Carolan's Draught

[stanron]

Carolan's Draught. Turlough O'Carolan, 1670 to 1738, went blind as a result of polio at the age of eighteen. Put to the harp at this comparativly late age he developed a talent for songwriting. As all but one of his songs were in his native Irish he is better known today for his melodies.

Carolan's Draught was a celebration of drink.

Cheers.

[reeve21]

Wow,nice job on this piece, and I liked the tab. But now I'm thirsty

[stanron]

Thanks reeve21. In this weather my favourite tipple is cold tea and lemonade.

Cheers

Stan.

[Organic Sounds Select Guitars]

Really well played, Stan. I’m curious about the instrument that you used to record this - very unique sound. Thanks for sharing with us!

[rick-slo]

Good job though the tune normally is not played with a triplet type rhythm

[stanron]

LWSog

The guitar was either a 1960s Gibson LG0, with a replaced wooden bridge or a 1970s or 1980s Fylde Goodfellow. I'm not sure which although I might be able to find some written records somewhere.

rick-slo

I first came across the tune in tune sessions here in the UK where it was played as a slow straight 4/4 tune. It sounds very nice like that. I was recommended a book by Donal O'Sullivan on the life of Carolan called 'The Life, Times and Music of Turlough O'Carolan'. Worth reading if you can find it. I found a two volume hardback in Manchester Central Library and later bought a paperback edition on-line. Amongst a political background, his life story and a biography of a near contemporary Harpist there are transcriptions of all his tunes and some, attributed to him, that are not his.

Obviously, because he was blind, Carolan did not write down his tunes. But he played at the big houses. The children in the big houses would have been well educated and and music would have been a significant part of that education for some, if not many, of them. Some of them must have transcribed his music so they could play them for family gathers. For his book, Donal O'Sullivan researched the earliest manuscripts he could find.

The score for Carolan's Draught has the direction 'Allegro Con Spirito'. Fast and lively. Not slow and even. I decided to try to play the tune faster than normal and interpreted the 'Con Spirito' or lively to be code for what we now call swing, compound or triple time.

There is a thread discussing this kind of decision on Mudcat Cafe

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?thread...40&messages=14

I can't prove I'm right and I don't suppose anyone can prove I'm wrong. One thought is that the draught in Carolan's Draught was alcoholic and Carolan was reputedly a merry drinker. Fast and lively seems appropriate.

Thank you both for listening.

[rick-slo]

Thanks for the explanation Stanron. A term open to interpretation indeed. I personally would interpret a higher tempo "con spirit" by using more staccato notes and perhaps heavier accenting here and there.

[Kerbie]

Interesting interpretation, Stan... I liked it. Well played.

[stanron]

Thanks Kerbie

[Glennwillow]

Well done, Stan! I have never heard this song played quite like this, but I must say that I admire your ability to dive right in there with your own interpretation. As you have noted, no one knows one way or the other about the accuracy of your approach. It is most certainly lively, and I enjoyed it immensely!

I know a lot of O'Carolan's pieces because my now grown daughter use to play many of his pieces on her Celtic harp. Her interpretation of this piece was somewhat slower or more legato-like, but then again, who can say if her interpretation is accurate.

I also appreciate the research you have done on this subject! Excellent information!

- Glenn

[stanron]

Hi Glenn, thanks for that. It sounds as if the way your daughter used to play the tune is similar to the way I first heard it played. It is a beautiful tune played like that.

I used to play tunes, in tunes sessions here in the UK, on the fiddle. On the rare occasions when I would try to play Carolan's Draught in a 'fast and lively' fashion it was not always well received. I do like it and I get how it fits with the title. I wonder if the original lyrics have survived and if they have do they support legato or lively.

Cheers

Stan.