Flight of the Earls

Subject: RE: Flight of the Earls
From: Fliss
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 07:02 PM

Ive added the lyrics in add lyrics thread. Was surprised that it wasnt already in the DT.

There is a good selection of songs in the bok I mentioned above.
Fliss

Subject: RE: Flight of the Earls
From: Fliss
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 06:56 PM

Been doing some searching and found my Irish song book - Songs of Ireland - 37 favourite songs for voice & piano... Boosey & Hawkes


Beside the campfire's fitful blaze,
Amid the forest drear,
I picture in the dying rays
The home to me so dear;
The lowly cot, the leaping stream,
The spire upon the hill;
I see them as I lie & dream,
My heart is with them still.

Middle verse is:

To my green isle my thoughts return,
Sweet Erin ever blest,
For thy deep valleys oft I yearn,
Wherein my kindred rest;
The shamrock springs within my heart
When Patrick's day is nigh,
For though from home and friends apart
To them fomd mem'ries fly.

The loving hearts I've left behind
With mine in exile beat;
A joyous welcome sure I'll find
When there someday we meet.
Oh haste, ye weary laggard years,
And speed me o'er the foam,
To greet again, 'midst happy tears,
My native land! my home!

Words & music traditional

Lovely words and tune. I play it on my concertina.

Subject: RE: Flight of the Earls
From: DaveA
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 08:37 AM

Just to add a bit to the mix, here is a link to of all things a Gospel Music site which:
1/ Contains solo piano music
2/ And a 50 second sampler of 'The Flight of the Earls'

Dunno how it qualifies as gospel, but this is the tune I learnt all those years ago!!

Cheers

Dave

http://www.michaelshull.com/aa_blessed.htm

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 08:53 PM

G'day Murray,

Given that Dave : "learnt the song in my 1st year of secondary school (1955)..." it's probably not "... Another bloody flight of Earls ..." that he's after!

Regards,

Bob (...in parts of New South Wales)

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: GUEST,beachcomber
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 07:05 PM

Murray, I don't think that that "Flight of Earls " song (recorded by the Wolftones, I believe?) is the one referred to earlier.
BTW. I have that "Free" Satellite Receiver Dish and on it I can get (as well as a whole bunch of rubbish) All the BBC Channels including the Regional versions , also 4/5 ITV Channels . It is very good value I find. I live in the South East of Ireland , on the coast.

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 07:00 PM

just checked , and the lyrics (and chords )to Liam Reilly's song ,were posted five years ago.

I actually contributed to the thread.

oh well, they say the memory is the second thing to go ...

Subject: Lyr Add: FLIGHT OF EARLS (Liam Reilly)
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 06:55 PM

The Flight Of Earls (Liam Reilly)

I can hear the bells of Dublin
In this lonely waiting room
And the paper boys are singing in the rain
Not too long before they take us
To the airport and the noise
To get on board a transatlantic plane

We've got nothing left to stay for
We have no more left to say
And there isn't any work for us to do
So farewell you boys and girls
Another bloody flight of Earls
Our best asset is our best export too

It's not murder, fear or famine
that makes us leave this time
We're not going to join McAlpine's fusiliers
We've got brains and we've got vision
We've got education too
But we just can't throw away these precious years

So we walk the streets of London
And the streets of Baltimore
And we meet at night in several Boston bars
We're the leaders of the future
But we're far away from home
And we dream of you beneath the Irish stars

As we look on Ellis Island
And the Lady in the Bay
And Manhattan turns to face another Sunday
We just wonder what your doing
For to bring us all back home
As we look forward to another Monday

Because it's not the work that scares us
We don't mind an honest job
And we know things will get better once again
So a thousand times adieu
We've got Bono and U2
And all we're missing is the Guinness and the rain

So switch off your new computers
Cause the writing's on the wall
We're leaving as our fathers did before
Take a look at Dublin airport
Or the boat that leaves Northwall
There'll be no youth unemployment anymore

Because we're over here in Queensland
And in parts of New South Wales
We're on the seas and airways and the trains
And if we see better days
Those big airplanes go both ways
And we'll all be coming home to you again

