Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?

Subject: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 05:14 PM

Does anyone here know the origins of the song: Farewell to Ballymoney?

I'm also interested in the melody.

I remember Andy Irvine recorded this back in 1989, for his Rainy Sundays...Windy Dreams album.
So did he find this song or write it himself & was this a traditional air, or did he compose it?

Of course, Ballymoney is known locally as Cow Town, but if the song were called Farewell to Cow Town, it'd probably get a completely different treatment & end up being sung by folks with Stetsons & big boots ... with spurs! :-)

Cheers,
Dick

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 09:00 PM

There's a tune called 'Farewell to Ballymoney' in O'Neill's Music of Ireland. It's in the category Songs - Airs. The index gives it another possible name, 'The Fair Irish Maid.'

The music in this book was collected in Chicago between 1890 and 1900, and the book itself was published in 1903. Of course, the tune could have been around long before it was collected.

Some hints if you want to sound it out: it's in 3/4 time, key is D, and there's a pick-up note of one beat. Let's hope Andy Irvine used the same tune.

I like to play it on my wooden flute.

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 06:33 AM

Interesting leeneia, thanks. I must check that out in O'Neills.

In the meantime, perhaps you can tell me if your tune sounds anything like the tune of that name, I've posted here:

Concertina Tunes from North Antrim

Cheers,
Dick

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: GUEST,John Moulden
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 07:40 AM

Dick, There are two variations in Sam Henry, see also 'Dark eyed Molly', and the one called 'Farewell Ballymoney' was Andy's source. There was a time, before any of the Sam Henry stuff was readily available when Andy, and possibly Paul Brady, used the set of the articles and typescripts that had been sent to National Library of Ireland by SH in the 1940s - check out Mary and the Soldier, The Rambling Suiler and others.
As to the song itself, it is a variant of a song widespread in the north called, Going to Mass (or church) last Sunday. (See the list of alternate titles and references in the 1990 Sam Henry - which is available again from University of Georgia Press; print on demand - English booksellers have it at reasonable rates.
Sorry you missed my talk in Ballintoy - I had nothing to do with the publicity.

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 12:04 PM

leeneia, I've just checked in my old copies of O'Neill's & I don't actually have a category for Songs - Airs in mine! Neither in the '65 or the '76 editions! :-(
Is their a newer one with an extra section?

Thanks John, we've mislaid our copy of SH, but as soon as it surfaces, I'll check that out. I don't suppose there are melodies attached to either Dark eyed Molly or Farewell Ballymoney & if not, do you know if Andy composed an air for it, or did he borrow one from elsewhere?

RE: your Ballintoy talk. My Singing & Harp playing friend Jo, really enjoyed your talk & actually taped it for Fiddler Gerry who was, like me, tied up in the Springhill Session that night.

Cheers,
Dick

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 01:25 PM

Hi, Ptarmigan. My O'Neill's was published by the Rock Chapel Press, a division of Shanachie Records in 1979. Its typography is so crude that I believe it is a facsimile of the 1903 publication.

I think that it's F to B is more major than the version you linked above. I'm going to send the MIDI to Joe so you can hear it and decide for yourself. If it is different, you will have a nice contrast between the two pieces.

If Joe is out of town or something, it may be a while, so be patient.

How do you say 'Ballymoney?' Long o or short?

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 01:44 PM

Thanks leeneia. I look forward to hearing it.

As for Ballymoney .... what I hear sounds more like this: Ballymunny

... although it often sounds more like Ballamunny.

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: GUEST,John Moulden
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 02:35 PM

The air Andy sings is the one in Sam Henry which is pretty much the standard one. Since you've mislaid your copy, you'll be glad to know that the air and text of Farewell to Ballymoney is in the Google books partial scan of Sam Henry - cut and paste this link in its entirety.

http://books.google.ie/books?id=aiQ7UAwQgDUC&pg=PA343&lpg=PA343&dq=Sam+Henry+Farewell+Ballymoney&source=bl&ots=tmmqUdUFw2&sig=yGvtqDWHcdMs0c4FyfA1xSPwg-0&hl=en&ei=ilb2TYiWEYy1hAf97LnqCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Sam%20Henry%20Farewell%20Ballymoney&f=false

Give my regards to Jo. I tried to help her over chidren's songs in Irish but it's not my field. If there's anything else she's interested in she has my email.

[On another note, I'm told that someone who sang in the sessions in the Harbour Bar in Portrush, died a short while back and they held a fund-raiser for the family a couple of weeks ago - do you know or cany you find anything out about this?]

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 02:47 PM

John, I'm just about to head off to our new Monday night session in the Anchor Bar, Portstewart so I'll ask around tonight & in the Springhill too, this Thursday.

Don't expect to hear from Jo any time soon, she's off to Oz for a month!

Thanks for the link. I'll check out that melody tomorrow.

Cheers
Dick

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 03:34 PM

The earliest versions I have of texts are one from 1909 in London and another of 1910 from North-East Scotland. The only real clue in the words is the everpresent 'Going to Mass on Sunday'. Whilst the Catholic religion is not confined to Ireland all the discussion attached to versions seems to point to an Irish origin, probably a stall copy as it has all the hallmarks of this. Several scholars connect the tune to Irish variants of 'The Lowlands of Holland' which of course goes back to the 17th century at least.

Andy published his collated version of the 2 Henry texts in his book 'Aiming for the Heart' p66.

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 02:32 AM

Leeneia sent me a MIDI for posting. Here's her message:

Hello, Joe.

I'm attaching a MIDI to put in a thread called Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney.

I think this old version is more authentic than some I might find on the big, famous sites.

Thanks.

leeneia

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 03:41 AM

Excellent. Many thanks Joe.

Thanks leenia. Great to actually hear that.
I assume that's the version straight out of O'Neills.
You can be sure I'll be adding that to my repertoire. :-)
I'll certainly have fun too, comparing that with the melody in Sam Henry, when I get home from work today.

Cheers,
Dick

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 08:54 AM

Yes, it's straight out of O'Neill's (#64) note for note. However, some of the notes had dots indicating staccoto, but when I entered that, MIDI made the note slam to a stop so violently it seemed ridiculous. Sounded like a hiccup! I tried to use a rest instead, but it's hard to tell.

Some notes are ordinary, some slur, some stop rather short. Just use your heart.

I'm glad you like it!

Subject: RE: Origins: Farewell to Ballymoney?
From: Ptarmigan
Date: 15 Jun 11 - 06:59 AM

Just for the record, I heard back from Andy Irvine this morning, who simply confirmed what John Moulden has already told us here, that his source was the Farewell Ballymoney melody, from Sam Henry.

Cheers,
Dick