|
|||||||
Origins:The Blackbird and his Mate/Royal Blackbird DigiTrad: THE ROYAL BLACKBIRD |
Share Thread
|
Subject: 'The Blackbird and his Mate' From: corvi Date: 23 Feb 02 - 04:21 PM This is an Irish air I am hoping to find lyrics too - anyone know if there are any? Irish of English will do Thanks Search for "blackbird" threads |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Blackbird and his Mate' From: Sorcha Date: 24 Feb 02 - 10:28 AM I found a poem by Joyce Kilmer, To A Blackbird and His Mate.......is that what you wanted? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Blackbird and his Mate' From: corvi Date: 24 Feb 02 - 11:12 AM I found that poem too when I did a search - but I don't think it's related. The one I'm looking for is an Irish air and most of these were originally songs. I'm looking to find out if anyone knows what the song was that originated this tune. Thanks |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Blackbird and his Mate' From: MartinRyan Date: 24 Feb 02 - 01:39 PM I've seen it listed as an air but never came across a set of words. Regards |
Subject: Lyr Add: THE BLACKBIRD (from P W Joyce) From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy Date: 21 Aug 02 - 03:21 PM P W Joyce's 'Old Irish Folk Music and Songs' (1909) gives this: (with musical notation) THE BLACKBIRD
On a fair summer's morning of soft recreation,
Once in fair England my Blackbird did flourish,
The birds of the forest they all met together-
In England my Blackbird and I were together,
It is not the ocean can fright me with danger;
It's number 376, p. 181.
In the early half of the last century this song was known and sung all over Ireland. It was particularly favourite in Limerick and Cork, so that I learned it at a period too early for me to remember. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Blackbird and his Mate' From: Anglo Date: 22 Aug 02 - 11:37 AM That one's usually known as "The Royal Blackbird" I think. A fine air too, but not the same one as "The Blackbird" as in O'Neill, etc. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Blackbird and his Mate' From: MMario Date: 22 Aug 02 - 11:54 AM bill - does the tune match that the tune in the DT ? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Blackbird and his Mate' From: Anglo Date: 22 Aug 02 - 06:53 PM The tune in Joyce is very similar to the one in DT though it is not identical, even allowing for the fact that it is measured in eighth notes rather than in quarters and is in a different key. But no-one could say they are different tunes. You'll notice that the lyrics in DT are also slightly different from Joyce's, except for the third verse which is quite different. (But we're a long way from The Blackbird And His Mate, I trow). |
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Royal Blackbird From: Felipa Date: 21 May 03 - 10:32 AM there is some discussion of Irish Jacobite songs on Mudcat |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'The Blackbird and his Mate' From: Joe Offer Date: 11 May 16 - 03:27 AM The Traditional Ballad Index cross-indexes "The Royal Blackbird" under this entry: Blackbird (I), The (Jacobite)DESCRIPTION: A lady is mourning for her blackbird, who "once in fair England... did flourish." Now he has been driven far away "because he was the true son of the king." She resolves to seek him out, and wishes him well wherever he may beAUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1651 (Broadside, reprinted by Ramsay, 1740) KEYWORDS: lament separation Jacobites HISTORICAL REFERENCES: 1625 - Accession of Charles I 1649 - Execution of Charles I. Charles (II) forced into hiding. Britain becomes a commonwealth 1660 - Restoration of monarchy. Accession of Charles II. 1685 - Death of Charles II. Accession of James II and VII (a Catholic) 1688-1689 - Glorious Revolution deposes King James II 1720-1788 - Life of Bonnie Prince Charlie 1745-1746 - Jacobite rebellion of 1745, which ended in the defeat and final exile of Bonnie Prince Charlie FOUND IN: US(So) Ireland Britain(Scotland) REFERENCES (15 citations): Hogg2 33, "The Blackbird" (1 text, 1 tune) GreigDuncan1 117, "The Blackbird" (1 