The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-08-25
IRISH MUSIC AND SONG.

"SauRht can make the pulses beat. hearts blood
Like !he .sit and dnloet cadence Of prond old
We have every reason to be proud of our
music and song and we need not be afraid to
compete with any country in the musical de-
as prolific in exquisite melodies Ireland,
they stand unparalleled, and are far above
those Of any other land. The "Hsrp that
once" the Meeting of tho Waters" the Last
Rose of Summer" and the minstrel Boy"
ETC., are known the world over. They caunot
be read without inspiration, and causing
thrill of pleasure, il net Of rapture, TO come
over the spirit, that cannot easily be forgotten.
They rank with the compositions of Mozart,
Haydn and Handel, aud they stand siae By
aide with the fire and measured echoes Of Ger
man and Italian music. The prefAtory sym
Phony Of one Of the best Competitions of
Haydn was taken from "Dhonla Ma Grena,"
an old Irish cir. And Handel said that he
would rather be the author cf Moore's "Aileen
compositions which We suppose included his
famous oratorio, 1.-THE Messiah" which latter
Was written under the inspiration of Dublin
audience, whittier the author had retired from
London, where he scarcely could obtain g liv
ing, for want OF patronage. IN Dnblin he was
received with great enthusiasm, for which he
was ever afterwards grateful
Ireland is justly styled the "Islsnd of Song ~
Her bards in the days OF her nationhood were
the most honored of men, they sat st the right
hand of her Kings on her festive days Hud .ne
6uCleOb law ACCOEOGO tuen pElVl-
leges as we're accorded to none others except
those of princeiy rank.
Tne warrior who was distinguished for his
prowess on the old of Mars, who IT t1rned
croWned with victorious laureis, did homage
to the bard, for he recognized the fac: th at
the bard alone could make his fame imDor-
Al, since the Irish peoples great cbArncteris-
C was love for music and soDg. In latter
days when England with a tyrauUy scarcely
paralleled in 10 history of bai b Arous nations,
strove to prevent the Irish race from being
educated, they we're kept familiar with the
history f their bleeding country by the ehron-
iclts and sougs of these same bardS. Her sons
rushed to battle to the beautiful strains of the
harp, and the moSt valiant in battle were gen.
"that once through Tara's Hall the soul of
music shed."
Music was universally cultivated and it was
mainly instrumental in keeping alive o war
like and national spirit in the land.
And when England endesvored TO subiu agate
ireland. knowing the great hold mnsio had on
the Irish race, she sought to root it out of the
land by the most horrible III cans known in
history. The soldiers Of England burned our
churches end reoords they did all that brutal
Soldiery could do to wipe out the traditions
the strinRs Of Erin's loved harps asunder; they
silenoed the peals of the organ, deseorsted
the temples made sacred by Code real presence
and banished the choral worship to forest
gloom, to silent cavern and rocky shore and
the GreRorian chant, so holy and calculated to
raise the Boul to heaven and God, was no long
or I , be heard within the borders OF uphRppy
Erin. Thus the harp, StrDgless and silent,
Now hangs mute TarS's walls
As II that soul were fed"
There is an inspiration in Irish music !;
though moss-c covered with age, it tt:ll bears
about 1t the fragrance and beauty of youth.
Its strains coming doWu to us through the
path of time are unrivalled and become
deRrer to US, as the suns rays increase in heat
while passing through the clouds
To its euliveuing aud soul stirring strains.
falling on the fiery Irish heart, like sparks of
electric fire, the Irish soldier has rushed on the
foe with q dauntlessness unsurpassed in the
annals of history.
By the waters of Babylon the children of
Israel sat aud wept when they thought OF
Zion. s. by the waters of "strAnge but hap
pier lands," wreathed with the dazzling gems
Of holy Liberty the poor Exiles of Erin, often
weep when they hear those sweet melodies,
which remind them of the Beautiful Isle of the
Sea, Tears in this CASE and under such cir
cumstanoes are not unmsnly, on the contrary
they bsspsak az SPprecistive soul and keen
love of Fatherland. 1t 10 only q tribute to
cverw heimiuK emotions caused by the sweet
and enchanting Influences of IrelRud's Music.
FIINERALs MARRIAGRs ETC-Attention is