The Irish standard., 1893-12-02
I HE GA EIIC MUSIC
Continu ed from First Page.


ton Of this people to musical lnstru-
lments find worthy Of commend ation;
| in which their skill is, beyond cornpari'.
son, superior to that Of any other nation y
have seen; for in these the mod
is not slow and solemu, as in the instru-
ments OF Britain, to which we are &C
customed, but the sounds are rapid and
precipitate, yet at the same time sweet
and pleasing. 1t is wonderful how in
such rapidity OF the fingers the musical
proportions are preserved, and, by their
art, faultless throughout in the midst OF
their CON plicated modulatlons and most
intricate arrangement Of notes. by q ra-
pidity so sweet, q regularity SO irreg niar,
concord so disoordant, the melody is
rendered harmonious and perfect, whether
the chords of the Diatessaran or Dla-
pente are struck together; yet they al
ways begin IN soft. mood, and end in
the same, that they may all be perfected
| IN the sweetness OF delicious sound.
They enter on, and again leavs their
modulations with 80 much subtility, and
ths tinglings OF the small strings sport
with so much freedom under the deep
notes of the bass, delight with so much
delicacy, aud sooth 30 softly, that the ex-
cellence of their art seems to be in con-
cealing it,
The system of psalmody adopted from
the Hebrews by ST. Ambrose anu by him
applied to the exicung oriental Grecian
modes, was that wnlcn was introduced
into Ireland by st. Patrick, and which
was cultivated with religious al by the.
ecclesiastics, who added, o -casionaiiy,
the soft tones Of the harp 20 those prl't l "a :.
tive and pathetic cantlcles. Inc Ann
brosian chant employed tho four princi-
pal modes Of the Greeks,viz enc Dorian,
Phrygian, Aeolian and Ionic. II we now
compare some of our original national
melodies with these scales we snall per-
ceive that much of the originality and
peculiar construction Of those airs may
be Inscribed to their being composed in
scales or modes OF the Ambrosian chant;
and one may naturally conclude that the
practice Of this style OF music for ages
could not be without its effect on the
secular music ola highly impressionable
people, and doubtless, much Of the pecn-
liar patnos in the Irish folk music may
be traced directly to this cause
There was no want Of complete and
perfect scale in the Irish music, for we
have in those modes our modern major
and minor diatonic scales, besides those
other modes which served, to some ex-
tent, the object of modnlation. In illus
tration let us take the clalrseAch, ur
larger harp, tuned in the Ionic mode or
key of @, and we have the modern dla-
tonic scale in the major mode, with the
eemi- tones between the third and fourth
and the seventh and eighth intervals.
In this class we may place such beautiful
melodies as the 'Coolin,' the ''Paistheen
Flonn,' aud the "Fox's Sleep" There
are number of other exquisltely beau
tiful and pathetic melodies belonging to
this class which employ all the intervals
of diatonlc major scale. Without any
alteration in the tuning OF the harp,
merely making A the beginning of the
scale, we have the Holian mode, similar
to our minor scale descending. 1t is in
this mode tnat the tenderest of our mel.
odies, s'Shule Aroon,' . is written.
| ; One of the fayorite modes of the bards
was the perfect Phrygian, which is almost
similar to our E mi or descending. Sci
| don tells us that ITO this mode the Irish
we're almost wholly inclined;" q remark
which seems very true inasmuch as many
OF our most exquisite airs are rendered
lin this impassioned mode. Tough
Sheeling,' the ''Renardine," the very an
Gent melody OF the "Deceitful Stranger
and that glorious air, Thy Fair Bosom, 2
to which Moore has welded his magnif-
| cent poem Might Closed Around" are
splendid specimens of this class. It is
in this Celtic or Phrygian mode that the
ancient melody Of the Lament Of Deir-
Dire for the Sons Of Usnach" is chanted
| by the peasantry. Ss
Having noted the early age Of musical
culture among our bards whose magical
influence ii the feld, IN the banquet hall
and in the council had more to do with
shaping the destinies of Ireland than ~
other causes combined; having glanced
lat The introduction of the Alnbrosian
ehant bY the Christian ssionaries, the
Ialy6sntI otf marks the beginning q
ths crest Iriislh sclllool q mn md
! hose oriental freshness and Ward IN.
ffthos gave to oar sxeetsst national mol
fodiss their peculiar beauty, orig nality
md e1pressiion, Nsl nanst Omit TIM the
Icultura Sc III art II ttha
Song 1as to 8 sIna.velo lou
-,