fragment) Randolph 116, "The Blackbird" (3 texts, 2 tunes) Randolph/Cohen, pp. 115-117, "The Blackbird" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 116B) OLochlainn-More 78, "The Blackbird" (1 text, 1 tune) PGalvin, pp. 16-17, "The Royal Blackbird" (1 text, 1 tune) O'Conor, p. 36, "The Blackbird" (1 text) Zimmermann 1, "The Blackbird" (2 texts, 1 tune) Hayward-Ulster, pp. 19-21, "The Royal Blackbird" (1 text) DT, RYLBLKBD* ADDITIONAL: Charles Gavan Duffy, editor, The Ballad Poetry of Ireland (1845), pp. 139, "The Blackbird" Kathleen Hoagland, editor, One Thousand Years of Irish Poetry (New York, 1947), pp. 246-248, "The Blackbird" (1 text) H. Halliday Sparling, Irish Minstrelsy (London, 1888), pp. 143-144, 510, "The Blackbird" ADDITIONAL: Thomas Kinsella, _The New Oxford Book of Irish Verse_ (Oxford, 1989), p. 255, "The Blackbird" (1 text) Edward Bunting, The Ancient Music of Ireland (Mineola, 2000 (reprint of 1840 Dublin edition)), #98 and p. 92 [one verse], "The Blackbird" Roud #2375 RECORDINGS: Paddy Tunney, "The Royal Blackbird" (on IRTunneyFamily01) BROADSIDES: Bodleian, Harding B 28(67), "The Blackbird" ("Upon a fair morning, for soft recreation"), W. Armstrong (Liverpool), 1820-1824; also Harding B 17(27a), Harding B 16(25a), Harding B 6(18), 2806 b.11(71), Harding B 11(297), Johnson Ballads 3041, Harding B 20(16), Firth c.26(219), "The Blackbird"; Harding B 19(107), Firth c.14(250), Harding B 11(1038), Harding B 11(3357), 2806 c.15(167) [almost entirely illegible], "The Royal Blackbird" LOCSinging, sb10013b, "The Blackbird," J. Andrews (New York), 1853-1859; also as112050, "Royal Blackbird" Murray, Mu23-y4:016, "The Blackbird," John Ross (Newcastle), 19C NLScotland, L.C.1270(003), "The Blackbird," unknown, c. 1845 SAME TUNE: The Lark Is Up (broadside Bodleian 2806 b.11(71)) NOTES: Sparling claims his six verse text is "an unmutilated version" accessible "for the first time in a hundred years.... In every other collection [including Duffy] it has appeared as three stanzas, made up of fragments." Zimmermann's text agrees essentially with Sparling's. - BS The first broadside versions of this song date to 1650, obviously referring to Charles II, who was then in exile. It wasn't safe to refer to him by name, so the allegorical "blackbird" was used. It seems also to have been used of James II, and perhaps also to his son James III. However, the title came to be most strongly associated with Bonnie Prince Charlie. After the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, the same situation arose as in 1650. It was generally not safe to speak of Charlie, so the Jacobites adopted various circumlocutions -- the "blackbird," the "moorhen," or simply "Somebody." The Jacobite Rebellions had their roots in the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688/9. The British King James II (James VII of Scotland) was Catholic, and had just had a Catholic son. This was unacceptable, and James was overthrown on behalf of his Protestant daughter Mary II (died 1694) and her husband William III (died 1702). When Mary and her sister Anne died without issue (1714), the throne was awarded to the utterly disgusting George I of Hannover (died 1727). The result was the first Jacobite Rebellion in 1715, intended to bring James II's son James (III) back to the throne. The rebellion sputtered, and another revolt in 1719 was stillborn. In 1745, Prince Charles Edward (the son of James III) took up his father's cause. 24 years old, handsome, and with an aura of nobility, Charles thoroughly scared the Hannoverian dynasty, but was at last defeated and driven into exile. But his face and bearing burned their way into the hearts of the Scots for many years to come. - RBW Also collected and sung by Kevin Mitchell, "The Royal Blackbird" (on Kevin and Ellen Mitchell, "Have a Drop Mair," Musical Tradition Records MTCD315-6 CD (2001)) - BS Last updated in version 2.4 File: R116 Go to the Ballad Search form Go to the Ballad Index Instructions The Ballad Index Copyright 2015 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
Share Thread: |
Subject: | Help |
From: | |
Preview Automatic Linebreaks Make a link ("blue clicky") |