The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-03-03
Ireland is the only Country that Ever Adorned
its National Emblem With Music
al instrument
The Music for Moore's Beautiful Poems Was
Taken From the Old Songs of the
Harpists and Pipers.

It is astonishing what wealth Of
beautiful music has come down to US
from ancient ireland, and what is even
more surprising is that greater wealth
of music that those ancient Irish mel
odies have. inspired in all countries
and in all times. says the Republic.
If you could gather all the music that
was played in the theaters. concert
halls and homes of this country last
night, all the comic and light operas,
polkas, all the sentimental and coon
songs, you would find that 70 per cent
of it was Irish music.
The Irish race was always a mu-
sical people. And it is a remarkable
proof of Ireland's right to claim an
ancient love of music that before she
had a flag she had her musical instru-
ment-the oldest of all musical instru-
ments-the harp. Ireland is the only
nation to show its love for music by
adorning it's national emblem with a
musical instrument.
The beginning of Ireland's history
is enshrouded in fable, but the land
and it's people were known by the an
clients in Aristotle's time. 1t is known
from Irish chronicles that in Ireland
a thousand years before Christ $50
ciety was divided into seven grades,
each distinguished by colors Of dress,
and eminent scholars were ranked
next to royalty" At this time, Ollam
F'odla, who reigned as monarch Of
Erin, had established the Parliament
of Tara, which assembled every three
years in the hall, the ancient glory Of
which is SO pathetically recalled in
Tom Moore's beautiful ballad, "The
Harp That Once Thro' Tara's Halls"
The royal princess Of chieftains con-
stituted one branch Of Parliament;
the law-givers. bards and scholars.
another branch, and the third consist
ed of the military commanders. Thus
we see that the bards Of Ireland held
no mean position. They were, his
torians tell us, poets who sang to mu-
sical instruments, and who were
treated with respect almost approach
ing veneratior.
Wherever the Irish monks or schol-
ars went they carried their Irish mu-
sic. Until the coming to her univer-
stiles OF the Irish teachers of music,
Germany had paid little attention to
the art, and therefore it is not sur
prising that in the great compositions
since produced by the German mas
ters. containing, as they do. some Of
the musical masterpieces Of the world,
strains Of Irish harmony are so fire.
quently found. The Irish scale orig
inally had five notes and was gradu-
ally developed by additions until the
Irish harp had a finely graduated
scale Of tones and semi in the
key Of G or G through a compass Of
four octaves. A harp in the museum
OF Trinity College, Dublin. said to be
the harp of Brian Boru, has thirty
strings; while the Dallway harp. made
in 1881. has dfty-two strings.
The Irish national temperament was
SO musically inclined that there were
special songs and airs for the different
crafts and for almost every conceiv-
able occasion. war marches we're
played by the pipers at the head Of
the clansmen marching to battle.
Although Moore's works have been
translated into every language and
sung by the best artists Of the world
and while the human heart will never
cease to be thrilled by his Last Rose
Of Summer" Believe Me If All Those
Endearing Young Charms" Loves
Young Dream" "The Minstrel Boy"
let Erin Remember the Days Of
Old" Brian the Brave" "Araby's
Daughter" loft in the Silly Night
and ''The Harp That Once Through
Tara's Hail." yet Moore never COM
posed the air Of a single one of them,
but took the music Of each from old
Irish melodies which he gathered from
the old harpists and pipers or from the