Old Irish harp transcriptions project Archives

Fairy Queen

There are two separate transcription notations of Carolan’s Fairy Queen in Edward Bunting’s manuscripts. I don’t think anyone had noticed them before I found them while compiling my MS29 index PDF last year, because they are fragmentary and/or hidden.

Part 1 summary

Now that I have got to the end of part 1 of Bunting’s ms29, it is a good time to review my Old Irish Harp Transcriptions Project.

Seónin Ó Raghallaigh, fear gasda

I made a video demonstration of part of the tune of Sean O’Reily, as transcribed by Edward Bunting probably in the summer of 1792.

Betty O’Brian

I was going to make a video demonstration of Edward Bunting’s live transcription of the tune of Betty O’Brian, but I didn’t because it is too corrupt.

Pléaráca na Ruarcach

I made a video demonstration of a version of Pléaráca na Ruarcach, from Edward Bunting’s transcription notation in Queen’s University Belfast, Special Collections, MS4.29 page 107/103/112/f51r.

Peigí Ní Shléibhín

I made a demonstration video of a version of the tune Peigí Ní Shléibhín, based on a live transcription from a harper in the 1790s.

Sín síos agus suas liom

I made a demonstration video of a version of the tune of Sín síos agus suas liom. Bunting transcribed this version from the playing of an old Irish harper in the 1790s.

Ar Bhruach na Sionainne

I made a video demonstration of the tune of the banks of the Shannon, based on Edward Bunting’s live transcription of the playing of an old Irish harper, perhaps Daniel Black in 1796.

Bonny Shannon Water

I made a video demonstration of the tune of “Bonny Shannon Water” from Edward Bunting’s manuscript notation which I think was written as a live transcription from the playing of an old Irish harper in the 1790s.

Mailí Bhán

When I started playing the harp, I worked through Ann Heymann’s book Secrets of the Gaelic Harp (Clairseach, 1988). The first tune that I learned from this book was Mailí Bhán, “fair Molly”.