Edward Bunting wrote a song with a full piano arrangement into one of his collecting pamphlets, probably in the summer of 1792. I was going to silently pass over these pages as part of my Old Irish Harp Transcriptions Project, but I thought that actually this is an interesting enough thing to do a post about it.
Continue reading The Weaver’s LamentationTag: ms29
Two difficult sections
One reason it has taken me a long time to get to my next tune is that there are a lot of pages in Queen’s University Belfast, Special Collections, MS4.29 which I have skipped. There is a big section of mostly or entirely Denis O’Hampsey material from pages 164 to 172, which I am skipping because I am concentrating on the other harpers. Then there are two sections which don’t seem to be harp transcriptions. I am less certain about identifying what these are, since my focus has been on spotting the harp style and idiom.
Continue reading Two difficult sectionsBob Jordan
Edward Bunting made what looks like a live transcription of a harp performance of Bob Jordan, apparently in 1792. You can see the transcription notation at Queen’s University Belfast, Special Collections, MS4.29 page 162/160/169/f79v.
Continue reading Bob JordanTuning the harp
Edward Bunting wrote down the sequence for tuning the harp, into one of his collecting pamphlets. I have previously used the neatest clearest copy from Queen’s University Belfast, Special Collections, MS4.29 page 156/153/162/f76r, and I published a copy in my Progressive Lessons source book along with a video demonstration of the neat copy. However, in the context of this Old Irish Harp Transcriptions Project, I thought it might be useful to look closely at the initial “dots” version on page 150/147/156/f73r.
Continue reading Tuning the harpBetty 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.
Continue reading Betty O’BrianPeigí 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.
Continue reading Peigí Ní ShléibhínAn bhfaca tú mo valentine?
I made a video demonstration of the song air “did you see my valentine”. I am trying to follow what I think is a live transcription made by Edward Bunting from a traditional harp performance, in the summer of 1792.
Continue reading An bhfaca tú mo valentine?Cúileann fín
I made a demonstration video of the song air, Cúileann fín (fine, fair-haired one), from Edward Bunting’s transcription apparently made in in the summer of 1792 from the harper Hugh Higgins.
Continue reading Cúileann fínMiss Dillon
I made a video demonstration of the first half of Miss Dillon and Jigg, by Carolan (DOSC 35).
Continue reading Miss DillonThugamar féin an samhradh linn
I made a video demonstration of Thugamar féin an samhradh linn, based on Edward Bunting’s live transcription most likely from the playing of the harper Hugh Higgins, in the summer of 1792:
Continue reading Thugamar féin an samhradh linn