Hi folks, first post!
Playing whistle for about six months regularly, about ten years occasionally. Whistles: a tweaked Shaw, a Susato, a new Feadog and a 20 year old Feadog, all D’s.
Have played flute sporadically for 25 years, intermediate to barely average I would say. But my Mum was from Ballyshannon Southern Ireland and damn I like Irish music!
I recently started practising with a group of ITM muso’s. I struggle to keep up because of their speed and my own competance.
Their whistle player, probably one of the best in NZ, recently moved to the South Island just at the time I came accross the group!!!
The gap between him & I is, well you can imagine!
Don’t you just love opportunities like this to step into a giant’s shoes?
However everyone is very patient and forgiving and as there are no other whistlers on the horizon, or in the locality, for better or worse I am it.
I am practising lots and can manage about 6 or 7 tunes reasonably well.
However I have to learn from a music score then memorise it as I am no good at picking up tunes by ear. A lovely song one of our singers sings is,
"Si Do Mhoineo I " However no one has the score or the English translation come to that. She has no idea what she is singing in Gaelic, and neither do the rest of us.
If anyone can help with the score and or a translation that would be great.
I think this site is wonderful for all the ideas information and encouragement freely given by everyone.
“Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa”
Thank you all, thank you all, thank you one and all
Welcome to the forum.
Maybe this site http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com/ can be of any help..
You’re looking for the tune/song called “Cailleach An Airgead” aka “Hag with the Money” I believe. Best to learn by ear though, its one of the skills you cannot live without if you intend to be a decent player of the music. Your muso buddies will appreciate you for doing it too.
Hi and welcome!
Many folks will agree with Eld, but many will also disagree. Learning by ear, or with music, or with both together (which I advocate) is an old disagreement that resurfaces from time to time on the boards. Just wanted to give you a heads-up on that.
Do all the listening you can, and listen consciously and with focus instead of just having music as a background sound. The more you listen the better you’ll play.
The song Cailleach an Argead has funny words, by the way. Here’s the translation:
She’s your granny, she’s your granny
She’s your granny, the hag with the money
She’s your granny from the town of Iorrais Mór
And she would put coaches on the roads of Cois Farraige
If you’d see the steam boat going past Tóin Uí Loing’
And the wheels turning speedily at her flanks
She’d scatter the store nine times to the rear
But she never keeps pace with the hag with the money
Do you reckon he’d marry, do you reckon he’d marry
Do you reckon he’d marry the hag with the money?
I know he’ll not marry, I know he’ll not marry
Because he’s too young and he’ll drink the money
We’ll soon have a wedding, we’ll soon have a wedding
We’ll soon have a wedding by two in the village
We’ll soon have a wedding, we’ll soon have a wedding
Between Séan Séamais Mór and Máire Ní Chathasaigh
Good luck with your playing, and in all things.
–James
“Sí do Mhamó í” is the phrase “she’s your granny” that occurs repeatedly, but the name of the tune is indeed Cailleach an Airgid.
The point of the phrase is “(you’re marrying a woman because she has money, even though) she’s old enough to be your Granny”. I would take it as implicit that the words are put in the mouth of a younger woman that fancies the scoundrel.
An Dochas’ version of Cailleach an Airgid:
http://www.andochas.com/mp3%27s/11-Hag%20with%20the%20Money%20(Caillach%20an%20Airgid).mp3
I believe Altan recorded this song, very nicely, too. Unfortunately I can’t remember which CD it is on. I sure someone else can supply the name.
I never expected to receive such an abundance of great information.
I’ve just used the Gaelic translation site. Brilliant.
Listened to the mp3 version suggested
Printed off all the words to give to our singer
I will do my best to to learn tunes by ear
I’ve looked up and ordered the CD “Harvest Storm” from ebay,
and really appreciate the explanation of the tune title.
Kia Ora
Thank you all so much
The musical friends of Big John Jo and Mary Casey made up these words as a sort of wedding gift. Imagine your nuptials immortalized in such a way. Your names connected forever with a comic song.
It may be on others but it’s on the two CD set by Altan called “Once again”.