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 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 
 v^^ 
 
 /^w^ A^^j^^/
 
 THE 
 
 DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS 
 
 01)' 
 
 ANCIENT IRISH MELODY: 
 
 €\)t StaUs* 
 
 A PLEA FOR RESTOEATION AND PRESERYATION. 
 
 BEING 
 
 A LECTURE 
 
 KEAD 
 
 OAT MONDAY EVENING, 15th FEBRUARY, iSgj, 
 "^tUxt i\t gjtti^nal git^rarg ^^jCi^tg. 
 
 BY 
 
 JAMES C. CULWICK. 
 
 DUBLIN; 
 E. PONSONBY, 116, GRAFTON STREET. 
 
 1897.
 
 Printed at The Univrrsity Prkss, Dublin.
 
 Library 
 
 ML 
 
 cm. 
 
 ANCIENT lEISII MELODY. 
 
 Among the many by-paths of musical study it would scarcely be pos- 
 sible to find any avenue more attractive, or more likely to delight the 
 leisure of the musical student, than that which runs far back into the 
 shades of antiquity, and traverses the widely-spread and mysterious 
 regions of ancient Folk-song. Among such scenes we propose to-night 
 for awhile to linger. 
 
 In paying a visit of inquiry to these remote regions we need not — 
 we shall not — regard with any less affection the more frequented parts 
 of the musical field. On the contrary we shall see with a better in- 
 formed mind the true position of all things, and with a surer judgment 
 gauge their relative value. We may even venture to promise to any 
 musical student who will study the truth in National music, many an 
 added ornament, and powerful and ever fresh resources in expression. 
 
 In Folk-song, Poetry and Music grow and blossom together to 
 infold and complete each other like melody and harmony, and thus com- 
 pleted they form an emotional record telling what manner of men they 
 were who sang these songs — what they loved — how they lived. 
 
 Supposing skill to be equal, it is with individual musicians (whether 
 composers or performers) as it is with nations. Dreamers and senti- 
 mentalists, and men of energetic and vigorous habits, the happy and 
 contented, and those who are suffering under oppression and misery, 
 will make music of a diverse character. To take an example— energy 
 of character and life are expressed through a strongly marked rhythm, 
 through melody made of wide skips, unexpected changes of all sorts, 
 through harmony that is strong and energetic, and often swiftly 
 changing, while people of a reflective or romantic turn, losing much of 
 these qualities, will rather be inclined to what we call cantabile effects. 
 Rhythmic definiteness they are content to neglect if only the emo- 
 tional waves, and the rise and fall of the vocal cadences, are sufficiently 
 regarded. Hence there arise those strongly marked contrasts heard 
 
 a2
 
 4 DISTTXCTIYE CHAllACTERISTICS OP 
 
 in the national songs of the world. Take the music of the Saxon races, 
 and compare it with the Latin ; or, take by way of comparison, the 
 strong, broad-shouldered, robust, and square-headed, sturdy and bold 
 song-music of England, and compare it with the fervour, romance, and 
 softened imagination of the early Irish music. These two styles 
 may, in a sense, be said to complete the one the other : while they 
 difier they are not necessarily antagonistic. To me they have 
 always appeared to illustrate the strength of the masculine, and the 
 sweetness of the feminine qualities of music ; and as in ordinary 
 life nothing feminine is perfect without some masculine qualities, and 
 nothing masculine is at its best unless it includes a touch of feminine 
 grace, so is it here ; the one completes the other. 
 
 But this study of music by the methods of the comparative ana- 
 tomist we must not further indulge in. For my task to-night is 
 rather to put before you several considerations that I trust may lead 
 to a somewhat better understanding, at least on one side, of our 
 beautiful Irish melody. I wish chiefly to endeavour to show in what 
 lie the distinctive characteristics of Irish song. In making this 
 attempt, while touching many things lying in our path, I shall lean 
 almost altogether on that division of the subject which includes a con- 
 sideration of its scale forms and the history of their development. This is 
 a point much needing of some further explanation. Many have written 
 of construction and rhythm, but we have but very little help in under- 
 standing the ancient scale forms. 
 
 With such a subject in hands, you will not, I trust, expect from me 
 anything in the form of what is usually called a popular lecture — that 
 is, a string upon which to thread pleasantries and anecdotes ; but you 
 will, I am persuaded, be willing to give my subject a patient and 
 attentive hearing. I can, at least, promise you some compensation 
 in the recital of some of the sweetest music the world knows. I 
 wish to lay no claim to originality, nor to the invention of some 
 new thing. Only a sincere and well-established love and admiration 
 for the very beautiful traditional music of Ireland has been the incen- 
 tive to an inquiry into the subject. 
 
 I shall select, by way of a text to start with, some words of W. K. 
 Sullivan, who, in his introduction to O'Curry's great work, said of the 
 Irish scales : — " They are manifold and often apparently quite arbitrary, 
 so that the principles upon which they proceed are sometimes incom- 
 prehensible to us." That is, "they are many"— "they are often
 
 ANCIENT IRISH ^lELODY. 5 
 
 arbitrary"—" they are sometimes incomprehensible." We must take 
 this as a plea nolle prosequi. 
 
 Bunting started well, and did invaluable work, probably having been 
 stirred, in the first instance, by reading Walker's glowing pages. But it 
 is to be feared the remark in the preface to " ' Curry " is correct when it 
 is said: — " Walker wrote chiefly from imagination ; Bunting from in- 
 duction : his information being apocryphal and corrupt." That Bunting 
 with all his real and invaluable work upon Irish music had not struck 
 upon the full and true explanation of,its scales there are a hundred proofs. 
 He came very near to the light, but his practice was not equal to his 
 theory ; or, must we ask, did he, too, like others, sometimes yield to 
 the temptation of flattering the modern ears, instead of keeping his 
 work consistent with the antiquity of his material? Petrie, Dr. Joyce, 
 not to speak of others of less mark, show in their harmonization, similar 
 signs of imperfect method.' Even Dr. Parry, in his exhaustive essay 
 upon scales, is shy when he comes to treat of the peculiarities of the 
 Irish scale form. • 
 
 Looking into the work of such a man as Carl Engel, expecting 
 there, if anywhere, to find firm ground, we meet confusion worse con- 
 founded. Indeed his definition of "an Irish scale " — he gives us only 
 one — is the most ridiculous and farthest from the truth of any. 
 
 In this connexion, I need not mention Professor Stanford, for his 
 object has been the making of beavitiful music, and he has well suc- 
 ceeded. When contriving his accompaniments to the great number of 
 melodies he has edited, he brings the weapons of modern science to 
 his aid, and not troubling too much about antiquarian truth or archaic 
 considerations, his accompaniments are, as he says, "frankly modern." 
 He adopts one of two views, both of which are rational, and have dis- 
 tinguished adherents. His is the artistic method ; others find fascina- 
 tion in preserving the truth of the ancient form of a song, and in the 
 archfeological side of the study wherein they view the primitive songs 
 as the music of nature not of Art. Such contrasted views it is easy 
 
 ' The noting and the collecting and preserving of melodies is one thing, and much 
 work has been done in this direction by painstaking and enthusiastic collectors ; but 
 their harmonization and the fitting to them a suitable accompaniment is quite another 
 matter, and few are the instances where we could say that the result has been other 
 than unfortunate. The work that appears to approach nearest to purity was done by 
 Surenne (1814-1878), in his edition of " Songs of Ireland." The preface to his book, 
 written by Farquharson Graham, is among the most valuable of the literature treating 
 on our subject.
 
 6 DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF 
 
 to reconcile by remembering the words of Sir Robert Stewart, that 
 " there is a music of nature and a music of Art ; the one as old as 
 the world and as natural as the organs of speech, the other long 
 sought before men found it." Neither of these views can we afford 
 to neglect, but I fear of the two " the music of nature " at present 
 receives by far the smaller share of attention and study, and far less 
 than it deserves. 
 
