I know you are all ITM people and wonder if anyone knows where I can get two part arrangements of some of O’Carolan’s music? We dance to several of his pieces and I would like to play for the dancing, with a flautist friend. I am currently arranging second parts myself but am not very good at it! Any help would be welcomed. The main tunes we dance to are Sheebeg and Sheemore, Planxty Irwin, Blind Mary, Hewlett and Fanny Power, if anyone has any suggestions. I have tried Googling! Thanks a lot.
O’Carolan’s Welcome, Carolan’s Reciept For Drinking, Mrs. Cole/Madame Cole, Lord Inchiquin, or my personal favorite, Carolan’s Concerto! Maybe Planxty George Brabazon(?), Planxty Brown(?), Two William Davis/Planxty Davis (?)
Those are a lot of good advices.
I like O’Carolan’s tunes very much but, to be sincere, I only play Planxty Irwin, Planxty Fanny Powers, Hewlett, Si Beag Si Mhor, and Carolan’s Concerto for now. The latter is my favorite among all, without doubts!
Are you asking for a duet arrangement with harmony, etc?
The South Wind is not a Carolan tune (as far as I know) but it plays like one IMO. I figured out a sweet harmony from a Chieftains recording.
X: 1
T: South Wind, The
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
Z: Johnny Kerr
K: Gmaj
dc|B3A G2|B3c d2|A4 B2|A4 dc|
B3A G2|E3D E2|G3 AGF|G2 z2 dc|
B3A G2|B3c d2|A4 B2|A4 dc|
B3A G2|E3D E2|G3 AGF|G2 z2 Bd|
g3a f2|g3f e2|d4 e2|d4 c2|
B3A G2|B3c dG|A4 B2|A2 z2 Bd|
g3a af|g3f e2|d4 e2|d4 c2|
B3A G2|Ac3 F2|G6-|G2 z2 ||
X: 2
T: South Wind, The (harmony)
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
Z: Johnny Kerr
K: Gmaj
fe|d3c B2|d3e g2|g3 ae2|f4 ed|
g3e d2|c3B c2|e6-|d2 z2 fe|
d3c B2|d3e g2|g3 ae2|f4 ed|
g3e d2|c3B c2|e6-|d2 z2 ef|
g6|g4 g2|g4 e2|f4 fe|
d3c B2|d3e g2|g3a e2|f3e d2|
b4 b2|b3a g2|g3a e2|f4 fe|
d3c B2|de3 e2|d6-|d2 z4||
Thanks - that is the sort of thing I meant, and that is really nice. However, I particularly want those tunes as my folk dance club has dances to them, and I want to play for those dances (as a duet with flautist friend). I can accompany her on guitar, which I already do, but would like a whistle second part. I’ve now written one for Sheebeg, Sheemore (anglicised spelling!) but the others are still to do. I just hoped someone might know of a site where they are already done, or that one of you clever people might have arranged them yourselves!
Hi -
I have Sheebeg… that I transcribed (at least in part), for a wedding last fall. It has 4 parts and you are more than welcome to it - you can find here.
Hi I have arranged a couple of carolan tunes as a three part tune (with a nice key change in the middle section) You´ll find it at my home page.
Planxty George Brabazon plays as a two-part tune. In Scotland it’s known as the tune of “Twa Bonnie Maidens”.
You can pick up ABC versions of O’Carolan’s works at The Old Music Project.
