Arrane Ghelby  /  Fathaby Jig - Two Manx tunes from the Isle of Man
Channel: Culture Vannin
Date: 12/04/2017

Perhaps one of the most beautiful tunes in all of the traditional Manx music repertoire, ‘Arrane Ghelby’ (‘Dalby Song’ in Manx Gaelic) also carries with it one of the most mysterious stories.
When Sophia Morrison first published the song, in the journal ‘Mannin’ in 1913, she reported the story told her her by Mr. T. Quane, of Dalby:

"In the long ago a curiously shaped boat would be seen at the close of a summer evening coming from Bradda towards Dalby. In the boat sat an old man with long white hair, who rowed until off Niarbyl Point; there he rested on his oars and sang this melody, which runs up and down the minor scale with the lilt of the waves. And as the thing became known, the people would come and stay on the shore to listen to his music, for it was very sweet to them; but his boat was far off, and no words could be distinguished. When the old man had made an end of the song, he rowed south-westward till he was seen no more. And no one knew whence he came, nor whither he went, nor who he was, but the people of Dalby knew his song and taught it to their children’s children."

The song is performed here along with the Fathaby Jig by the following performers:

Helen Robinson – Recitation
Paul Helps – Concertina
Breesha Maddrell – Flute
Julie Matthews – Flute

This is a part of the “Manks Concert” marking the anniversary of the death of Sophia Morrison.
Held at the Peel Centenary Centre on the 14th of January 2017, it marked the 100th anniversary of the death of this great figure of Manx cultural history.

The event was organised by:
The Manx Branch of the Celtic Congress http://celticcongressmannin.com/
The Mannin Branch of the Celtic League https://www.facebook.com/Mannin-Branch-Celtic-League-805941286121301/?fref=ts
Mec Vannin https://www.mecvannin.im/