From Erin’s Emerald Isle, vol. 1 (LHS)

“This collection of fifteen ancient Irish airs is the first volume of a projected three-volume set.  They come mainly from Edward Bunting’s The Ancient Music of Ireland, 1840, and Alfred Moffat’s The Minstrelsy of Ireland, 1897.  As a young nineteen year old musician, Bunting was commissioned to attend the festival of harpers held in Belfast in 1792, and to take down their music, most of which had never been published.  He was not a harper and his music suits the keyboard rather than the harp; in fact, much of it is unplayable on the clarsech, or the common Irish harp.  These arrangements are designed to make this music available to lever harp players.  On the other hand, Mr. Moffat’s collection is vocal music with keyboard accompaniment.  The arranger has taken the melodies of these songs and has given them solo harp treatment.  Where applicable, the text of these songs is given at the end.

These pieces were arranged for the lever harp tuned in F.  Six selections are in F, one in D Minor, while two are in A minor and one in C.  Five of them are in G.  The Coolin is in G and modulates to the key of D.  Although playable on the pedal harp, they were intended to be played specifically on the lever harp.”  D. Owens

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