The Irish standard., 1912-04-13
Ireland, the Land of Song

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talent for music and song. He learned
to play the harp at twelve years Of
age. Carolan was not a trained nusi-
clan; he never studied the science Of
music; he was a natural musician
and he opposed songs and sang them
to the harp. He was blind from the
age of eighteen. All the beautiful
things of nature were shut out from
him; yet he seldom brooded over his
misfortune. He was generous and
kind hearted, and the poor wandering
strangers were always welcome to his
house. In his music there was deli
cate feeling, so very peculiar to the
blind, which charmed all his listeners.
His compositions numbered over two
hundred songs, nearly all written in
the Irish language, but after his death
only part of his works were published
by his son, and some Of the best Of
them remained unpublished"
Some writer's say that not half Of
Ireland's music and songs were saved
from oblivion. What great pity this
is, and what a loss to Ireland! One
of Carolan's best pieces is THE Fairy
Queen" and his Concerto" is very
quick and dashing piece. Some Of his
songs are lively and humorous, and in
his later years they were sad and
pathetic. There have been many mu-
sicians since he died, reminding us
of the bards and MINISTRIES of old, but
the Irish people for the past two gen.
erations have come to the conclusion
that the minstrel and bard musician
line Of Ireland has ended, that Caro-
Ian was indeed "The Las: Of the
Bards." There is no epitaph marking
the grave where he lies, but his men,
DRY will remain long In the hearts Of
| the Irish people, nobler and stronger
| than the grandest tombstone erected
| in his memory, as Frances Brown,
known as the Blind Poetess" Of Don
egal, quotes in her verses:
The bards may go down to the place
of their slumbers,
The Tyre Of the charmer be hushed
in the grave,
/ But far in the future the power OF
their numbers,
| Shall kindle the hearts Of our faith
full and brave.
Thomas Moore was born in the year
1879, and died in 1852 His collection
of poems known osa "Moore's Melodies"
were published in 1907. His verses
are very plaintive and sad; the music
put to them by Sir John Stevenson is
very pathetic. Moore would have
been bard if he composed the music
of his songs, and sung them to the
harp; but he compares himself to the
wind playing through the strings of
harp hung in the breeze Of an open
window, when, in his poem, Dear
Harp of MY Country" he says:
| lover,
Have throbbed at thy lay. tits thy
glory alone;
was but as the wind passing heed
| lessly over.
And all the wild sweetness walked
| was thine own.
Thomas Davis's poems have told
much about Ireland. He was born in
1915 at Mallow, and died in 1s45.
Some of his poems were: "a Nation
Once Again" "The Dear Old Tongue"
again Through Song famed 1nnis-
fall and "She Is q Rich ana Rare
Land"
Like the songs of Ireland. we have
a great deal Of Irish music handed
down to us from bygone ages. OF all
the sciences that we have known. the
one which affects us most is music.
1t recalls to our minds the deeds of
our ancestors and the days of our
childhood; it fills our souls with long
ing pleasure: it arouses the feelings
of the soldiers to victory, and the
patriot to stand up against oppression.
In Moore's poem "On Music" he says:
Music. oh, how faint, how weak,
! Language fades before thy spell!
Why should feeling ever speak,
l When thou canst breathe her soul
so we'll?