The Irish standard., 1912-04-13


Songs of our land, We are with us
forever;
The power and the splendor Of
thrones pass away.
But yours is the might of some far
flowing river,
Through summers bright roses or
autumn's decay.
Ireland, for ever known as "The'
Land of Song" claims, among other
nations, a most rearkable name in
musical history. 1t may in the pres
ent day be surpassed by the music of
Italy, Germany, France and England;
but none of these countries can boast
of so grand and noble record in his
tory as Ireland. Italy had great mas
ter musicians, but the people were not
addicted to song. The people of Tus-
cany and Capagna would meet in the
evenings to dance; while one would
beat time on tambourine, but they
had no music or song. Such was the
way also with other countries.
In the most remote and distant ages
we find Ireland given to song, even in
the ancient wars, when the Danes
were sweeping down on the east coast,
high on the prov of every boat sat
the bard or white-haired Scald, whose
music and song reused the feelings Of
the soldiers to victory; ard again,
when st. Patrick was taken prisoner
by Mail of the Nine Hostages" the
first sounds that greeted his ears as
he neared the Irish coast were the
strains of an old Irish harper.
In those times if we wanted to hear
the true Irish melody, where would
we go? Certainly not to the halls OF
the great, the festivals of the rich, or
to the assembled lords and ladies', but
where the people lived. Go walk along
the country roadside, and listen to the
maiden as she carries her pail of wa
ter from the well listen to the old wo-
man as she rocks her infant to sleep;
to the woman milking her COW; to
the husbandman at the plough; to the
carpenter at the bench, and to the
blacksmith at the forge, and you will
hear the most beautiful Irish melody
This is, indeed, the true and real song
of country. 1t shows a people
strong in character; it is the emblem
of country early civilized; it shows
a people refined in their manners;
strong in religion; capable of intense
feeling, and of noble and sublime
thoughts. This is the natural music
of country and what better evidence
could we have of peoples charac.
ter
In times gone by, if we wandered
farther in through the country, to the
glens and valleys Of Erin, where
brooks ripple, birds sing and large
trees spread their shady branches, we
will, of course, hear the mingled
sounds of the birds, brooks and breeze
singing through the leafy branches
Looking closer we will see the Irish
piper seated under one Of the large
trees, with his dog for companion
playing the most beautiful Irish music
| mingling with natures music, which
is the songs of the birds, the ripple o.
the brooks and the wind singing
through the leafy branches.
! The Irish piper, fiddler and harper
We're always welcome guests to every
Irish neighborhood and to all thu
the country homesides; they were be,
| loved by all the people, and they were
| invited to all the country festivals anc
| amusements. The bards were Away.
welcomed by kings and mobiles, who
maintained them and honorad them
AS time went on all these Irish bard
and Ministries died away and the Irisf
people that welcomed them died alst
with them. We have no such must
clans now. as Scott says in his la,
of the Last Minstrel:
"Old times have changed, old manner
/ gone;
A stranger filled the Stuarts' throne
The bigots of the iron time
Had called his harmless art a crime
A wandering harper, scorned and poor
He begged his bread from door t,
door,
And tuned, to please easant's ear
The harp king had loved to hear"
The harp was the National instru
ment of Ireland. There were fou
kinds; the one used by Ministries wa
| the largest. II wae co1Jod +bo urs,..