Lyr Req/Add: The Host of the Air (W. B. Yeats)

Subject: Poem - O'Driscoll
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 04:33 AM

Tommy Makem (Alone, I believe) had a poem on one of his discs or LP's called O'Driscoll. I need the words but the above is all I can provide to jog someone's memory.

The only words I think I can recall are "The wild duck and the Drake."

Anybody know it?

JOE

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poem - O'Driscoll
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 06:43 AM

This is a poem by W.B.Yeats called The Host Of The Air :

O'Driscoll drove with a song
The wild duck and the drake
From the tall and tufted reeds
Of the drear Hart Lake...

A quick search has revealed a copy at:

Host Of the Air

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poem - O'Driscoll
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 06:45 AM

Sorry, omitted Guest qualifier. Last was me.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poem - O'Driscoll
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 07:00 AM

Thank you Mick. Greatly appreciated.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poem - O'Driscoll
From: Big Tim
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 08:25 AM

Here is Yeats note on the poem from 1899.

"This poem is founded on an old Gaelic ballad that was sung and translated for me by a woman at Ballisodare in County Sligo; but in the ballad the husband found the keeners [mourners] keening his wife when he got to his house".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Poem - O'Driscoll
From: GUEST,The Burren Ranger
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 01:11 PM

Joe, Check out Sean Tyrrell's version of 'The Host of The Air featured on Davy Spillane's 'Shadow Hunter' (Tara REcs). TBR.

Subject: O'Driscoll, Host of the Air
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 May 02 - 12:30 PM

Wazs this lovely poem ever put to music? If you don't know the poem I can recall it for you. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: O'Driscoll, Host of the Air
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 13 May 02 - 12:44 PM

Davy Spillane did it. Brief audio sample on this page

Ed

Subject: RE: Tune Req: O'Driscoll, Host of the Air
From: michaelr
Date: 13 May 02 - 08:57 PM

Actually, the melody and arrangement are by Sean Tyrell, an Irish singer and tenor guitarist who recently toured with Paddy Keenan.

He also wrote the song that gave Davy Spillane's "Shadow Hunter" album its name: "Walker of the Snow" which is one of the greatest ghost story songs ever - absolutely hair-raising. Sean released a new CD last year, I think it's called "The Orchard"(?)

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: Lyr Add: THE HOST OF THE AIR (W B Yeats)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 04:41 PM

Here's the text, copied from ReadPrint.com:


THE HOST OF THE AIR
by William Butler Yeats

O'Driscoll drove with a song
The wild duck and the drake
From the tall and the tufted reeds
Of the drear Hart Lake.

And he saw how the reeds grew dark
At the coming of night-tide,
And dreamed of the long dim hair
Of Bridget his bride.

He heard while he sang and dreamed
A piper piping away,
And never was piping so sad,
And never was piping so gay.

And he saw young men and young girls
Who danced on a level place,
And Bridget his bride among them,
With a sad and a gay face.

The dancers crowded about him
And many a sweet thing said,
And a young man brought him red wine
And a young girl white bread.

But Bridget drew him by the sleeve
Away from the merry bands,
To old men playing at cards
With a twinkling of ancient hands.

The bread and the wine had a doom,
For these were the host of the air;
He sat and played in a dream
Of her long dim hair.

He played with the merry old men
And thought not of evil chance,
Until one bore Bridget his bride
Away from the merry dance.

He bore her away in his atms,
The handsomest young man there,
And his neck and his breast and his arms
Were drowned in her long dim hair.

O'Driscoll scattered the cards
And out of his dream awoke:
Old men and young men and young girls
Were gone like a drifting smoke;

But he heard high up in the air
A piper piping away,
And never was piping so sad,
And never was piping so gay.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Host of the Air (W. B. Yeats)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 04:53 PM

I've loved this one from the Clancy Brothers record since I was very, very small; I'm glad she wasn't keened in the version I knew, this was moving enough!

Subject: RE: req/ADD: The Host of the Air (W. B. Yeats)
From: michaelr
Date: 13 Oct 10 - 07:50 PM

Hear my version based on Sean Tyrell's setting.