 One is sometimes driven to think that even the true effect of Irish 
 song is forgotten among us. Many who have essayed to imitate the 
 old music for artistic purposes, have done so in a manner as uncertain 
 as if they had set themselves the impossible task of facing both ways. 
 They begin by desiring to appear ancient, but end as thorough moderns ! 
 The only sign of their intention remaining is a slight tinge of Irish 
 colour. Besides one often reads such curious theories and such strange 
 opinions. For instance : it has been asserted by a now famous Irish 
 musician that there is a close affinity between Hungarian music and 
 the Irish. I have failed to discover any points of resemblance. It is 
 rather a fashion to class any unaccustomed tonality as Hungarian. 
 Neither in scale nor intervals, in its rhythm, form, harmonies, or 
 habits of sudden and startling modulation, is there any similarity. 
 But, perhaps, some of the highly spiced up-to-date disarrangements 
 of Irish melodies were spoken of. Does not a sentence like the 
 following act as an irritant to set one's teeth on edge, and does it not 
 speak of a complete blank as to scientific knowledge, or any, but the 
 most incomplete, sympathy? — "Though much has been said of the 
 antiquity of our music, it is certain that the finest and most popular 
 airs are modern ; and, perhaps, we may look no further than the last 
 disgraceful century for the origin of most of the wild and melancholy 
 strains." Who said this? Who think you is responsible for this 
 warped and debased estimate of Irish music ? No less a man than 
 Tom Moore. IMoore, who, after publishing four books of melodies, 
 said "the work ought to come to an end with the novelty of the 
 early numbers" . . . "lest the poetry should sympathise with the 
 decline of the music." He " feared that his publishers were descend- 
 ing to the gathering of mere seed pearl"; and Moore further accused 
 Bunting, who sincerely endeavoured to preserve what remained of the 
 oldest and most characteristic melodies, of disgracing his pages with 
 too many barbarous rhapsodies. Such airs as did not conform to 
 modern drawing-room requirements, Moore seemed very slow to recog-
 
 ANCIENT IKISH MELODY. 7 
 
 nise. He looked upon them as merely " cm-ious," and discouraged his 
 friends from sending him any such. I have quoted his own words. 
 However he may be worthy of worship as a poet — and how much do 
 we owe him? — we may not then look to Moore for "any explanation 
 of the principles upon which the scales proceed." 
 
 Moore did a great work for us ; he supplied many lovely airs with 
 words fitly wedded and truly poetic ; and we must try to agree with 
 Bunting that " the beauty of Mr. Moore's words, in a great degree, 
 atones for the violence done to many of the airs he adopted." To him 
 as a poet, if not as a musician, we owe a large debt of gratitude. 
 In his own proper sphere, Moore's work was most powerful for good ; 
 for, to use his own expression, " a pretty air without words resembles 
 one of those half creatures of Plato, which are described as wandering 
 in search of the remainder of themselves through the world." Ireland 
 will honour any of her sons who will worthily continue Moore's work. 
 But this oflfice of National poet seems to have its own serious responsi- 
 bilities. For, though good poetry, when allied to a fine air, will, 
 together with it, stand the test of time, yet neither good words allied 
 with a bad tune, nor excellent music yoked with inferior verse, will 
 ever be able to make a way into a nation's aflections, and earn per- 
 manent acceptance. Have we not abundant evidence of the truth of 
 this ? Poor verse has choked many a fine air. 
 
 But, speaking of the scales, it does not seem very likely, looking 
 around, that we shall find among any of the generally accepted 
 authorities more than half truths, each insufficient in itself to solve 
 the whole mystery of those so-called "arbitrary principles" of scale 
 formation spoken of in our text. Indeed, the whole evidence contri- 
 buted by the greater part of the writers can only compare to the 
 attempts of a company of savants to describe the nature and form of 
 an unknown animal from their inward consciousness. I may confess 
 to having long felt a strong desire to learn something certain about 
 Irish music. I experienced a feeling of helplessness, and saw little hope 
 of satisfying myself with an explanation of this subject, until by good 
 fortune I chanced to light upon one or two leading principles, which 
 being brought together offered valuable suggestions. Later I was 
 much gratified by reading an able, instructive, but strangely neglected 
 essay by Mi-. St. John Lacy. Having applied the system thus formed 
 to the examination of a large number of melodies, I feel hopeful that 
 I have a firm hold of a large part of the truth.
 
 8 DISTINCTIVE CHAIIACTERISTICS OF 
 
 In these matters one should seldom speak as if ex cathedra. Over 
 confidence is most likely to lead to disaster. My object will be gained 
 if others with fuller information and more leisure will supply that in 
 which my explanation is lacking, and correct me in what I err. All 
 will be very well if what is said or done results in making the music 
 itself in any degree better known, better understood, and still better 
 loved, as it ought to be. This we all trust will be one of the outcomes 
 of our Feis Ceoil. 
 
 Taking up our text to examine it more closely, we find that its 
 first clause says, that the " Irish scales are manifold." This I would 
 remark cannot be counted as pointing to any distinguishing character- 
 istic of Irish music. For, though the forms employed in modern Euro- 
 pean science are three only — or at most four — and although, as I 
 presently hope to show, the Irish scales numbered 15, yet this number 
 sinks into insignificance when compared with the 249 distinct scales 
 which Dr. Hatherly describes in his book on Byzantine nmsic. This 
 learned gentleman has just recently been kind enough to send me a 
 print, in which he uses the air " God Save the Queen " to exemplify 
 the use of 24 distinct scale-forms — the most acceptable, we may sup- 
 pose, in his judgment among 249 Byzantine tonalities. 
 
 But a fact of far-reaching and real importance in the history of 
 scale-formation is, that in various divisions of the globe there have 
 existed, nay, do exist, sundry and distinctly different methods of scale- 
 plan. It is hard to decide whether the final causes of these differences 
 lie in the constitutional varieties and racial characteristics, or whether 
 they are a result of climatic influences. Helmholtz is of opinion that 
 the construction of our scales is certainly the work of artistic invention. 
 If this is so, the scale-forms must be subject to the laws of artistic 
 beauty, as yet unwritten. But this we do find, that while the music 
 of one nation suggests a lazy drone, with a smudge of indefinite 
 sounds for its scale, another nation will express in its music a sharp, 
 definite, ringing briskness, and clearly defined sounds, with a tendency 
 to free and extended leaps in its vocal habits. For " racial difterences 
 imply different degrees of emotionalism and imaginativeness, and 
 different degrees of the power of self control " (Dr. H. Parry). The range 
 of voice employed by some undeveloped people is confined to two notes 
 or three. Or there are scales of narrow range, but infinitesimal division. 
 Such, for instance, exist among the cannibal islanders. Such scale 
 forms have scarcely reached that precision that marks the scales of
 
 ANCIENT imSH MELODY. 
 
 civilization. Then there are those pathetic Oriental scales, frequently 
 moving in augmented intervals ; and that curious, and to our feeling, 
 discordant scale of the Siamese, which has no semitones, but all equal 
 tones, throughout its octave. 
 
 Fig. I. — God Save the Queen [in Siamese Scale). 
 
 L^z^^Jzydi^J ^^f^t^ 
 
 :* 
 
 -(©- 
 
 ^ 
 
 -O- 
 
 -<s— 
 
 In some parts of the world, and those not the least important, the 
 scales would seem to have been developed by what is known as the 
 tetrachordal method, which we may take to mean this ; — Starting with 
 a narrow range of three or four conjunct notes, this was extended by 
 adding, now one, now another, note, above or below. There would 
 seem to be no doubt that this was the system adopted by the Greeks. 
 
