Concert 

CAROLAN'S HARP

Wednesday 2nd July

Around the year 1700, Irish harpers inherited traditional repertoires - joyful, sad and soothing – and a relatively new custom of dedicating their pieces (whether newly composed, or just a fresh setting of an older melody) to many different patrons as they travelled all around the country. Ancient Gaelic mythology gave music itself powers to mediate with the Otherworld, conjuring up victory in battle or mystic encounters with the Fairy Folk. And throughout Europe, baroque literature continued to associate dreams, death and mysterious journeys. “To sleep, perchance to dream” might lead a listener to the Otherworld, “that undiscovered country, from whose borne no traveller returns.”

Nevertheless, historical sources combine awareness of “the mystic powers that in blest numbers dwell” with down-to-earth practicality. An evocative prelude for the harp (played in 1792, but traced back a century or more) also serves to ‘Try if  it is in tune”. To appeal to a wide market, harp tunes are published also “for the violin, German flute or hautboy” (Neal, 1724). And the elegiac title of Carolan’s Farewell to Music was attached to a fiddle-tune that Turlough might have played as a “Farewell” any time he left a house on his ‘rambles’, as well as at his deathbed.

Tonight’s tunes tell the traveller’s tales from three legendary journeys. A traditional story links Carolan’s song for his childhood sweetheart, Bridget Cruise, with a midsummer Dream and the Fairies on the hill. William Forde’s unpublished manuscript catalogues the meandering progress through dozens of variants of a tune known to English-speakers as Tommy McCullagh: “I am asleep, and don’t waken me”. Finally, we embark on an imaginary trip to Scotland, rambling with Carolan amongst lilts, rants and reels.

Download the complete Carolan's Harp program here