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O'Neill - Irish Minstrels and Musicians, Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 62

O'Neill - Irish Minstrels and Musicians, Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 62
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periodical Publisher
Regan Printing House, Chicago, 1913
periodical Editor
[none]
periodical Title
O'Neill - Irish Minstrels and Musicians
volume Number
1
issue Content
122 Iris/i Minstrels and Musicianscould not fail to have the spirit of cheerfulness and vivacity also reflected abun-dantly in their music and song. Take, for instance, such animated airs as TheParson Boasts of Mild Ale, Teig Moiras Daughter, The Lough Carra Fisher-man, The Peeler and the Goat, and the drinking song, Beidrnaoid ag OlsaPogci ua rn-Bean.What music could be more gay and spirited than the hop or slip jig in nine-eight time, a metre peculiar to the Gaelic race, not to mention other varieties ofjigs and reels to which songs without number had been sung before their con-version into dance tunes by the pipers and fiddlers?And then we must remember there were planxties by the score, all breathinga spirit of untrammeled gladness and conviviality, such as Planxty ORourkeor ORourkes NobleFeast, and Bumpers Squire onescompositions of thegreat bard OCarolan. Even so, not a strain conc,ivcd in the prolific brain ofOCarolan, or his contemporaries, which has come down to us is at all comparablewith the simple melody, Tow row row in giving musical expression to themirthfulness and buoyancy of the Irish mind.TOW ROW ROW, JOHTTNY WILL YOU NOW?- 4 - i _ ., . = ._ -0- -. - __ - - -4L [ rLrj J: 1j-;- -I j f L -- iU 1 r:11\IARTIAL MusicNo enemy speaks slightingly of Irish music, and no friend need fear toboast of it, says Thomas Davis. Its antique war-tunes such as those of OByrne,ODonnell, Alastrum, and Brian Born stream and crash upon the ear like thewarriors of a hundred glens meeting; and von are borne with them to battle,and they and you charge and struggle amid cries and battle axes and stingingarrows.The War Song of the Irish Kerns was called Pliarrali. Walker tells us inhis Historical ilcmoirs of the Irish Bards; that while an army was preparingfor the onset, the song was sung at the head by a Filca to tile harsh but spirit-stirring accompaniment of the different martial instruments. He further addsthat each chieftain had a war cry peculiar to his tribe. The Scottish clans hadtheir Piobaireac lid and Cruinneachd compositions which may be regarded as aspecies of martial music.A setting of The Pharrab or War March, obtained from Dr. Petrie in1835 is to be found in Buntings Ancient Music of Ireland, published in 1840.It consists of nine parts or strains, and it is worthy of note that this ancientmarch has been converted by the pipers into a spirited jig called The Gold Ring.Little need be said of a martial tune so well known as Brian Borns March,unless we might point out that its structure and rhythm would seem to indicatean origin much later than the eleventh century. An appreciation from the penof Kohl. the German traveler who heard it played on the harp at Drogheda in1843, cannot fail to be of interest. The music of this march is wildly powerfulIris/ i Folk Music Exemplified 123and at the same 1mb melancholy. It is at once the music of victory and ofmourning. The rapid modulations and wild beauty of the air was such thatI think this march deserves full to obtain a celebrity equal to that of the Marseil-laise and the Ragotsky.The wild and inspiring martial air entitled, The Return from Fingal, whichDr. Petrie learned from the Munster pipers is evidently of much earlier origin.It was supposed to have been the march played or sung by Brian Borus Munstertroops on their return home from tile glorious but dearly bought triumph at Cion-tarf in 1014 and was expressive of the mixed feelings of sorrow and triumphswhich had been excited by tile result of that memorable conflict.Such splendid martial airs as Rory of the Hills, Paddies Evermore, TheBoyne Water, ODonnell Abu, and tile Green Flag Flying Before Us, needno special comment, so we will discuss a tune with a history, tile antique Alas-trums March. or MacDonneils March as Bunting calls it.Few indeed are the warpipe tunes that have come down to us from the seven-teenth century. Passed on from one generation to another traditionally we mustexpect such as have been preserved to vary in some degree from the originalcomposition, which to find proper expression on the Piob Mor must not exceed acompass of nine or at most ten notes.Of this class Alastrums March is historically the best known. Dr. Smithin his History of Cork published in 1750, refers to it as a very odd kind of Irishmusic well known in Munster by the name of Mac Allisdrums March beinga wild rhapsody made in honor of this commander, to this day much esteemedby the Irish.Ihis revered hero was Sir Alexander (in Irish Alastair) MacDonneil, an Irishgeneral of great bravery who was basely assassinated by an English soldier, afterthe Irisil had been deteated at the battle of Knockinoss, fought November 13,1647, between the English or Parliamentary forces under the command of LordInchiquin and the Irish under Lord Taaffe. Four thousand or one half the entirestrength of the latter were left dead on the field.A party of Scotch Highlanders in the Irisll army headed by MacDonnell.nicknamed Coikitto [ left-handed], contested their ground in a most determinedand gallant manner, and were inhumanly butchered by the victors.All possible honors were shown the remains of the brave Coikitto, and hisfuneral procession was headed by a band of pipers playing what Grattan Floodterms a specially composed funeral march, ever since known as Mac AlistrumsMarch.Differing from Dr. Flood as to its origin. Crofton Croker says in Researchesin the South of Ireland, which came from the press in 1824, That wild and mon-strous piece of music known by the name of Ollistrums March so popular inthe south of Ireland, and said to have been played at Knockinoss should not, itappears to me he considered an Irish air. After quoting Walker in support ofhis contention, Croker continues: The estimation in which it is held in Irelandis wonderful. I have heard this march, as it is called, sung by hundreds of theIrish peasantry who imitate the drone of the bagpipe in their manner of singingit. On that instrument I have also heard it played and occasionally with muchpleasure from the peculiar and powerful expression given by the performer.Not one of our native musicians understand a note of music, as the pipersin general are blind. says the lady who noted it down, and vet the air has beenhanded or rather (if I may use the expression) eared down, I imagine with verylittle alteration, having heard numbers perform it in the same irregular way.
issue Number
1
page Number
62
periodical Author
O'Neill, Capt. Francis
issue Publication Date
1913-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

O'Neill - Irish Minstrels and Musicians

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