I got to that river was the bay in Lough Corrib at Ashford Castle. I have a treasured photo of our boat tied up there. My two friends and I often went there - alas no more. Did I ever tell you about the biggest trout I ever hooked in Corrib? It got away of course.

[Padraig]

Thought I'd intervene with a bit of Scots this Friday thanks to a lovely gift I got this week of a book called '101 Scots Songs', collected by Norman Buchan. Norman gave great mention to our local hero, Hamish Henderson, in the introduction, and this song was included in the book, so I thought I'd let Hamish do the introduction - 'The 51st Highland Divisions Farewell to Sicily'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kNaBy9D96A

Nice tangent, John. An old tune with new words fitted. Thomas Moore used that trick as well to mutual advantage. And here is the tune on its own:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoMxwr9WRi8

[Padraig]

Thanks for the link. Like a lot of people the only Irish Harpist I could name is Mary O’Hara. Interesting that so many were blind and that the billing draws attention to that. I suppose it was one of the few ways of earning a living with that affliction.The Respect The Enlightenment group looks well worth exploring further. We forget in this US internet dominated age how cities like Edinburgh, Dublin , Manchester , and indeed Belfast were places of great political and intellectual ferment with new ideas being thrown up all the time.

Mary O'Hara bore the torch for the Irish harp in her day, and others came along in the wake of renewed interest in Irish music - possibly from the Belfast Harpers onwards. At any rate, Sean O'Riada and The Chieftans with Derek Bell, and others, helped to bring new rigour to old traditions. Derek Bell, for example, was a concert harpist who took to the Irish Harp and among other things encouraged the revival of interest in Turlough O'Carolan, a blind harper who inspired the 18th century Harpers, and his compositions. Here is a Carolan composition played by a harp band with Derek Bell, a Belfast 20th century harper himself, and The Chieftans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flFztcgO4zg

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