"Turlough O Carolan's Harp"
(Note: This was sold to the National Museum of Ireland as Carolan's harp. However, research by Ann Heymann led her to the conclusion that it was actually Rose Mooney's harp. The museum has chosen to retain the Carolan provenance until such time as the provenance can be positively determined.)
Céol 's Oraín / Music and Songs - Downloads
Here I will publish songs, music, and books about the music. Most of the songs will be in Gaelic or other Celtic languages, though relevant or particularly interesting historic songs in Lallans or Anglo-Irish will be included in their own section. (There are many sites for words and music to Anglo and modern versions, some of which will be available on the Links page.)
Wherever possible, the songs will include background information, translations, and relevant pictures if any.
All will be downloadable in PDF and / or MP3 or related formats.
All are free, though donations to help cover the cost of the work would be welcome. If you wish to donate, please contact me for information.
Some of the PDF book files are rather large, and should not be attempted unless you have a high-speed broadband connection. Files sizes are given. (NOTE: An 18 MB file takes approximately 48 minutes via 56k dial-up and approximately 1-3 minutes via 1.5-3.0 MB high-speed.)
For those who want a print version, some of these are again in print, some in quite excellent versions. I give the references and links where known. (If you know of a high-quality print source for these, other than those listed, please let me know.)
If you cannot download them due to a connection issue, I can supply a CD with the PDFs for $10 USD, plus shipping.
NOTE: I am currently seeking skilled volunteer assistance in converting PDF image files to searchable OCR text files, and in writing, submitting, and editing articles. I particularly need people who have and use Adobe Acrobat and/ or Photoshop, especially those with strong editorial skills, and a knowledge of and interest in the subject areas, to convert and edit the texts, and people with Photoshop or other skills. I am not in a position to pay at present, having invested far more in this site and the existing projects than I have received, but if in the future if this situation changes, I would be happy to compensate any willing workers. Meantime, you will have the satisfaction of putting the knowledge out to a wider audience.
(NOTE: There will be a more complete history of the Gaelic harp in the Music section in the future. Meantime, go to the Links for on-line resources on the subject.)
The Bunting Collections
The harp is still the symbol of Ireland, which was once the home and well-spring of the greatest harpers in Europe.
Even after the Norman Invasions, the harp remained pre-eminent, as the Norman lords were assimilated and "Gaelicized" fairly quickly. (There will likewise be more on this in the coming History section.)
However, after the final eradication of the Gaelic Lordship of Ireland during the Elizabethan Wars, and the subsequent replacement of the native Irish chiefs and princes by first Elizabethan and Jacobean "planters," then by Cromwellian and later Williamite adventurers, the harp began a decline, especially among those players who were unable or unwilling to adopt the new tastes for Baroque and later "Italian" music coming into vogue. (See the History and Music sections for details) By the late 1700s, traditional Irish harps and harpers were rapidly heading for extinction.
A four day festival was organized in Belfast in July, 1792 by some patriotic gentlemen in an attempt to revive and preserve the old traditions. Newspaper advertisements were made which invited all Irish harpers to compete.
Prizes were offered for the three adjudged to be best, and there were honorariums for all who competed. Despite this, only ten Irish harpers and one Welsh harper attended.
The oldest was Donnchadh Ó Hámsaigh (b. 1695, d. 1807). He is known variously in English as Denis O'Hempsey or Hempson. He had been a contemporary of Irish harper Carolan, and was the oldest harper to attend. He was also the only one who still played the old wire-strung claírséach with his fingernails in the ancient style, with the harp on his left shoulder, played the older tunes in the traditional fashion, and avoided "modern" pieces, such as those by Carolan.
However, though the Festival sadly failed in its admirable goal of reviving the harp, it helped preserve the music. The organizers had prudently hired Edward Bunting, a 19-year-old church organist, to write down the tunes. He did so, and later published a book in 1796 based on the tunes he had collected. He continued to collect traditional tunes throughout his life, publishing collections in 1809, and 1840.
Bunting also collected stories and technical information. In some cases, it is only through his work that we know details of the method and style of playing used by the old harpers.
Unfortunately, his original manuscripts, which, true to his commission, he annotated as they were played, were not what he published - he instead arranged and "improved" them for the piano and other modern instruments and tastes. However, they still exist and are held in the Special Collections Library of Queen's University, Belfast. In 2001, Dr Colette Moloney (Waterford Institute of Technology) published a catalog of them, with introductory bars (though unfortunately, not the entire pieces) and extensive notes. This book is now available, and I am told that a book of the complete tunes is also planned. See IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC ARCHIVE for details.
I have been informed that there is also a CD of some of Bunting's mss. now available from Queen's University, and a catalog of the Bunting collection can be found at their website
Hopefully, if enough people show an interest in these and similar publications, more will be made available.
Walton's Music of Dublin, a source for Irish music for many years, has also re-issued the complete collections (1796,1809 and 1840).
An excellent facsimile copy of the original collection, Volume I is now available in paperback for 22.50 GBP (plus shipping) from the original publisher, Linenhall, in Belfast.
The works published below are from original published versions, not the manuscripts. ( NOTE: You will need Adobe Reader 7 or above, a free program, to access them - you can get a copy at Adobe. )
Bunting Collection, 1796 (1.6 MB)
Bunting Collection, 1809 (4.35 MB)
Bunting Collection, 1840 (7.6 MB)
I also offer a curious old work by John Gunn. It is interesting mainly for its lore and stories:
"An Historical Enquiry respecting the Performance on the Harp in the Highlands of Scotland" 1807 (2.3 MB)
Dr. George Petrie was another collector of note. This book constitutes the results of Petrie's life-long interest in collecting Irish folk music, and has 1582 tunes, plus much interesting commentary. This is a massive compendium of Irish music, though a number are but variations of one another.
George Petrie, "The Complete Collection of Irish Music" 1840 (24.58 MB)
Last, though hardly least, is R. B. Armstrong's seminal work on the harp. This remains the finest reference and technical study of the surviving instruments, and is liberally illustrated. (Unfortunately, the copies in this version are not of the original quality. I hope to obtain better versions later, and incorporate them.)
The Highland Harp section contains a history, detailed descriptions and measurements of The Queen Mary and Lamont harps, as well as illustrations, engravings, and eight pages of traditional clarsach tunes.
R. B. Armstrong's, "The Irish and The Highland Harps" (23.37 MB)
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