The FIddler’s companion says:
SOUTHWIND > (An Ghaoth Aneas). AKA and see “The Southern Breeze.” AKA – “The Wind from the South.” Irish, Air (3/4 or 6/8 time) or Waltz. F Major (Brody): G Major (Johnson, Matthiesen, Tubridy): A Major (O’Neill). Standard tuning. AB (Matthiesen, O’Neill): AAB (Brody, Tubridy): AABB’ (Johnson). O’Sullivan states that little is known of the author of the original Gaelic song, save that he was a native of Irrul, County Mayo, named Domnhall Meirgeach Mac Con Mara (> Freckled Donal Macnamara> ). The late fiddler Junior Crehan (1908-1998) told a story about how the air was learned by the west Clare musicians. It seems that a ghost ship was bringing back to Ireland the souls of the Wild Geese (i.e. Irish exiles) who had been killed in battle. As the vessel proceeded around southwest Cork it was driven up the west coast by a southern breeze and the ghosts of the Wild Geese could be heard chanting this tune, which was picked up by musicians on the coast of Clare who witnessed the event. The song begins:
A ghaoth andeas na mbraon mbog glas
A ni gach faithe féarmhar
Bheir iasg ir eas is grian i dteasIs lion is meas ar ghéagaibh
Más sios ar fad mar mbinn féin seal
Is mianach leat-sa séide
Cuirim Ri na bhFeart dhod chaomhaint ar neart
'S tu/ir don tir sin blas mo bhéil-se
O wind from the south with the soft clear drops
You that make every sward grassy
Bring the fish to the waterfall, give heat to the sun
And abundance of fruit to the branches
It is far to the north where I once livedThat you are minded to blow
May the King of Power preserve you in strength
And give the taste of my mouth to that country
Sources for notated versions: collector Edward Bunting noted the tune from a man who called himself “Poor Folk” [Bunting]; Chieftains (Ireland) [Brody]; noted by Chicago Police Sergeant James O’Neill, a fiddler originally from County Down and Francis O’Neill’s collaborator [O’Neill]. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 263‑264. Bulmer & Sharpley (Music from Ireland), 1974, vol. 1, No. 79. Bunting (A General Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland), 1809 (appears as “O Southern Breeze”). Bunting (The Ancient Music of Ireland), 1840 (appears as “Why Should not Poor Folk”). Johnson (The Kitchen Musician No. 5: Mostly Irish Airs), 1985 (revised 2000); pg. 6. Matthiesen (Waltz Book I), 1992; pg. 45. O’Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1979; No. 510, pg. 89 (appears as “The Southern Breeze”). O’Sullivan (Songs of the Irish), 1960; pg. 95. Tubridy (Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1), 1999; pg. 2. Island 9379, Chieftains‑ “Chieftains 3” (appears as “An Ghaoth Aneas”). Biograph 6008, Jerry Jenkins‑ “Fox Hollow String Band Festival.” Front Hall 017, Michael and McCreesh‑ “Dance, Like a Wave of the Sea” (1978).
See also listings at:Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources
Alan Ng’s Irishtune.info
X:1T:Southwind
T:An Ghaoth Aneas
R:waltz
Z:By Phil Sexton
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:30
K:G
|:c|"G"BAG Bcd|"D7"A2A ABc|"G"BAG "C"EDE|"G"G2 "C"G"G"G2:|!
d|g2"D7"g "C"gf"D7"e|"G"d2"A7"d "D"d2"D7"c|"G"BAG Bcd|"A7"A2A "D7"ABd|!
"G"g2"D7"g "C"gf"D7"e|"G"d2"A7"d "D"d2"D7"c|"G"BAG "D7"AcF|
"G"G2"C"G "G"G2||
X:2
T:Southern Breeze, The
M:6/8
L:1/8
R:Air
N:”Briskly”
S:O’Neill – Music of Ireland (1903), No. 510
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:A
d|cBA cec|B2B B2d|cBA FEF|A2A A2d|cBA cec|BEF GAB|cBA FEF|A2A A2||
e|a2a agf|e2e e2d|cBA cec|B2B B2e|a2 a agf|ecf e2d|cBA d2B|A2A A2||
GHAOTH ANES> , AN. AKA and see “Southwind,” “I have a secret to tell thee.” Irish, Air (3/4 time). Ireland, Clare. The air is attributed by Bunting (who prints it under the title “I have a Secret to Tell Thee”) to Clare musician Donall Meidhreach Mac Conmara. Hamish Henderson (1971) remarks that the tune is reminiscent of Sean O’ Tuama’s drinking song “Is Duine Me Chiolas Leann La”, which he says is sometimes described as the first setting of the ‘Limerick’ verse‑form. Shanachie 79023, “Chieftains 3” (1971,1982).
Thanks very much, everyone - that’s a great help. Thanks also for letting me use your arrangements, Rhulsey and Falkbeer. Much appreciated.