 Fig. II. — Ajyproximate representation of the groivth of the Greek 
 
 Scale {greater system). 
 
 H 
 
 ^ 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 r. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ff^ 
 
 
 
 
 1^ '^ 
 
 
 I'y 
 
 
 
 
 ^ '^ 
 
 
 a. 
 
 h. 
 
 c. 
 
 d. 
 
 e. 
 
 /• 
 
 
 t^f-^ 
 
 -^^^ 
 
 
 
 — G—i^. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 -E^-iS^C* ■ 
 
 L 1 
 
 
 1o^ \ 
 
 (a) The lyre had at first four strings only ; (b) later three more were 
 added, and an eighth, (c) to complete the octave ; (d) then three others, 
 deeper sounds ; (c) again three above ; (/) and finally the lowest of all, to 
 which was given the special name " Proslambanomenos." The evidence 
 goes to prove a system of extension by the addition of adjacent notes. ^ 
 This Greek system, derived in the first instance from Egypt (and so 
 could not have failed to reach the Hebrews), has come down to us, 
 appearing in full freshness in the Gregorian modes, and these have 
 ultimately taken the form of the ordinary European scales. 
 
 Now, standing in strong contrast to these Greek scales, there is that 
 which chiefly affects us — a scale -form adopted by a long string of 
 nations, in which certain notes are wanting, and from this circumstance 
 such scales are called " gapped " scales. This fact of gaps in the scale is 
 so distinctly marked that we may safely look upon this habit as pointing 
 out a particular family in the classification of scale-forms. Widespread 
 
 1 See G. A. Macfarren, in Encyclopedia Britmnica.
 
 10 DISTINCTIVE CHAEACTERISTICS OF 
 
 indeed are such gapped scales ; something like them has heen known 
 in science as of the enharmonic genus. We see them in the music of 
 the Chinese, in Java, in parts of Russia, and in Finland, in Scotland 
 and in Ireland ; and quite recently a most interesting revelation has 
 been made in a journal of American ethnology and archaeology, which 
 furnishes evidences of the same principle ruling in the musical system 
 of the Zutii Indians, inhabiting the very centre of the American 
 continent. The phonograph had been happily used to preserve the 
 musical characteristics of an almost vanishing race. 
 
 PERIOD I. 
 
 We see then that it was in common with many other nations that 
 the Irish started in some remote antiquity with a scale, having five 
 notes only within the octave. And this fact points to an origin quite 
 independent of Greek diatonic influences, and a beginning, or settle- 
 ment, probably long anterior to the wave that swept over us from the 
 south-east. To make it clear to the understanding we shall not be far 
 wrong in representing these sounds of our old five-note scale as being 
 nearly identical with our notes C, D, E, — G, A, — C. 
 
 Dr. Hubert Parry remarks : — " Evidence as well as theory proves 
 almost conclusively that either the interval of the fourth or of the fifth 
 formed the nucleus upon which all scales were based ; and one of the 
 two was probably the interval which primitive savages endeavoured to 
 hit in their first attempts at music." In this he is in accordance with 
 Mr. Herbert Spencer, " who shows how music is directly derived from 
 the natural variation of inflection in the speaking voice under various 
 states of feeling." In these w'ords, Mr. Statham epitomises Mr. Spencer's 
 theory, while only in part agreeing with it. But so far we may 
 suppose that these limited vocal cries or cadences formed the first small 
 material out of which music grew, and were suggested by the more or 
 less energetic character of the people. The low tone and the high tone 
 of the voice would become points well recognised and determined, and 
 between these limits, high and low, the voice would curvet about, at 
 first indefinitely ; but when sounds had become fixed by the invention 
 of some musical tone-defining izistrument, the pitch was no longer an 
 uncertain thing. For then, instead of the haphazard slide of the speak- 
 ing voice, and the still untutored efforts of the singer, there were, to 
 some extent, clearly defined steps of artistically selected musical
 
 ANCIENT IKTSH MELODY. 
 
 11 
 
 intervals. On some such principle of vocal cadence having a fixed 
 interval, we should not find it very difficult to imagine how a scale 
 could be felt out ; starting at C, and making an addition of fifths 
 above this note, we get these results — 
 
 Fig. III. OR 
 
 -s>- 
 
 5=2z: 
 
 ■^ 
 
 -G>- 
 
 which it will be distinctly seen are the notes forming what is described 
 above as the most ancient form of the Scotch and Irish scale. 
 
 Here, then, we will suppose ourselves firmly established in the use 
 of the primitive scale, the existence of which is scarcely open to doubt ; 
 though, as to the process of its growth, there may be various opinions. 
 These, at least, are the sounds that are used in the composition of all 
 the most ancient melodies, Scotch and Irish alike. And if they are 
 met with in the melodies of tradition, we may confidently accept them ; 
 for, where no sort of notation was in existence that could fix the sounds, 
 and the science of music was as yet non-existent, scales may only 
 be learned from the melodies themselves, traditionally transmitted. 
 Bunting clearly observed the incompleted form of the scale used in the 
 most ancient tunes ; also the peculiar tonality of others ; but he attri- 
 butes the effects to quite other causes than the right ones ; and various 
 writers on this subject, as I have already shown, speak part of the truth 
 and give examples of scales, and propound theories concerning them, 
 which account for a few only among the larger number of varieties. I 
 shall now refer to the melody figured IV. This figure gives a phrase 
 from a melody in the First Mode. 
 
 Fig. IV. — Joyce's Tune. Bunting's 1796 vol. 
 
 3z 
 
 -i(- ■ 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 ^3^^ 
 
 =■4 *f-d 
 
 "*" &c. 
 
 The actual pitch, from want of information, we cannot exactly 
 define. It matters little, however, what was the pitch ; probably it was 
 variable at will ; but for our present convenience we will suppose the 
 lowest sound to be represented by our note C. The form of the scale
 
 12 DISTINCTIVE CHAUACTERISTICS OF 
 
 is the vital point. It will be seen that the notes F and B, or the fourth 
 and seventh of the scale are absent. It should then be noted that C in 
 these tunes is regarded as the tonic, the final, or concluding note, to 
 which all other notes seem to turn as their home or resting-place. 
 
 Fig. v.— Mode II. 
 
 i 
 
 -G>- 
 
 -G>- 
 
 Here we must pause for a moment to notice an important trait in 
 the Irish musical system. It took its rise, it would seem, from a.jnLvin!j 
 of methods. It is a resultant of distinct and perhaps opposing 
 influences which came together at the meeting and cohesion of races. 
 Upon the original design of the gapped scale we have now to graft a 
 method common in Greek and south Europe practice. In the melodies 
 just now cited, C was the final ; but if, instead of accepting C as the 
 final, we give to D, or E, or G, or A, the position of final, we shall at 
 once feel that in each case the expression, the meaning, and the whole 
 tonality appear to change. It was in this way that the Greeks them- 
 selves treated their series of scale-sounds, thus obtaining what was 
 called the several modes. 
 
 In mediaeval times, this treatment of the scales gave what are known 
 as the Gregorian or Church modes. But we must note one vastly 
 important difl:erence between the oldest Irish scales and the Greek dia- 
 tonic system, namely, that whereas these Greek modes lay in an 
 unbroken and continuous string of sounds, from octave to octave, each 
 mode containing five tones and two semitones, the Irish scale in its 
 first and earliest form never forgets that its 4th and 7th sounds are 
 absent, indeed are non-existent. We notice with interest how the 
 notes of the tunes made of five sounds jump over these gaps, and are 
 arranged with evident knowledge of their position. There is no 
 sign that these leaps occurred in like manner at any other parts 
 of the scale. In fact there would appear to have been a necessity 
 for the player to skip these particular notes, seeing that they had 
 no place on the instrument ; as yet the scale development had 
 not grown sufficiently to include them. It is probable that of airs 
 most ancient, written in this method, some are wholly lost (they have 
 floated away into forgetfulness) ; while others remain to us, but in a 
 form more or less modernized and disguised, whether by unconscious 
 change or deliberate tinkering we need not stop to inquire. Many
 
 AT^CIE"NT ITITSH MELODY. 
 
