The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #159615 Message #3784964
Posted By: keberoxu
12-Apr-16 - 05:48 PM
Thread Name: De Barra family ancestry (harps)
Subject: RE: De Barra family ancestry (harps)
"An Caitín Bán" includes an interesting performance featuring Róisín Uí Chuill, the sister of Nessa Ní Thuama, and a maternal aunt to the de Barra brothers.
"Me zo ganet e kreiz ar mor" is a well-known song from Brittany. Its author, Yann-Ber Kalloch, who also had the pen-name Bleimor, fought for the French in the First World War, and was killed by the explosion of a shell. His poetry was published posthumously. The dialect in which this poem is written, is said to be from Vannes; I am well outside my area of expertise here and I can't qualify that statement. The actual poem is some twelve strophes long.
The Breton composer known as Jef le Penven set the first three verses to music, although I can't find a date for his musical setting. This is the version sung on this recording; it has previously been recorded by many artists, including Alan Stivell.
Unlike the performance that closes this CD, a recording dating back to 1969 when its singer was presumably a very young woman, the performance of this Breton song seems to have been done in the present day, with the singer accompanied by slide-whistle, harp, and possibly guitar. It is a slow languid haunting performance, no percussion and no dance rhythms. And Róisín Uí Chuill, in her lead vocal, does not vibrate or wobble in tone, but gives a spare, pure account of the modal melody. It's lovely.