Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?

Subject: RE: Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 06 May 07 - 05:50 AM

Thanks, Seamus. Since yesterday, I've been humming it as a jig and trying to remember what it was called!

Regards

Subject: RE: Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 06 May 07 - 01:52 AM

The tune is a slowed down version of the jig Donnybrook Fair.

Seamus

Subject: RE: Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 05 May 07 - 08:02 AM

...at first sight...

Subject: RE: Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 05 May 07 - 07:55 AM

Jim

Yes - I'd forgotten that earlier thread, which generally corresponds with my quick answer above.

On the possiblity of earlier versions (or - where did O'Casey get it?): I have no recollection of coming across anything like it in places like "Harding's Dublin Songster", which had first sight seems a likely prospect. Also - the fact that John Moulden (in the other thread) doesn't recall seeing it suggests that it must be well-buried indeed, if its in print anywhere.

Regardes

Subject: RE: Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 May 07 - 07:32 AM

Thanx for the help so far it looks like the origin of this song isnt qiute cut and dried.

I just remembered to check the search subjects facility and I see this discussion has been had before. how strange that such a popular song has such a vague past...

Heres that previous discussion..

Discussion of the origins of song Easy and Slow

Yours

Jim Clark
aka vidlad at youtube where you can see hundreds of my unique videos of acoustic musicians and poets etc..

Subject: RE: Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 05 May 07 - 06:58 AM

p.s. Behan himself also claims "Words and Music by Dominic Behan"

Regards

Subject: RE: Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 05 May 07 - 06:56 AM

In his own book "The Singing Irish" (1967), Behan says of the song:

"In Sean O'Casy's play you will find the chorus of the song printed there, nothing more . I wrote all the verses."

Wonder where the tune came from?

Regards

Subject: RE: Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 05 May 07 - 06:34 AM

Frank Harte in his collection "Songs of Dublin" (2nd Ed. 1993)says of this:

" The first person I ever heard singing it was Dominic Behan, who says he got some of it from Sean O'Casey and the rest from a woman in England. Whenever I ask anybody I hear singing it, the source is inevitably traced back to Dominic."

Dominic, as they say, "often said more than his prayers" - but the above has a ring of truth about it, to me.

Regards

Subject: Easy and Slow Irish Traditional song ?
From: GUEST,Jim Clark Vidlad at youtube
Date: 05 May 07 - 05:47 AM

Can any of you very brainy Mudcatters give me any information about the lovely Irish traditional song "Easy and Slow" so I can amend my notes at my posting of Belfast singer guitarist Mick Mulgrew giving us his amazing rendition of the song at youtube.I havent managed to find out much about the song myself on the net beyond the lyrics. Is this realy an old traditional song or a more recent folk classic by a known songwriter ?

Heres Mick strutting his stuff in a video I made of him in 1997...

Easy and Slow sung by Mick Mulgrew at youtube

Yours

Jim Clark
aka vidlad at youtube where you can see hundreds of my unique videos of acoustic musicians and poets etc..