 13 
 
 tunes, on the other hand, may be referable to a date somewhat recent, 
 but still bearing the signs of the ancient form, character, and prac- 
 tices, having been constructed by musicians to -whom the ancient and 
 traditional principles were well known. 
 
 If we are engaged in the critical examination of a melody, the 
 accented points and marked peculiarities, the presence or absence of 
 certain scale sounds, the notes holding first rank in the melody, i.e. the 
 outline plan and the vital frame are the points which should have our 
 chief attention ; mere accidental embellishments, notes of passing, and 
 flowery additions, will have scarcely any weight in deciding upon the 
 age or the original form of the melody. For very often, such are mere 
 J excrescences, and have been added unconsciously, or in wayward caprice, 
 by the more recent performers. The steps and the process whereby the 
 more ancient characteristics have been made to bend to modern prac- 
 tices can often be distinctly traced by comparing several versions of 
 the same air collected in various parts of the country. 
 
 It wall be obvious that the sounds forming our earliest gapped scale, 
 treated on the Greek-like principle I have mentioned, are capable of 
 five various and distinctly difierent arrangements, each arrangement 
 being commonly called a mode. In each and all of these modes we 
 have airs, though, as I assume, their nature has seldom been rightly 
 apprehended. 
 
 For example, Mr. Sullivan, as sho"^Ti in my text, assumed the 
 scales were (and have generally been supposed to be) arbitrary and 
 incomprehensible. I trust I may show that they are not so. 
 
 It is now my duty to give other airs in scales belonging also to the first 
 period, in each of the modes. The scale marked V. and air, " Tiernna 
 
 Fig. V*. — TiEKNNA Mayo. From a venj old pi int. 
 
 
 m 
 
 ^ 
 
 *^4s-# 
 
 ^rf^-y 
 
 w^^ -^-w 
 
 t 
 
 h fj p - 
 
 ^ir»^- 
 
 i 
 
 6- -- 
 
 3T==yrr-f-r-HE^ 
 
 :«;= 
 
 ^ 
 
 i-^.i'* '-•- 
 
 ^j-fl 
 
 ^'4 s )
 
 14 
 
 DISTINCTIVE CHAKACTEllISTICS OF 
 
 Mayo " (from a very old print) marked figure Y a. are in the second mode 
 ranging from D to D, but with neither F nor B. A different version, 
 called " Lord Mayo," is printed in Holden's collection of Irish airs, and 
 in Joyce, 1888, Bunting, in 1809, has another version under the same 
 name, but so little like it that it is difficult to recognize it as the same. 
 There is yet another version, under the title " Tiagharna Mhaighe- 
 eo," No. 15, Walker's Bards. This again differs greatly from the other 
 versions. Yet, strange to say, all these versions of the air remain 
 perfectly true to the contents of the ancient scale. That is, the primal 
 scale being gapped — starting from C and omitting F and B — the second 
 mode of the scale (in which this tune is written), having D for the final, 
 will be found also wanting the notes F and B, so that we have now the 
 scale of D, but without either the 3rd or the 6th degrees. Of course 
 such omissions must, and do produce a very marked and characteristic 
 effect. 
 
 Now, having explained the nature of the modes, we may hope that 
 the system will be readily understood. The third mode of this period 
 stands thus : — 
 
 Fig. VI.-Modk III. 
 
 t 
 
 s>- 
 
 s^=^ 
 
 ISZ 
 
 =^-^ 
 
 The next example I give is taken from Crotch's specimens. No. 47. 
 
 moderato. 
 
 Fig. VP. — The Battle of Argan Mor. 
 
 n~^^i^ 
 
 W^^^^ ^ 
 
 It is there described as very ancient, and most probably it is so ; 
 but, as given in Crotch, its meaning and form are wholly disguised. 
 Transposing it a 4th up, he forces it to conform to the harmonies of 
 F major, though its final is E. If satisfactory harmony for a melody 
 cannot readily be found, we should let it go unharmonized ; for 
 does not its tonality plainly show that it was written in an age 
 when harmony could be dispensed with, and that it came into being 
 before the modern harmonic system was known — known at least to 
 the singer of the song? This air is much older than the modern
 
 ANCIENT IRISH MELODY. 
 
 15 
 
 system of harmony, and should not be forced into wearing a harmonic 
 garment of so modern a fashion as that provided by Dr. Crotch. As 
 0' Curry points out—" Multivocal music had not reached Ireland at the 
 time when such an air may be supposed to have had its birth." It 
 seems, then, an artistic violence and an anachronism to present it as 
 given by Dr. Crotch. Let it be sung with passionate fervour, without 
 accompaniment, or at most with a drone bass, or in unison with an 
 occasional chord of the harp, and the meaning will be at once suffi- 
 ciently clear. I give another specimen in this mode, carrying words — 
 
 Fig. VP. — Ah ! Fak from Benmore. 
 
 J. c. c. 
 
 l^fe^k^EJ ^ 
 
 E^=^l^^^^^ 
 
 9r^,^ 
 
 Ah! far from Benmore he's gone alone To seek in foreign dime his own. Re 
 
 ie=^ 
 
 i 
 
 ^ 
 
 SF?= 
 
 i 
 
 * 
 
 ¥^ 
 
 5 
 
 -(5>- 
 
 -4^- 
 
 turn my darling back to me. My thoughts ere fly to 
 
 thee. 
 
 E=£^f I j: J v 
 
 i 
 
 m=^ 
 
 n 
 
 -<s^ 
 
 r 
 
 Of mode No. IV., starting on G, I have no good authentic example 
 at hand. Comparatively rare as the melodies are belonging to the 
 modes of the first period, there is not one of the scales, as we shall see 
 presently, more likely to become drawn to modern methods than this 
 4th mode ; and it is quite probable that many airs originally sung in 
 this mode and belonging to this period, have changed ^heir form with 
 the fashion of the day, and are now living disguised through affiliation 
 with more recent methods. This is the form of the scale : — 
 
 Fig. VIL— Mode IV. 
 
 i 
 
 is: 
 
 =(2_ 
 
 -(S- 
 
 :s:
 
 16 DISTITs^CTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF 
 
 I have an air made in this mode, showing the general effect of its 
 music : — 
 
 Fig. VIP. — Kate of Kilcummee {accompaniments omitted). j. c. c. 
 
 m 
 
 s 
 
 jJlXQ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 w — *— 
 
 There are flowers in the valley, And fruit on the hill, Sweet - 
 
 i f^^^^^^^ 
 
 K- N I fe fe 
 
 ^ 
 
 P= 
 
 scented and smiling Re - sort where you will. But the sweetest and brightest In 
 
 ad lib. 
 
 ^^^f ^^i^^^=^-^^^^Si 
 
 spring time or summer, Is the girl of my heart, The young Kate of Kilcummer. 
 
 {See " Pojmlar Songs of Ireland," Croker,for the verse.) 
 
 The fifth and last mode of this first period has A for the final, 
 and the scale is wanting in the 2nd and 6th. 
 
 Fig. VIII.— Mode V. 
 
 i^zi 
 
 ESZ 
 
 -G 
 
 'ZZl 
 
 A fairly good example of this mode is a tune appearing under the 
 title of " A Bunch of Green Kushcs." But to show the pathos that 
 this mode is capable of, I will add also another example that may serve 
 as a proof of the theory here displayed. 
 
