Oh, the transporting rapt’rous scene,
That rises to my sight.
Sweet fields arrayed in living green,
And rivers of delight.
What is an 'Irish' Sacred Harp song? Is it a tune whose origins can be traced to Ireland? Is it a tune or text popular with Irish musicians? Is it any 'Celtic' tune? Any fiddle tune? Or a tune or text written in an 'Irish' style? This is a list of songs in the Denson edition of the Sacred Harp that fit into any of these—or even looser—categories. See, especially, Nikos's note, though.
| Tune name | Denson | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Clamanda | 42 | Originally a Scottish tune, according to Nikos, it is also known as "The Parting Glass," it's been recorded by The Clancey Brothers, The Pogues, Bob Dylan, and many others. |
| Sawyer's Exit | 338 | Adapted from "Old Rosin the Beau", an "Irish face" comic song. A popular fiddler's tune. |
| The Old-Fashioned Bible | 342 | Nikos says this is adapted from "St. Patrick's Day in the Morning," (Midi file) and what could be more Irish than that? Except that Nikos says it too is Scottish in origin. |
| Help Me to Sing | 376 | "Related to the family represented in Ireland by the tune used for 'Star of the County Down'," says Jerome Colburn. |
| Praise God Consolation (50t Cooper) | 328 | Related to the tune 'Cruiscin Lan,' according to Bob's research. See if you hear it: Cruiscín Lán at Cantaria. |
| Irwington | 229 | Related to "Down by the Salley Gardens," some say; others say: not so much. In fact, Nikos connects it to Old Rosin the Beau! |
| Few Happy Matches | 96 | Sing it fast enough, and it's clear that it's a fiddle tune. That's Irish enough for me! |
Feel free to send me more suggestions! —Will Fitzgerald, 2009
1: Another eclectic list. I asked the fasola discussions list for 'Irish tunes' and got some great replies. Thanks to Nikos Pappas, Tracie Brown, Bob Borcherding, Brenda Pena, David Wright, and Thomas Malone for suggestions and encouragement. Still, any errors are all mine.