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: DaveA
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 06:36 PM

Guest JTT,

The song is "The Flight of the Earls"

From memory the 1st verse is:

Beside the campfires dismal blaze
Amid the forests drear
I picture in the dying rays
The land to me so dear
The lowly cot, the leaping stream,
The spire upon the hill
I see them as I lie & dream
My heart is with them still

Can't really remember the other verses except the last:

The loving hearts I've left behind
With mine in exile beat
A joyous welcome sure I'll find
When there someday we meet
Oh haste ye weary laggard years
And speed me o'er the foam
To greet again 'midst happy tears
My native land, my home.

Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: ard mhacha
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 04:55 PM

I should have added that Programme one was excellent, very well produced.

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: ard mhacha
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 04:53 PM

Les I have to agree with your verdict on Mr Murdoch, but as a an avid sports fan I would have to miss out on Gaelic sport, Soccer and Rugby, it breaks my heart to pay the Oz crook, such is life.

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 02:26 PM

Dave, what song is that please?

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: Les from Hull
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 11:34 AM

I can't get BBC NI through my freeview box, but to get Sky I would have to give some of my money on a regular basis to that nice Mr Murdoch. So that isn't going to happen. I'll just have to hope that the BBC shows it over on the big island, or perhaps UKTV History buys it.

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: DaveA
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 08:43 AM

Interesting joggle of my memory....

I learnt the song in my 1st year of secondary school (1955) & all these years later still want to sing the descant in the final verse!

If you exclude parochical stuff like Waltzing Matilda et al, it was probably one of the very first folk songs I ever heard (along with All Through The Night & Bendemeers Stream - aka The Mountains of Mourne). So it has a special place in my memory & I do wonder who has recorded it well.

Any suggestions??

Thanks

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: ard mhacha
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 08:42 AM

JTT, I had a quick check on the BBC`s Freeview Site and I don`t see this service available, the first programme on, the flight of the Earls, is repeated tomorrow night on BBC 2 N Ireland at 10.10pm.                         The SKY service including all of the UK regions is very handy, if like me you want to see the Rugby on BBC Wales.

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 26 Jan 07 - 08:40 PM

Ard Mhacha, does this apply to Freeview? Been thinking about getting a dish - at the moment I'm in three-channel-land, but then the TV scarcely gets turned on. Mostly if I want to watch something I'll ask a neighbour if they mind...

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: ard mhacha
Date: 26 Jan 07 - 03:44 PM

BBC N Ireland can be viewed if you have SKY all of the regions can be viewed, this also might apply to the BBC DIGI-Box.

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: Les from Hull
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 05:29 PM

Yes I'd like to see this. I've always been interested in the way that clan leadership changed from the Celtic principle where the chief ruled with the consent of the tribe (and could be deposed) to the French chivilric one where he head of a clan/tribe was a purely hereditary position. This change meant that the lands that belonged to the clan or tribe now became the personal property of one person, and if he rebelled (or took flight?), then the whole clan lost its land.

Similar disappointment for the Highland Scots during the Clearances.

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 10:21 AM

Hmm, might be worth writing to BBC Republic of Hull, Les? (Not being rude, just don't know what BBC serves Hull!)

Subject: RE: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: Les from Hull
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 09:35 AM

Looks like it's BBC Northern Ireland only, a three part series that started yesterday.

Subject: BS: Flight of the Earls
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 25 Jan 07 - 06:17 AM

BBC TV is doing an interesting series called http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcone/listings/programme.shtml?day=wednesday&service_id=4221&filename=20070131/20070131_2240_4221_21320_40, about the flight of the Gaelic aristocracy
in the 17th century.

It has all the disadvantages of current documentaries - the loss of the Spanish Armada shown by jiggling a camera over paintings of ships, while roaring sea-sounds are played! - have they no footage of Atlantic storms! - but it's interesting about the personalities.

(I don't know if that BBC link will keep working, as it's a programme listing - can't find a separate entry on the BBC site for the programme. Oh, wait, here's a http://www.niftc.co.uk/newspage.asp?id=143&storyID=1097 about it.)