 Fig. VHP. — Dikge ofO'Sullivan '^^ks. {accompaniment omitted), j.c.c. 
 
 i 
 
 F?= 
 
 ^?=^ 
 
 £ 
 
 f— ♦ 
 
 The sun on I - veka no longer shines brightly, 
 
 The voice of her 
 
 £ 
 
 m 
 
 ? 
 
 =r=?= 
 
 y-^ 
 
 music no longer is sprightly ; 
 
 No more to her maidens the 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
 P--^ 
 
 ^-4 
 
 light dance is dear, Since the death of our darling O'Sullivan 
 
 Bear. 
 
 The three foregoing examples have been dropped in, not merely 
 because the supply of airs suitable to illustrate some of these modes of
 
 ANCIENT IRISH MELODY. 17 
 
 the first period is now undoubtedly scanty, but rather to suggest that, 
 with the due in his hand, no writer need shrink from employing these 
 or any other of the ancient modes, if the plan and colour of his work 
 call for it. The method of their use should be accurate and scientific, 
 and their adoption as an artistic means admits of no uncertainty of 
 effect. Nor need he fear that their use must result in his slipping 
 into some vague smudge of supposed Irish tonalities. Further, it 
 should be seen, and the knowledge should have a salutary effect, that 
 any addition or alteration, by way of spicy chromatic effects, added 
 in vain caprice or ignorance by would-be arrangers, lies open for detec- 
 tion under the eye of the public. Wonderful things in the nature 
 of sugary hotchpotch have been put together in the name of "Irish 
 music " I 
 
 I may call attention to the simple way the examples are presented 
 to you, namely, without transposition — a plan which makes a compari- 
 son one with another quite easy. It is to the unfortunate and confusing, 
 but perhaps necessary, habit of transposing these old melodies into 
 any or every key convenience suggested, that we must attribute that 
 obscuring cloud which seems to have been too thick for the vision of 
 many of the latter-day " arrangers." It speaks volumes for the truth 
 and accuracy of the melodic records made by Bunting, Petrie, Dr. Joyce, 
 and others ; and it is a comforting and very reassuring fact that, in 
 spite of misunderstandings manifold as to harmonic fitness, the airs, 
 caught up from singers having the true traditions, have been by them, 
 carefully noted and faithfully preserved almost true to scale and with- 
 out a sign of faltering. The same may be said of some of those most 
 interesting examples, evidently obtained at first hand, furnished in the 
 pages of the " Citizen " and some other treasuries of ancient song. 
 It is, too, an argument of the greatest weight in favour of the 
 theory here explained, that, when melodies are even now obtained from 
 sources removed from the contamination of the vulgarising music haU, 
 and from fashion and modern influences, they do seem to be formed 
 quite accurately upon one or another of these modes, and that, let it 
 be remembered, after so long use among the untutored peasantry. 
 
 But, when in their notation the airs are tricked out with all sorts of 
 conventional ornaments, and when they have become transposed, there 
 have been introduced elements leading to quite hopeless confusion. 
 We find Petrie, for instance, presenting airs in what O'Curry calls a 
 " fabulous " key : F minor, four flats (or even B flat minor, five flats).
 
 18 DISTIXCTTVE OHARACTEHrSTICS OF 
 
 It is not, then, with much surprise that we find him joining with this 
 needless deformity — and it is nothing short of a deformity viewing his 
 work from the historical standpoint^ — the guilt of grossly contorted 
 out-of-the-key harmonies. 
 
 I fear we must agree that the aphorism of Sir Gavan Dufty holds 
 good in the case of Irish music : " What a man does not understand 
 he does not possess." Many people look into these old songs with a 
 dull version and imperfect understanding. They may be, and often 
 are possessed by a quite certain feeling that they are dealing with 
 something uncommonly beautiful. Yet the particular and vital 
 characteristics are not within their ken. 
 
 PERIOD II. 
 
 I ASK you to call to mind that our most ancient pentatonic scale 
 was obtained by the addition of 5th to 5th (see figJlC), the last note 
 mentioned being E. In advancing to what we may look upon as the 
 second period, another 5th must be added above the note E of the first 
 period scale. This is B, and it provides us with a sound forming the 
 7th degree or leading note, which we find adds immeasurably to the 
 effect and capability of the scale ; there is a new vent for feeling 
 supplied by the happy singer who felt his way along the hidden chain 
 of harmony. To some, at first sight, a note more or less may appear 
 of no great importance, but in reality this added note opens up new 
 and very remarkable possibilities ; in fact, it makes a great change as 
 well as a large addition to the range of expression, and in a very 
 marked degree adds to the harmonic resources. Our prime scale of 
 this second period stands thus : — 
 
 Fig. IX.— Mode I. 
 
 i 
 
 -G>- 
 
 ^^^^ 
 
 There is still a gap between E and G. 
 
 All the airs I have cited for you, and all that I have yet to give, 
 have been harmonized with strict truth to their scale ; for example, 
 so far we have not been able to admit either the fourth or seventh into 
 our scale ; so those degrees have also been rigorously excluded from the
 
 ANCIENT IRISH ^[ELODY. 
 
 19 
 
 harmony, and so far these notes have not been heard either in melody 
 or harmony. By this abstention from modern effects I hope we have 
 been able to draw nearer to the ancient traditions. 
 
 Now, having to deal with music of the second period, we shall be 
 permitted to use B|3, which will make the harmonizing a much easier 
 task. Various airs could be produced written in this form, and in its first 
 mode ranging from C to C. I might have selected as an example the 
 well-known air " Grammachree Molly," played by Fannin, a harper, at 
 the remarkable meeting in Belfast, in 1792, when there were gathered all 
 the best harpers then living. That meeting was the initial cause of 
 Bunting's three large and most important collections. This air was taken 
 from Bunting's book, and treated by Moore as " The harp that once thro' 
 Tara's halls." It is quite evidently written in this first mode of the 
 second period, except in the sixth line at the words " so glory's thrill is 
 o'er." Here, attention being called to the fact, and comparing the 
 rest of the tune, one feels quite sure that, in the use of a single fourth 
 of the scale, though only as a slight passing note, the air has received 
 a touch from a modern hand. It was not Moore's, for the air so stood 
 before Moore's words were so happily married to it. With a scarcely 
 noticeable change it may be restored to the purity of its scale. 
 
 Another beautiful specimen in this mode is the air treated by 
 Moore, " As a beam on the face of the waters may glow." 
 
 Another is "Jimmy, my thousand Treasures" (see Joyce, "Irish 
 Music"). But I should like to play an air which is very beautiful. 
 It appears in Petrie as "A Londonderry Air." It is harmonized true 
 to its scale in Feis Ceoil Collection. 
 
 Fig. IX*. — A Londondeeky Am. Petrie (p. 57). 
 
 
 3? 
 
 ■<s^ 
 
 5#d^ 
 
 ?£ 
 
 
 
 b2
 
 20 
 
 DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF 
 
 Just in the same way that we went through the difierent modes 
 of the first i^eriod we can go through the modes of this scale with 
 its added 13 tj. 
 
 When treating of the second period, of course we find ready to our 
 hand melodies far more numerous than Avhcn we were considering the 
 first period forms, and many of these are even now well known. 
 Nearly all the examples collected in " Walker's Bards " should be 
 classed as belonging to the second period in its various modes. 
 
 You shall now hear characteristic phrases from songs in each mode. 
 The second mode ranging from D to D has no third, and so the note 
 F is never sounded throughout the melody, nor should I admit it to 
 the harmony if such were added. 
 
 Fig. X.— Mode II. 
 
 zz: 
 
 -<s- 
 
 -j2. 
 
