Early Delights

Many Irish songs and melodies were popular in England in during the 16th and 17th century. A number of them have been included in the known music and dance books The English Dancing Master and Fitzwilliam Virginals Book. Many musicians today have arranged and performed Irish tunes, so we are able to imagine how Irish music must have sounded back then.

From John Playford – The English Dancing Master (1651)
1. The Werligig
From Anonymous – Fitzwilliam Virginals Book (c.1610)
2. The Irish Ho-Hoane
From John Playford – The English Dancing Master
3. Punks Delight
The Harp Consort conducted by Andrew Lawrence-King, harp
(CD Spanish Gypsies, DHM 05472 77516 2, 1999)

C. O’Leary naar Anonymous – Fitzwilliam Virginals Book
4. Ho Hoane Jig
Anonymous – Ballet Lute Book (c.1593) / text: trad. Irish
5. Cailín ó Chois tSúire Mé
Anonymous – Marsh Lute Book
6. Trenchmore / The Whip of Dunboyne / Shaking of the Sheetes
Caitríona O’Leary
7. Strand Lilt
8. Irish Rant
eX conducted by Caitríona O’Leary, soprano
(CD Shipwrecked, Heresy Records 001, 2012)

Andrew Lawrence-King met Ierse harp

Irish traditional
9. The Musical Priest / Scotch Mary
Henry Playford’s Dancing Master (1696)
10. Twas within a furlong of Edinburgh Town
Ryan’s Mammoth Collection
11. Emigrants Reel
Niel Gow
12. Lament for the Death of his Second Wife
Irish traditional
13. Trip it Upstairs (Single Jig)
Jordi Savall, treble viol; Andrew Lawrence-King, harp and psaltery
(CD The Celtic Viol, AliaVox AVSA 9865, 2009)

Irish Anonymous
14. Oró mhór a mhóirín – the goroum
Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738)
15. Sir Arthur Shaen – Colonel Irwin – Clonmell lassies – The scolding wife
Irish Anonymous
16. O’Neill’s riding Barrack hill – Petri no.94 – Irish air (Hibernian muse no.72)
17. The high road to Kilkenny – Toss the feathers – The mill stream – Money musk
Robert Getchell, tenor; Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien conducted by François Lazarevitch, flute and bagpipes
(CD The High Road to Kilkenny, Alpha 234, 2016)

Thanks to Muziekweb Rotterdam.