Citi na gCummin....?

Whistle
1

I have only been able to find one recording of this tune, by Alisa Jones from her Irish Dreams II CD. It’s a beautiful tune, but I’m just not patient enough to work it out by ear and wondered if anyone knew of where the ABC or sheet music for it could be found. Also curious to know what the title means.

Peace.

2

I’m no Irish expert, but I think the title “Cití na gCumman” is roughly “Kitty My Companion” or “Kitty My Sweetheart” or “Kitty My Love”.

Aw, c’mon. :slight_smile: This is one of the easier ones, since the melody is mostly step-wise.

Here are whistle settings in G and D, more or less from Alasdair Fraser’s playing with William Coulter, but close to Mairéad ní Mhaonaigh’s version.

There’s an extended clip of the Coulter track at Gourd Records or CD Baby, and a guitar version on YouTube that’s not bad.

http://www.gourd.com/126A.HTML
http://cdbaby.com/cd/coulter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zRxQQnteZM

X:1
T:Cití na gCumman (in G)
R:Air
S:Alasdair Fraser & William Coulter - Celtic Sessions, Track 1
S:Frankie Kennedy & Mairéad ní Mhaonaigh - Altan, Track 12
N:Original in Bb (Coulter) or Ab (Altan)
Z:MTGuru for Chiff & Fipple, 2008-03-27
M:3/4
K:G
fg|a4 gf|g4 fe|d3e dc|A4 AB|
c4 c2|c4 c2|B6-|B4 fg|
a4 gf|g4 fe|d3e dc|A4 AB|
c4 BA|G4- GF|G6-|G4||
dc|B2 d3d|d3e f2|g4 fg|a4 g2|
f3e d2|c4 c2|B6-|B4 fg|
a4 gf|g4 fe|d3e dc|A4 AB|
c3B A2|G4 F2|G6-|G4|]

X:2
T:Cití na gCumman (in D)
R:Air
S:Alasdair Fraser & William Coulter - Celtic Sessions, Track 1
S:Frankie Kennedy & Mairéad ní Mhaonaigh - Altan, Track 12
N:Original in Bb (Coulter) or Ab (Altan)
Z:MTGuru for Chiff & Fipple, 2008-03-27
M:3/4
K:DMaj
cd|e4 dc|d4 cB|A3B AG|E4 EF|
G4 G2|G4 G2|F6-|F4 cd|
e4 dc|d4 cB|A3B AG|E4 EF|
G4 FE|D4 D2|D6-|D4||
AG|F2 A3A|A3B c2|d4 cd|e4 d2|
c3B A2|G4 G2|F6-|F4 cd|
e4 dc|d4 cB|A3B AG|E4 EF|
G3F E2|D4 D2|D6-|D4|]

3

Thanks, Guru. I know, I know I need to concentrate and be more patient… But I really appreciate the help.

Cheers!

4

Close. One source I came across translates it as “Kitty of Loves”. I would have rendered it “Kitty of the Loves (or Affairs).” Then again, I don’t know if the phrase stacks up differently in the world of idiom.

5

Yeah, that’s the “roughly” part. :slight_smile:

Cumann is related to “common”, and can mean a society or association (as in Cumann na mBan), or an affectionate relationship.

So in the genitive plural gcumann, it’s “Kitty of the affectionate relationships”, or maybe better “Kitty (the object) of (my) affections”.

I think. Roughly.

6

Thank MT. That’s the recording i was going to mention. Lovely tune.