 -G>- 
 
 FiG. X*. — From Crotcli''s Specimens, No. 65. 
 
 ^m 
 
 &c. 
 
 In the third mode E to E a gap occurs between E and G. 
 
 Examples of this mode are: "The Willow-tree"; "The hour I 
 prove false" (Petrie, p. 181); and perhaps best of all, a fine jig called 
 " The Kissing Match," of Munster origin, printed in Feis Ceoil Col- 
 lection. 
 
 Fig. XL— Mope III. 
 
 i 
 
 w 
 
 ^-^^ 
 
 The example following is from Walker (No. 11) : 
 
 Fig. XI". — Speic Gmlleanach. Walker, No. 11. 
 
 
 ^m 
 
 0-H5>- 
 
 ^^^ m^^ ^m 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 l-iS?-*- 
 
 -G>-^ 
 
 mWM^ 
 
 •3 
 
 (5^-
 
 AKCIENT IRISH MELODY. 
 
 21 
 
 In the fourth mode there is no scarcity of examples. For instance, 
 there are several in " Walker's Bards." Of these I shall play one, 
 numbered 7. 
 
 Fig. XII.— Mode IV. 
 
 I 
 
 :^2Z 
 
 :5=ffi 
 
 :5=^ 
 
 _^_ 
 
 Fig. XIP. — D'eala Maibi lioma. Walker, No. 7. 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 zz: 
 
 £ 
 
 -<5- 
 
 ^^=g- 
 
 -fS*- 
 
 -<!?- 
 
 rfes: 
 
 ^ 
 
 . ~-0-^- 
 
 tr tr 
 
 — „ # #- 
 
 1^ 
 
 -*-* 
 
 ^-«-# 
 
 -fS'- 
 
 -•-#- 
 
 ^ 
 
 fr 
 
 3^ 
 
 ^=f^ 
 
 ~<5' — #■ 
 
 3^^ 
 
 •-•- 
 
 Let me mention also "The Meeting of the Waters," and two 
 airs in "Petrie," pp.70, 71. In connexion with this mode, I should 
 like to show you a version of " Eileen Aroon," which has come 
 into my hands from a southern district, and which will be interest- 
 ing. You will remember, in its Scotch form, it is known as 
 "Robin Adair," and there have been lively discussions in this, as in 
 many another case, about the ownership, and which country has the 
 better right to the tune. Now this Munster copy stands here in a most 
 interesting relationship. For it appears to be much older than any 
 other version ; indeed, it is true throughout to this ancient gapped 
 scale of the second period. We are now considering our fourth mode. 
 It is so plain to be seen how the modern tonality influenced the ears of 
 the singers, and caused the introduction of a modern scale note, as we 
 find it in the version as usually received. As for the Scotch form, 
 while having all the modern tokens, there are added besides the 
 peculiarities of the Scottish snap rhythm. We may then consider 
 that the evidence is greatly in favour of claiming for this simple, but 
 beautiful, air an Irish origin. Bunting's version, adopted by Pro- 
 fessor Stanford, is (unlike Moore's) almost true to the old scale, but its 
 simple beauty is so overlaid with excrescences that the air is scarcely 
 to be recognized.
 
 22 
 
 DT8TIKCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF 
 
 Fig. XII*". — Eileen Aroon. Munster traditional. 
 
 i 
 
 ^3 
 
 s 
 
 -«s>- 
 
 d—^ 
 
 When, like the early rose, Eileen A - roou ! 
 
 -g 
 
 Beauty in 
 
 i 
 
 ^ 
 
 3 
 
 ^ — — 
 
 childhood blows, Eileen A - roon, When, like a di - a - dem 
 
 i 
 
 :F^ 
 
 n 
 
 ^ 
 
 -#-r 
 
 ti: 
 
 -0-^ 
 
 S>- 
 
 I3uds blush a - round the stem, "Which is the fairest gem ? Eileen Aroon. 
 
 Other Examples are: — "Old Head of Denis"; " The Meeting of 
 the Waters"; "Wild Irish Boy"; "The Foresters' Song" (Graves, 
 " Irish Song Book ") ; " Lamentation of Deirdre." 
 
 The fifth mode, ranging from A to A, with a gap at F, is exempli- 
 fied in the well-known air in Bunting, " The Pretty Girl milking the 
 Cows," or, in Moore's version, " The Valley lay smiling before me " ; 
 but as usually sung, there is a single changed note in the second part, 
 which, if admitted as correct, would throw this song forward into a 
 much later time. As a fine and not well-known example of this 
 mode I should like to play for you " Slieve Gallen," from Bunting's 
 third volume, where, however, he makes havoc of the tonalities, using 
 quite impossible notes both in melody and harmony. See Feis Ceoil 
 Collection, where this air is harmonized true to its scale. See also 
 "John O'Dwyer of the Glen " (Joyce, 1888) ; and " The hour I prove 
 false " (Petrie, p. 181). 
 
 Fig. XIII.— Mode V. 
 
 i^^ 
 
 ,-*5>- 
 
 Fig. XITT* — Fragment of Slieve Gallen. 
 
 ^^^^^^^^m 
 
 &c.
 
 ANCIENT IRISH MELODY. 23 
 
 PEEIOD III. 
 
 So far the second period with its six-note scale. We now move 
 forward towards the time when, searching for novelty, musicians 
 marked the coming of the third period by the addition of still another 
 fifth. This will give us, what at first sight seems an unexpected note, 
 F sharp, and the scale will now stand : — 
 
 Fig. XIV.— Mode I. 
 
 -fi 
 
 -Q- 
 
 --P^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 As may be supposed, this new note will again produce very remarkable 
 changes. This, the fully formed Irish scale, is in the present form 
 identical with the Greek scale, more commonly called the "Lydian." 
 
 Carl Engel adopts something like this as "the Irish scale," but he 
 drops into it an unexplained, and certainly unauthorized B flat. His 
 
 Fig. XIV^ 
 
 -s>- 
 
 W 
 
 -G>- 
 
 TSr^^^^ 
 
 construction of the Irish scale must have been evolved from his inward 
 consciousness, for no such scale was ever known in practice. He had 
 no doubt arrived at the conviction that the Irish scale contained F sharp. 
 But he, like ourselves, had probably also heard much of the parrot-like 
 talk to be frequently found conveyed to the pages of small magazine 
 articles about the flattened Irish seventh : so he rashly added a flat to 
 the B out of respect to this prejudice. So dangerous are half-truths ! ' 
 
 ^ Engel (1866) may have founded his extraordinary statement upon "La Miisique 
 mise a la portee de tout le Monde " (1839), Felis, a book at one time highly thought 
 of. It was translated for the Boston Academy of Music in 1842. The following ex- 
 traordinary sentences are wortli quoting. Perhaps they may help to explain many 
 things that have seemed inexplicable : — 
 
 " Les Ecossais et les Irlandais out une gamme majeure assez semblable a la gamme 
 
 des Chinois, mais plus singuliere encore que celle-ci. . . . Les defauts de cette gamme 
 
 sont encore plus choquants pour une oreille de musicien que celle des Chinois. . . . De 
 
 la vient que tous les airs ecossais on irlandais composes d'apres cette gamme out du 
 
 etre arranges et denatures pour etre publics. Les Irlandais ont aussi une gamme 
 
 mineure qui est fort singuliere ; elle n'a que six notes, et sa disposition est faite comme 
 
 on le voit ici " : — „ 
 
 A, B, C, D, E, Fjj;. 
 
 Is there to be found a clearer case of a teacher needing instruction ? The muddle 
 
 is complete. See our Fig. xviii.
 
