Susannes Folksong-Notizen
-
[1974:] This tune, revived by
Sean O'Riada, was originally a composition of the blind Derry
harpist Rory 'Dall' O'Cathain. He wrote it while on a visit to
Scotland where he had a disagreement with a Lady Eglingtoun. He
composed the tune for her when she apologized. Brian's words are
directed at the disagreements between the two peoples in Ireland
today. (Notes Wolfe Tones, 'Till Ireland A Nation')
[1999:] It's got a story to it,
dating from the 17th century. One of the blind harpers Rory Dall was
dumped in the ditch while travelling between gigs in Scotland by his
hostess for the evening, who took him for a blind beggar. The said
hostess (a Lady Eglington) was told what she had done when she got
home, so she fetched the harper home in style cleaned him up and
apologised most fulsomely. To show he had no ill-will, he produced
one of the finest harp airs "Da Mihi Manum" - Give Me Your
Hand. The Latin text has been lost, and there'll be fame in the harp
world for any archivist who finds it. (Jeremy Main,
rec.music.celtic, 19 Sep)
[1999:] The version I heard is
that he was a baron and called at the lady's house with his retinue,
expecting to be put up for the night as one person of rank would
expect from another in those days. She mistook him for an itinerant
harper and demanded music in payment. He stomped off in anger at the
slight. At a later date she being aware of her error and he feeling
that his anger was excessive they became friends and he wrote the
melody for her. At some later date he died in her house. I got this
version of the story from "The Pennywhistle Book" by Robin
Williamson. (Pete Schug, rec.music.celtic, 19 Sep)
[1999:] I quoted composer,
period (which matches the tune, in a way your romanticised "baron"
doesn't - it's not even a Scottish title), and background (including
the Latin title: writing poetry in Latin was the fashion in the
Scottish court in the early 1600s). For future reference, therefore,
please come up with details, not generalities filled with
anachronisms, if you want to contradict a detailed account, albeit
couched in modern jargon to give the feel for what happened.
Robin [Williamson] tells the same
story as mine in performance, but apart from being a harper, he's
also a teller of tales, which he sometimes embroiders - you've
perhaps been had. I didn't get it out of a book - it's established
in the harp circuit as such, and I believe someone in the Commun has
identified the Lady in question - I haven't had a chance to find out
yet, but I was told she was married to a laird somewhere around
Dunblane (which covers the odds quite well, given that it only
excludes the Islands, the Highlands north of the Great Glen, and
perhaps the Carse). The only uncertainty is which of the two Rory
Dalls known to have been active in Scotland at the time it was.
Harpers in Scotland in those days were still respected at court,
James VI/I played himself, and they could and did expect free
bed-and-board in return for the prestige their playing gave their
hosts - not unlike modern pop-groups. Turlough O'Carolan did the
same in Ireland a good few years later. He even selected which host
he was going to die with... (Jeremy Main, rec.music.celtic, 19 Sep)
[1999:] Rory Dall O'Caghan
(c1570-c1650). It seems now that he should not be mistaken for the
Rory Dall Morrison, (1660-1712?) of the Scottish tradition, the
harper of the MacLeod house in Dunvegan. Himself left Ulster quite
early to Scotland, where he achieved great fame, until his death. He
is said to have attended many houses of the Scottish nobility, and
the court of James VI. (SingsIrishSongs, rec.music.celtic, 16 Dec)
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=2631
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=2678
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=10018
See also : Lyrics: irish folk, Give me your hand
|