Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-16

sucn SWEEP music 10 the maloen that ne
finally won her heart.
X
The success of this romance gave the
incentive to other lovers to fashion SINH
lar harps until it was not long before the
''old story was set to music whenever
young chief went wooing. Harpers all
over the country accompanied their sto-
ries of love and valor with this musical
instrument. Bards journeyed from place
to place with their harps, singing of the
deeds of wonder which their brave chiefs
had accomplished. AS all this happened
long before the day of printers ink, it
was the only way in which the people of
the land. could learn of the conflicts and
victories of their own heroes. The harp
ers were always welcome and given the
best in the house. Even kings were Sc
gladdened by their presence that the
coming of one of these bards meant a
BANQUET in the great hall where the ia
BILE seated more than hundred. IL q
story teller was present he shared hon.
ors with the harpist, for these two en-
tertainers furnished the merriment for
the all-night feast In the earliest ages
none but the kings, noblemen OF rank
and musicians were allowed TO possess
harps; such instruments were the. in
sigma of the aristocracy.
For a nobleman to be without such a
symbol of rank usually meant that his
position had been forfeited. AS time went
on the growing popularity of the harp
and the genius of the poor people in per
forming upon the instrument made il
possible for all freemen to possess harps.
This ownership was one Of the three
things distinguishing a freeman from a
slave. How much those in bondage suf-
fered from the restriction that slaves
should not even touch these instruments
cannot be easily imagined. Gradually
the harp became more and more common
in Erin's Isle until In the fifth century
there was scarcely q peasants hut with
out one. Harpers became SO numerous
that there were not places enough for
them in the homes of the aristocrats,
Numbers of bards who sang the stories
of the old heroes roamed from place to
place, spending a day or a week wherever
food and shelter were provided.
Religion. romance and valor were still
in the music, but after a while songs OF
everyday life crept into the soul of the
harp. The breezes Of summer, the chirp-
ing of birds, the whirr of the spinning
wheel. the singing of the teakettle and
the grooming of the baby were all echoed
by the baris.
During the eighteenth century the raw
ages Of smallpox through Ireland left
hundreds of the natives blind. Little chill
dren grew into manhood and womanhood
sightless. To while away the lonesome
hours or more often to prepare them
selves for gaining livelihood these I'M
fortunate people turned. their attention
to the harp, 1t was reckoned that six
out of every ten harpists were without
sight. Dennis Hempson. the noted bard,
who still performed in Belfast at the
age of ninety-seven, had been blind all
but three years Of his life To have been
such accomplished players as many of
the sightless bards were certainly de-
noted musical genius. The well known
Geminiani once played Vivaldfs fifth con-
certo on his violin before Turlogh O'Caro-
Ian, whom he asked to repeat 1t on the
harp. To his surprise the Irish bard
not only complied with his request, put
concerto of his own on the
impulse of the moment This last real
Irish bard lived about two hundred years
ago.
OF all harp tunes none was more ia