 24 DTSTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF 
 
 Sir Robert Stewart, in Grove's Dictionary, gives a very clear view 
 of four of the modes belonging to the third period, with examples of 
 their use. It is of the developed state and form of Irish music in its 
 third period that Michael Conran elaborately treated. He failed, how- 
 ever, to give any satisfactory account of what came earlier. He appears 
 to assume that all Irish melodies are founded on the Greek liodes. I hope 
 I have proved that this is a fallacy. Irish music and its principles were 
 established long before the time when, through a logical development, 
 its scales merged into and became identical with the Greek modes. 
 This fact marked the third and latest period of development. 
 
 I would further ask you to consider with me one or two facts of 
 ancient practice which should make us better able to understand the 
 conditions under which the old musicians worked, and put into our 
 hand a helpful test by which we may detect the impurities and frauds, 
 excrescences, and the added vanities of the singer, or of the disarranger, 
 which, little by little, have overgrown, encrusted, and in some cases 
 almost hidden the true form of the original simple and beautiful 
 melody. We will now say nothing of rhythmic changes, additions of 
 dots to the notes, flourishes, " graces," and local peculiarities, such as 
 the Scotch " snap." These are sufhciently disfiguring, and through 
 their means mvich change has been wrought. Take one simple but 
 crucial test, the efficacy of which, and its undoubted historic authority, 
 should make it very helpful in the hands of those who would test the 
 truth, form, and age of a melody. Let us but remember that the 
 harp, until the early years of this present century, wire-strung and 
 simple in form, had a fixed scale, and was wholly incapable of modula- 
 tion in our present meaning of that word. It could be tuned to any 
 scale, but once tuned its scale was fixed. No further argument can then 
 be needed to show that if any air under examination depends for its effect 
 upon modulation, changing tonality, or semitone effects, it must either 
 have been tampered with, or it is of a nature that forbids our classing 
 it among ancient melodies. Even if it contain any single note changed 
 by accidentals or in any degree chromatic, such alterations must either 
 be marks of impurities or be regai'ded as proof that it has been tricked 
 out by would-be improvers. ]^)untihg was in some instances specially 
 guilty of these imprudent alterations, and in a few cases, out of many, 
 he acknowledges his iniquity in a foot-note. Having made some out- 
 rageous changes of this sort, in deference to modern feeling of tonality, 
 he marks them " by licence." By licence indeed ! I think such
 
 ANCIENT ITIISH MELODY. 25 
 
 changes would have been most blamable if they had not been done in 
 total ignorance of the required scale-forms and true spirit of the air. 
 There is a myth that harpers sometimes altered the pitch of a string by 
 pressing the brim of a hat against it ; such a nonsenical plea is surely 
 unworthy of attention. Besides, modulation in music is quite a 
 modern science. We are dealing with antiquity. The bulk of these 
 beautiful airs sprang into being most probably before modulation had 
 been thought of, and before the tricks of science and the new powers of 
 modern harmony had germinated. 
 
 History shows that the true Irish system, after languishing for a 
 long period, finally gave up the ghost at the end of the last century. It 
 was during the process of disintegration that brought what remained 
 of Irish music into line with modern fashions (when the antique was 
 unpopular) — it was in this period of decadence that modulation made 
 inroads, and began to be looked upon as an essential. I am in no way 
 discounting the vital importance and the positive beauty of modulation 
 in modern music, but its admission is completely against the spirit of 
 ancient Irish practice. 
 
 Perhaps the best evidence of the final and complete surrender of 
 Irish music to the encroachments of modern methods is the harp made 
 by John Egan, of Dawson-street, early in this century. This had a full 
 set of modulating keys working a set of cranks to all intents and pur- 
 poses exactly like the early pedal harps. Until the invention of these 
 keys, the Irish harp was incapable of modulation from key to key ; and my 
 argument is that, in old Irish music intended to be simg with harp 
 accompaniment, no harmony or melody note should occur which 
 implies modulation or chromatic effects, and that any such must be 
 spurious and untrue to the original intention and spirit of the music. 
 The invention of these transposing keys is a sure sign that the older 
 tonalities were becoming neglected and modern fashions prevailing. 
 
 The strongest temptation which besets modern arrangers and editors 
 is that of making for these simple old melodies a wonderful coat of 
 modern-sounding harmonies, florid and ornate as any that Haydn ever 
 wrote, and coloured after the vivid style of Kichard Wagner or Brahms. 
 And this practice is defended as being in accordance with the spirit of 
 the age — our age — and as giving the melody a better chance of touch- 
 ing the emotions of the listeners. This argument some of us find it 
 difficult to admit ; for, in the first instance, such changes wholly mis- 
 represent the expression and intention of the original — a new thing is
 
 26 
 
 DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF 
 
 substituted. In national song, of the purest forms, melody alone should 
 reign. Schumann may speak of Melody as Queen ; Harmony as King; 
 but in folk-song harmonic accompaniment does not know its place if 
 it attempt to raise itself above the rank and dignity of a devoted 
 attendant. Would you heavily spice the delicate wines of rare vin- 
 tages ? Then, why should such mellowed music as these well-seasoned 
 songs be rendered sharp, tart, and pert, and disguised out of all 
 recognition, to make them acceptable to overstrained palates ? 
 
 After this necessary interlude, we will return to conclude our 
 examination of the historical development of the scale. We have 
 already seen that our perfected scale of the third period in its primary 
 form was CDEF||;GABC. In this its first mode we shall find 
 not many illustrative examples. One, perhaps, of this nature is to be 
 met in Crosby's " Irish Musical Repository " called " Dennis Delany." 
 An interesting example is "A Lamentation Air" in Dr. Joyce's col- 
 lection, which I have reharmonized so as to avoid false modulation. 
 
 Fig. XIV". — A Lamentation Aie. Joyce (p. 30). 
 
 m 
 
 3± 
 
 a^ 
 
 W 
 
 ill. --- 
 
 J 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 This air seems at first sight to imply a modulation quite of the modern 
 sort, and probably such an example would tend to lead the ear to un- 
 derstand the process of modulation. But none the less the tune may 
 be regarded as true to the first mode of the third period, and, I must 
 repeat, the modern science of modulation was not yet understood. You 
 will remark that it has Ftt, a note now necessary to the scale, but no 
 Ft] occurs. That would be an impossible note. The harp could not 
 have Fjt and F^ at the same time. 
 
 In the second mode running from D to D with Ftt and Ct|, 
 
 Fig. XV.— Mode II. 
 
 t 
 
 * 
 
 # 
 
 :BPa 
 
 3=ffi 
 
 s-
 
 ANCIENT IKISH MELODY. 
 
 27 
 
 there is the well-known air to Moore's words, " Lesbia hath a 
 beaming eye." Another is " The Song of Sorrow " in Bunting's 
 second volume. Another is called " A Wife of my own." Also we 
 have " The Advice" in Petrie, and " The Yellow Bittern" in Bunting's 
 third volume (see Feis Ceoil collection). This I should like to play for 
 you, reharmonized, to clear away the so-called "licences" and spurious 
 modulations. And you will forgive my adding another example — a 
 remarkable one — which I noted in county Antrim. 
 
 Fig. XV''. — Antrim Am. 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 t=s 
 
 ^ 
 
 m 
 
 -e- 
 
 4 
 
 ^ 
 
 t 
 
 ^fr 
 
 ^^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 My life's sweetest 
 
 treasure, my own charming Mary, To 
 
 i^^ 
 
 i 
 
 -<5?- 
 
 :± 
 
 m 
 
 «i 
 
 thee I'll be ever de - voted and true, For the heart that is beating so 
 
 fe^i^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 S 
 
 P==^i| 
 
 — vr — ft — — r^Ti 
 
 fast in this bosom, Is a heart that can never love auy but you. 
 
 N.B. — The Time is quite Ad libitum. 
 
