Another harpist enjoying the outdoors. This rendition of the Chanter’s song comes to us from Josephine on the Isle of Skye, playing a Seiriol harp.
Sorry the posts have been infrequent lately; been caught up with yard and garden prep while the sun shines. It’s spring here in Southern Ontario, which means the weather is even more fickle than usual, but still oh so tempting to be outside, away from all infernal machines.
Very cool version of Brian Boru’s, from the master of Celtic fusion himself. I had only ever heard (and played) the traditional march version of this tune before, but it works surprisingly well as a song. Complete lyrics are included below (they’re pretty much identical on all the online lyrics sites, including the notes in French and English, presumably taken from the liner notes of the CD).
The Harp Blog posted Brian Boru’s as a tune of the month way back when, which you can download here. Following the link to Chubby Sparrow Music will take you to a midi version of the tune (along with a bunch of other free trad Celtic midi files).
A summary of Alan Stivell’s career and influence on Celtic & harp music can be found here (and of course the standard Wiki entry, here). Alain’s official website is www.alan-stivell.com (trilingual in Breton, French & English).
LYRICS:
Marv Brian Boru ‘rein buhez ‘n Iwerzhon
Dihan e Bro-Ulad ha ba ker Dulenn
Undedan tiegezhn unded an dud-man
Unded ar Gelted hag an douar
Maraiodh Brian Boru chun beatha nna heireann
Siochain in gcuige Uladh agus i mbaile ‘cliath
Aontacht an teaghlaigh, aontacht na dtuath
Aontacht an domhain is na gCeiltteach
Diouzh nerzh ar c’hadou da nerzh an ehan
Diouzh ‘bed doueek bennozh ar c’haroud
O neart an chata go neart na siochana
On brith dhiaga beannacht an ghra
Duirt siad gurbh i seo sochraide ar muintire
Gur choir duinn bheith sollunta fein
Biodh nach Raibh bronach
Marv Brian Boru ‘rein buhez ‘n Iwerzhon
Dihan e Bro-Ulad ha ba ker Dulenn
Undedan tiegezhn unded an dud-man
Unded ar Gelted hag an douar
Ta muid ‘nos ha haimsire
Go hairid an ghrian
Agus thogh muid ait bhog cois abhann.
NOTES:
Brian Boru :
Nom d’un chef irlandais qui fut vainqueur posthume des Vikings.
Brian Boru, chef de Tuath, chassa les Danois du Munster,
conquit le Leinster, devint le roi-suprème de l’Irlande en 1002
et battit les Vikings en 1014 à Clontharf.
Mais il fut assassiné dans la soirée par un fuyard alors qu’il se reposait.
Transmuter l’énergie de guerre en énergie de paix.
Mort brian Boru donnant vie en Irlande
Paix en Ulster et dedans Dublin
Unis les Celtes et la terre !
De la force des combats à celle de la paix
Du monde divin, bénédiction de l’amour.
ALAN STIVELL.
They said that we were shameless celebrating our love
With devastation all around us
We are like the weather, specially the sun
And we choose a soft place by the river.
CAITLIN MAUDE, from Amhran grà Vietnam.
This cheerful sounding melody is often referred to by older Canadians as “The Friendly Giant Tune”, for its role on the well-loved kid’s show of yore. While it may sound chipper, the lyrics in fact are far from happy: “Early one morning, just as the sun was rising, I saw a fair maid singing in the valley below: “Oh, don’t deceive me, oh never leave me; How could you use a poor maiden so?”
The HarpBlog Tune of the Month is courtesy of Chubby Sparrow Music . For a printable version, right click on the picture and choose “save target as”, or pop over to the Chubby Sparrow Free Music page for more detailed printing instructions (note: if you just left click and try to print directly from the browser, it probably won’t print at the right size).
After an unusually warm and rainy November, winter has finally descended on our little town. We woke up this morning to chilly sub-zero temperatures and a blanket of snow. So I thought this would make for an appropriate December tune of the month. “To Drive the Cold Winter Away” (also known as “All Hail to the Days”) is one of my favourite seasonal tunes, a standard with my early music ensemble and my flute, harp and cello trio. Because the words are also quite lovely, I’ve also included the lyrics to the song below. The duet part was written for our cello player. If you want to use the bass as a left hand part for solo harp, you can leave out the G# if you don’t have G levers, or don’t feel like flipping in the middle of the piece.
The HarpBlog Tune of the Month is courtesy of Chubby Sparrow Music . For a printable version, right click on the picture and choose “save target as”, or pop over to the Chubby Sparrow Free Music page for more detailed printing instructions (note: if you just left click and try to print directly from the browser, it probably won’t print at the right size).
Lyrics: “All Hayle to the Dayes”, Eng. trad.
All hayle to the days that merit more praise
Than all the rest of the year!
And welcome the nights that double delights
As well for the poor as the peer!
Good fortune attend each merry man’s friend
That doth but the best that he may,
Forgetting old wrongs with carols and songs
To drive the cold winter away.
To mask and to mum, kind neighbours will come
With wassails of nut-brown ale,
To drink and carouse with all in the house
As merry as bucks in the dale;
Where cake, bread and cheese are bought for your fees
To make you the longer stay;
The fire to warm, will do you no harm,
To drive the cold winter away.
Thus none will allow of solitude now
But merrily greet the time,
To make it appear of all the whole year
That this is accounted the prime:
December is seen apparel’d in green,
And January fresh as May
Comes dancing along with a cup and a song
To drive the cold winter away.
This time of the year is spent in good cheer,
Kind neighbours together do meet
To sit by the fire with friendly desire
Each other in love to greet;
Old grudges, forgot, are put in the pot,
All sorrows aside they lay;
The old and the young doth carol this song
To drive the cold winter away.