A note on: The Rising of the Moon

Subject: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: Wolfgang
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 01:28 PM

Yes, it's the well known Rising of the moon I'm talking about and there have been so many threads about this song that instead of adding the note to one of them I start a new thread.

I found the note in Terry Moylan's book The age of revolution in the Irish song tradition, 1776-1815, a thoroughly enjoyable book and, at least as far as I can tell at my restricted level of knowledge, reliable.

The lyrics for verse 4, All along (or: there beside) the shining (or: singing) river one black mass of men was seen.... were originally as follows: There beside the Inny river.... But: "(John Keegan Casey) changed it to avoid attracting the attention of the authorities to his neighbourhood".

Songwriters in those times had to consider more possibilities than today...

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: gnu
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 02:02 PM

Interesting. Thanks.

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 02:15 PM

That's interesting, and it sounds very likely that that is how he would have written it. Here is a page I found with stuff about Casey, and about the Inny, with some photos

The question is whether he'd have changed it himself, and if so for those reasons, or whether it just changed in the process of being overheard and sung, because it slips off the tongue more easily as "shining" than as "Inny". I never got the impression the Fenian songwriters were averse to including place names in their songs.

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 02:28 PM

That brings up another question I have abourt Rising of the Moon. The Digital tradition has two tunes for this song. The first (which isn't working in the online DT) is the way I first heard the song - on the Peter Paul & Mary See What Tomorrow Brings album. I haven't heard anybody but PP&M use this tune, so I wonder if it's authentic. The usual tune I hear with the song is Wearing of the Green. Are both tunes traditionally associated with the song, or is the first a PP&M creation? Has anybody else recorded the song with the PP&M tune?
You can find sheet music and working MIDIs for both tunes at Yet Another Digital Tradition. -Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 02:47 PM

Never heard that one (the first one on that site), not associated with this song anyway. Though there's something distinctly familiar about it.

I'm reminded of a version of the Gypsy Rover. Good tune anyway.

Subject: Tune Add: THE RISING OF THE MOON
From: Mark Clark
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 06:22 PM

This is a great song and one that I've sung for over 40 years. There are two melodies I've used, one is “Wearing of the Green” and the other isn't. <g>

I listened to both melodies in the DT and find that one of the tunes I've used all these years isn't exactly like either of them. I don't know the origin of this melody for “Rising of the Moon,” I learned it by ear from other people, but I'd like to know if the melody is familiar to anyone here.

Thanks,

      - Mark

MIDI file: RISING_OFTHE_MOON.MID

Timebase: 1024

TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Key: C
Tempo: 096 (625000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 57 064 0768 0 57 000 0000 1 59 064 0256 0 59 000 0000 1 60 064 0512 0 60 000 0000 1 62 064 0512 0 62 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 69 064 0512 0 69 000 0000 1 67 064 0512 0 67 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 60 064 0512 0 60 000 0000 1 60 064 0512 0 60 000 0000 1 59 064 0512 0 59 000 0000 1 59 064 0512 0 59 000 0000 1 57 064 0512 0 57 000 0000 1 57 064 0512 0 57 000 0000 1 55 064 1024 0 55 000 0000 1 57 064 0768 0 57 000 0000 1 59 064 0256 0 59 000 0000 1 60 064 0512 0 60 000 0000 1 62 064 0512 0 62 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 69 064 0512 0 69 000 0000 1 67 064 0512 0 67 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 60 064 0512 0 60 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 62 064 0512 0 62 000 0000 1 59 064 0512 0 59 000 0000 1 55 064 0512 0 55 000 0000 1 57 064 1024 0 57 000 0000 1 69 064 0512 0 69 000 0000 1 69 064 0512 0 69 000 0000 1 69 064 0512 0 69 000 0000 1 67 064 0256 0 67 000 0000 1 69 064 0256 0 69 000 0000 1 71 064 0768 0 71 000 0000 1 69 064 0256 0 69 000 0000 1 67 064 0512 0 67 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 69 064 0768 0 69 000 0000 1 69 064 0256 0 69 000 0000 1 67 064 0512 0 67 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 67 064 0512 0 67 000 0000 1 69 064 0512 0 69 000 0000 1 64 064 1024 0 64 000 0000 1 57 064 0768 0 57 000 0000 1 59 064 0256 0 59 000 0000 1 60 064 0512 0 60 000 0000 1 62 064 0512 0 62 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 69 064 0512 0 69 000 0000 1 67 064 0512 0 67 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 60 064 0512 0 60 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 64 064 0512 0 64 000 0000 1 62 064 0512 0 62 000 0000 1 59 064 0512 0 59 000 0000 1 55 064 0512 0 55 000 0000 1 57 064 1024 0 57 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:
M:4/4
Q:1/4=96
K:C
A,3/2B,/2CDEAGE|CCB,B,A,A,G,2|A,3/2B,/2CDEAGE|
CEEDB,G,A,2|AAAG/2A/2B3/2A/2GE|A3/2A/2GEGAE2|
A,3/2B,/2CDEAGE|CEEDB,G,A,2||

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 06:35 PM

That blue clicky - http://www1.tpgi.com.au/users/afostes/miditext.html - doesn't seem to work.

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: Mark Clark
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 09:57 PM

No it doesn't. The site has changed since the software was written that generates the active link. The new link to the MIDItext programs is found in the “Mudcat FAQ - Newcomers Guide” at the top of the tread list about 2/3 of the way down the thread.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: IvanB
Date: 19 Dec 01 - 10:05 PM

I first learned 'Rising of the Moon' to the first tune given, as a child - considerably before PPM were around. I have no idea of the origin of my tune except that was the way it was sung in our family. Since various ancestors had emigrated from England, Scotland and Ireland, I always assumed that it was the traditional tune in those countries (or at least one of them). I was surprised when I heard it to 'Wearing of the Green' in my twenties.

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 10:39 AM

I learned "The Rising of the Moon" from the singing of Richard Dyer-Bennett, who used (pretty much) the first tune given. I really have a hard time imagining this song to the tune of "Wearing of the Green".

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 10:40 AM

I should add that Dyer-Bennett's version was recorded, I believe, in the early to mid 50s.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: Amos
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 10:57 AM

Joe:

It's the same tune as the Pickle song!!

A.

Subject: RE: A note on: Rising of the moon
From: Jimmy C
Date: 20 Dec 01 - 11:48 AM

I have also used " The Wearing of the green" the other tune is a little similar to " The Spanish Lady". A nice tune though. Maybe a change in tempo(slower) would be a better fit for " The rising of the moon". I may try it to the other one the next chance I get. It's quite catchy. Good one Joe !