 In the third mode, starting on E, 
 
 I 
 
 Fio. XVI.— Mode III. 
 
 Sf- 
 
 ¥ 
 
 -G>- 
 
 H2L 
 
 -St-JZ- 
 
 -&- 
 
 -121 
 
 we may mention as an example the well-known air, " Avenging and 
 Bright." A fine air, but spoiled by foreign notes, is known as 
 '* Scorching is this love," in Petrie. He also has another, a beautiful 
 air, " I'll make my Love a Breast of Glass" (Petrie, p. 68). If our 
 favourite air, " Silent, Moyle," is not in this mode, it cannot be 
 classed under the category of ancient melodies ; its form, as generally 
 received — and very beautiful it is, notwithstanding — does not fit with 
 any of the ancient Irish scales. There is no doubt that it has been, 
 either deliberately or unconsciously, changed by the addition of acci- 
 dentals from this third mode Irish scale of the third period into a
 
 28 
 
 DISTINCTIVE CHAIUCTERISTICS OF 
 
 melody conformable to tlic ordinary modern arbitrary minor scale. 
 "We are indebted to Dr. Stanford for restoring this air, and many 
 others of the Moore Collection, to their true tonality and form, at 
 least as far as the voice part is concerned. This is a point gained ; 
 and, if his method is not consistent throughout in his treatment of all 
 the airs, his authority will weigh heavily in favour of a reconsideration 
 of the whole question. 
 
 I have in this mode a most attractive air from Donegal, which 
 is, as I think, comparatively unknown. 
 
 Fig. XVI*.— One Evening as I Walked. Donegal Air. 
 
 n 
 
 ^ 
 
 One evening as I walked down by yon green bush I 
 
 S^^ 
 
 -£?- 
 
 heard two biids whistling, 'Twas the blackbird and thrush. I 
 
 rit. 
 
 ^m 
 
 h^^E^^ESEi£ 
 
 -G>- 
 
 ^ 
 
 asked tbem the 
 
 reason they were so 
 Lcggiero. 
 
 meny, 
 
 Aiid the 
 
 answer that they 
 
 gave me — They were single and free. 
 
 The very simple and beautiful air, " I once loved a Boy," given by 
 Petrie, is also in this mode. 
 
 The fourth mode of this period — that is, the scale running from 
 G to G, with an Ftt — is, perhaps, of all others the most interesting, as 
 being simply and purely our own present major diatonic scale, pitched 
 on G as a key-note ; and I would here also again call attention to the 
 identity of the Irish scale of the third period, completely developed, with 
 the Greek modes. So long as the gapped scale existed, the differences 
 were wide enough. This scale on G, mode iv., we must look upon as 
 the link which connects us and our present practice with the past. 
 That it lends itself more readily than any other to harmonization is a 
 sufficient reason for its great popularity, and almost exclusive use when 
 harmony had once become a necessity. And there is, perhaps, besides.
 
 ANCIENT IRISH MELODY. 29 
 
 some unexplained fitness inherent to it and its expression which aids in 
 conveying the spirit and feeling of our own time. However this may 
 be, the scale is the prime favourite ; and the tendency of editors and 
 arrangers has been — and this is the head and front of their offending — 
 to make the ancient melodies forget all about their parentage, and (by 
 a change here and a touch there, and an entirely new harmonic dress) 
 all the 15 scales have been made to serve as dependents of this all- 
 absorbing dominating major diatonic mode — thus most seriously nar- 
 rowing the range and expressiveness of ideas and feeling in Irish 
 music. 
 
 To give an example of this 4th mode — 
 
 Fig. XVII.— Mode IV. 
 
 =5=22 
 
 -Gt- 
 
 we have but to draw upon a mass of familiar material. We should, 
 however, have to look far to find an air finer than " The Coulin," 
 though the second part of this air (as commonly sung) shows an 
 unmistakable modulation of the modern sort into a related key, which, 
 I think, proves that it has not escaped the effect of modern treatment, 
 and we see the result of changes made to flatter modern ears. Dr. 
 Stanford's edition, following Bunting's, is very different to Moore's, 
 and the air is true to scale. 
 
 In this mode we may also take for examples, " St. Patrick's Day " 
 and " Planxty Kelly." The air, " Oh, doubt me not," is true to this 
 scale as given by Moore. Dr. Stanford, in this instance, is curiously 
 inconsistent. Two beautiful airs, not well known, are in Feis Ceoil 
 Collection. "Love in Secret," "Love's a tormenting pain (Con- 
 nallon, 1670), (see Feis Ceoil Collection). 
 
 The fifth mode — the last we have to consider — having A as the 
 final, 
 
 Fig. XVIIL— Mode V. 
 
 may be illustrated by an Achil air taken from Bunting (1845, 
 p. lOG), which I make bold to assert he has, in his harmonization, 
 dragged violently from its proper tonality.
 
 30 
 
 DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF 
 
 Fig. XVIIP. 
 
 Plaintive. 
 
 m 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^^ ^~i^7^ 
 
 
 ^ '*» << 
 
 The air is evidently of a minor nature ; in fact, a scale of A minor 
 with an Ftt but a Gg ; yet Bunting has contorted it and dressed it 
 up in major-key harmonies. One note in order to fit his plan of 
 harmonization has been changed by an unwarranted accidental. I 
 am sorry to say I could point to a number of similar cases, even in 
 modern arrangements where the air has been most cruelly forced into 
 a scale imknown to it ; often alterations are made, too, in the shape 
 of the melody, either by additions, clippings, mistaken tonalities, or 
 even by transferring a portion of the air to the arranger's new 
 " accompaniment," so as to make it conform to the ways of the newly 
 imposed key. 
 
 The last example that I shall have to ask you to listen to is an air 
 of remarkable character in this fifth mode, called " Drimmin Dhu 
 Deelish." Bunting has an air of the same name, but difi'ering greatly 
 from it. This version was taken down from the singing of the Rev. 
 Canon Carmichael, who learned it, when a child, from his nurse. It 
 is perfectly true to this scale — the fifth mode of the third period. 
 
 After these explanations, and so many convincing examples of the 
 strict order and no less logical development of the ancient Irish 
 musical practice, I trust you will agree with me in opposing to the 
 words of my text a direct negative ; and say with me that the Irish 
 scales are not vaguely numerous ; that they never were arbitrary ; and 
 that they are not incomprehensible. 
 
 In citing examples I have not always used the most commonly 
 known airs, for there are so very many in the greater number of our 
 fifteen scales, expressive and beautiful, which lie in clusters to our
 
 ANCIENT TllTSH MELODY. 31 
 
 hand to be drawn upon. I would that more of these could be heard, 
 and made to speak to the hearts of our people. 
 
 But for the rest — and I would appeal chiefly to musicians, and to 
 those musical amateurs who can see the truth — let there bo no further 
 tampering with the true traditions; let us not wantonly "improve" 
 these sacred relics of antiquity until they become non-existent. Should 
 we not revere the men of former days who sang with hearts so full, 
 and voices so sweet ? Then let us light again the low burning " lamp 
 of memory " in their honour. Mr. W. K. Sullivan, in his introduction, 
 gives us a warning, and prophecies that the disappearance of Irish 
 music before harmonic music "is as inevitable as the disappearance of 
 the red man before the encroaching white." We hope this may be no 
 more true than his dictum in our text. At any rate, let us raise our 
 voices, and use our influence towards the restoration and purification of 
 ancient melodies from the strangely distorted and cankering eflects 
 wrought by modern tampering. Surely there is something of sacrilege 
 when ruthless hands pull them thread by thread to tatters. Such 
 irreverent treatment let us not countenance. Are not these songs the 
 voices of your dead forefathers ? Let us cherish and protect them. 
 
 THE END.
 
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