The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-05-03
FAMOUS IRISH MUSICIANS
WHAT THE WORLD OF MUSIC
OWES TO THE LAND OF
SONG"

zeal facts to prove the value of the
achievements of the musicians of the
Land of Song" still there can be no
doubt that much valuable data has
been lost in the troublous centuries
intervening between the early ages
and the present day.
The Norsmen destroyed thousands
of valuable manuscripts in their raids
on the monasteries and churches, and,
later on, the Anglo-Normans added to
the work of destruction.
Historians are agreed on the fact
that previous to the coming of st. Pat
rick the bards had a complete system
of musical notation, and some musical
authorities, among them DR.. William
H. Cummings, one of the most eminent
of English musicians, declare that the
bards had the diatonic scale as we
have it today, says Myles Murphy in
an exchange.
Father Beverage, Professor of Mu-
steal Chant in Maynooth College, in
sists that the Irish melodies belong to
a stage of musical development very
much anterior to that of Gregorian
chant. He claims that, being based
fundamentally on pentatonic scale,
previous to the dawn of musical his
tory
Sedulius, the Irish poet, musician
and theologian, who f1ourished in
Rome in the fifth century, was, per-
haps, the first Irish chul Gilman to
country. His Carmen Paschale" has
been called the first great Christian
epic worthy of the name.
DIR. Flood, in his History of Irish
Music" says: From a musical point
of view, the beautiful Introit of the
Mass of the Blessed "Salve
Sancta Parens Enixa Puerpera Re-
gem"-which is still sung throughout
the western church, is glowing trib-
ute to the estimation in which this
worthy Irishman's compositions were
held by the compilers of the Roman
Missal and Gradual. Again, in the
Roman Liturgy, we find our Irish COM
poser's abeediren hymn commencing
"A Soils ortus caroline; and, as Dr.
Healy writes, Several other express
sions in the Divine Office are borrowed
from the Carmen Paschale of Sedu-
lius'"
Germany owes it's music to the Irish
monks, for musical science was utterly
unknown in that country until the
founding of the monastery of ST. Gall
in the year 612 by the Irish saint,
Callach, whose name has been Latin
lied Gallus or Gall.
Moengal, an Irish monk, was made
head master of the Music School of
st. Gall in the year go, and under
this rule it became "the wonder and
delight of Europe" The copying OF
music became such feature of the
work done at st. Calls that the
scribes of this monastery provided all
Germany with MSS, books OF Gregg.
rian Chant, all beautifully illuminated
At MoengaIs death he was succeeded
by his Irish disciple, Tuathal, Latin.
lied Tutilo, who became even more
| famous IMAM MS master.
About the year $50, ST. Gertrude OF
Brabant, Abbess of Nivelle, in Bra.
bant, sent for two brothers, st. Foillan
and st. Ultan, to teach psalmody to
ner nuns. The two Irish monks com
piled with her request, and built an
adjoining monastery at Fosse, neaI
Liege.
All Northern Europe must acknowl
edge it's Indebtedness to Ireland more
or less, for wherever the Irish monks
went they brought the science of music
with them.
The learned Kessle, writing of ou1
early ecclesiastics, says: Every prov
ince in Germany proclaims this race
as it's benefactor Austria celebrates
st. Colman, st. Virgilius, ST. Modes
tus and others To whom but the
ancient Scots (Irish) was due the
famous Schotten-kloster of Vienna:
Salisbury, Ratisbon and all Bavaria
honor St. Virgilius on their apostle
Burgundy, Alsace, Helvetia, Suevia
with one voice proclaim the glory oil
Columbanus, Gall, Frodolin, Arbogast
Florentius and Tradpert, who firsi
preached the rue religion amongst
them. Who were the founders of the
monasteries of st. Nicholas at Mem
mingen but these same Scots? The
Saxons and tribes of Northern Ger
many are indebted to them to an ex
tent that may be judged by the fact
that the first ten Bishops who occupied
the See of Verden belonged to that
/ race"
The first to introduce the Roman
chant in Cologne was the Irish st
Helias, a native of County Monaghan
who was elected Abbot of Cologne, in
Germany, in 1915. It was him that
Berno of Reichenau dedicated his cele
brated work, 1.-THE Laws of Symphony
and Tone"
One of the greatest musical theorists
of the thirteenth century was John
Garland of County Louth. He went
to France, studied in Paris and taught
in Toulouse. The .areet in which he
taught in Parish was named in his
honor, ''Bois de G irlande."
The first treatise on music written
in the English language is credited to
Lionel Power, a native of Waterford
and can now be found among the
Landsdowne MSS. in the British. mu
scum. He established the use of sixths
4 and thirds. prohibited the consecutive