The Irish standard., 1902-03-08

~<NAN> 0S~AS SAA0AA SOAATNoSA
ferred to the impossible keys of Z
and B." Being traditional, too, it has
been subject to prunings and inter-
polations by the modern German
school. Even Moore has expressed
regret that the publishers censor was
once disposed to use such an unspar-
ing hand upon the unconventionalities
that gave the music distinction.
To-day our Chicago collectors are
bemoaning the fact that nearly every
nation of Europe has filched from the
Irish melody to serve their own "com-
positions" 1t is declared that Flow
lows Martha" has only 1.-THE Last
Rose of Summer" to endear it, and
that this air distinctly is Irish. The
Scotch Farewell to Loeb Aber'' is
the Irish 'The Breach of Aughrim";
the Battle of Aillicrankie" is Plank
ty Davis" and even "The Camp
bells Are Coming" is branded on the
Irish "Sean Dhina Dota.' Chief
O'Niell has this last named Irish air
in three settings. One of them Is
from his mothers rendition and an
other from an early Munster collec-
ton.
Searching Chicago for Irish music,
to find within 200 square miles a wild
er selection than Ireland itself prob
ably contains at this time, Chief
O'Neill and his coworkers have found
some interesting conditions AS a
mine of Irish music, taking the num-
Der of individuals into consideration,
Brighton Park, lying to the west Of
the Stock Yards district, has been
richest in it's Weddings. South Chi
cago, while the home of many Irish
people, is considered the barrenest Of
all Chicago's territory.
1--WE got just two tunes out of one
man in South Chicago" said James
O'Neill. Zone these we had already
and the other had title, 'Raking
Paudeen Rhue.' The only reason 1
can see for the lack of Irish music
in South Chicago Irishmen is that too
many other people down there wind
up their names with a sneeze or q
ski"
In collecting this f0lk-music in Chi
cago some experiences of the collect
OrS have shown the contrarinesS of
things. Sometimes Il whole company
of enthusiasts have been enlisted to
run down certain air, jig, reel, or
hOrnpipe which was known to them
by name, or perhaps by single strain.
Weeks and months have been spent
OH the lookout for it and perhaps after
many difficulties it would be picked
up in the whistle, song, or humming
Of some unexpected and adopted cit
izen Of Chicago. Patrolman O'Neill
might have had to make n trip some
where between duties to take the air
down and then, when it had come to
the inquest and been passed upon,
maybe some friend would send in to
Chief O'Neill an old-out-of- the-way
print Of the veritable piece that had
caused SO much work.
In this, however, the collectors have
found something more than the in
terest Of comparison. Frequently this
old music, as printed, has been ar
ranged in London. 1t is never to be
found in collected Irish works, and it
Is by no means certain that for the
publishers purpose it was not quite as
well for him to mutilute the Irish air,
anyhow. For this reason, or for this
genuine Irish that was in the Gus
todian of the air, the music as sung
or whistlcd for Patro!man O'Ncill has
been pronounced by the committee as
better Irish and better music than
were embodied in that print
mot few of these men have origin
ality in composition" said James
O'Neill. "They can whistle rs close
ly to Il jig or hornpipe as any violinist
can play to the music after it is writ
ten. In such cases where we have
found pleasing variation from Il set
piece we have had no hesitancy in
adopting it, for it must be Irish"
About onc-half of the O'Neills' col
lections are not to be found in any
other collection of Irish music. Con-
ncllan, predecessor Of Carolan, left
only five airs to the remembrance Of
the Irish people, and two of these
have been taken by the Scotch. Car
olan, who died 1853 years ago, left 200
pieces Of music, of which Chief O'Nelll
has more than fifty. OF Carolan's
music the Chiefs collection has piec-
cs that are in no other collection.
For years Chief O'Neill has been
buyer of old music books in general
and Of English books of the last two
centuries in particular. The Oldest Of
these dates back to 1856 and the new
est to 1910. The Irish Musical Re
pository OF 1911 has been valuable to
the collectors above almost any other
book. Many books which the Chief
has bought ut sight have not yielded
even SO much as one Irish air; others
have been gold mines Of Irish melody.
AS the unquestioned leader in this
movement for the recovery Of Irish
music, Chief O'Neill is looked to by all
others. For himself, he Sights his