Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl

Subject: Song Req:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Em
Date: 26 Jul 99 - 05:38 PM

Does anyone have the music to Snowy Breasted Pearl? Or know where I can find it? I have the lyrics, but no clue as to its tune. ABC format would work the best for me. Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Lesley N.
Date: 26 Jul 99 - 07:12 PM

I have Barry's midi of it at his Tunebook Snowy Breasted Pearl. I don't have any of the history of it though... Anyone know it?

As to ABC I should be able to strip the midi down to get an ABC out of it. Give me a couple of days...

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 26 Jul 99 - 07:59 PM

Hi E minor and Lesley - I posted the tune including ABC to the forum, maybe 6 months ago. A forum search for'pearl' should locate it. Great tune to sing.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 26 Jul 99 - 08:52 PM

I posted this just over 12 months ago at http://www.mudcat.org/thread.CFM?threadID=5736#33176

Lesley, I did credit the site where I found it. Was this Barry's site? It was one of the first tunes I ever posted, and have averaged about 8 per month since then. I am looking forward to doing some full scoring. It will be hard to reach Barry's level, but if I can do a competent job would you accept to your site? It would be a real thrill if I could.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Lesley N.
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 08:06 AM

John - accept a midi? I've been known to beg for them! OF COURSE!

You found Pearl at Richard Kopp's site. Rick didn't used to credit sequencers and had no links to their pages. I'm glad to be able to say he's changed the way he does things. Barry's music found it's way all over the web and very few people credit the music or say where it came from. I find it irritating not to have credit given for a couple of reasons - first that when I hear great music I always wonder what the tune is and who the talent was behind it - secondly I figure they might have more of the same so I always look for their site!

One of the things I really like about Crescendo is that you can view the song information to find out who did the midi and view any information they embedded.

Wow - cool - send away!

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 08:17 AM

Leley, thanks for the encouragement. My list of want-to do's for all parts of my life are starting to add up, so I don't know when I'll get to this, but your site is my first (and only) option when I'm satisfied I have one worth sharing.

Kind Regards, John

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: alison
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 10:11 AM

Lesley,

what sort of stuff do you want?.. just melody line with basic accompaniment...or are you looking for drums and full orchestration etc?

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Lesley N.
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 11:40 AM

Any sort of accompaniment... Mine tend to have a lot because of the books I use - but more isn't always better... So the answer is - whatever you think sounds good!

From the feedback I get I think of my site as a "sing along" - so maybe the answer is that I like enough accompaniment to help those who can't carry a tune well! How about that for an obtuse answer?

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Em
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 01:37 PM

(It's Em, as in "M")

John, I found your ABC posting. When I bring it into BarFly (translator for Mac), it says there is an error in note length on the 21st note - F5/2. (Sorry, I can't be more specific…I don't read music.) It certainly could be the software. Any helpful suggestions? (Actually, what I'm after is something I can print out in sheet music form.)

Lesley, if you're still translating it from midi, I would be curious to see if the same "error" shows up.

Thanks to you both.

Subject: Tune Add: SNOWY-BREASTED PEARL
From: Lesley N.
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 02:23 PM

Em - try this. I cleaned it up a good bit but itt is a bit funky in places... I am a nonmusician ABC novice but I did what I could! If this isn't good enough another suggestion is to download a midi program - a lot of people here use Noteworthy composer and it's a great program - and print the sheet music out from there.

ABC format:

X:1
T:Snowy Breasted Pearl
M:4/4
Q:1/4=100
K:C
EFG2c2B2|AGc6|EAG3ED2|-DCD6|EFG3GE2|C2F3ED2|
-DCC6|-C2ABc3B|A3Gc4|-c2EAG3E|D3CD4|-D2EFG3G|
E2C2F3E|D3CC4|-C2GFE3G|A2c2B4|-B3Bc3B|A3GG4|
-G4A4|c2e2d3c|B2A2G4|-G2ABc3B|A3Gc4|-c2EAG3E|
D3CD4|-D2EFG3G|E2C2F3E|D3CC4|-C8|
||

Subject: Lyr Add: SNOWY-BREASTED PEARL
From: Len Wallace
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 05:29 PM

from Len Wallace
[e-mail]

SNOWY-BREASTED PEARL

There's a colleen fair as May
For a year and for a day,
I have sought with every way
Her heart to gain.

There's no art of tongue or eye
Fond youths with maidens try
Nut I've tried with ceaseless sigh,
Yet tried in vain.

If to France or far off Spain
She'd cross the watery Main
To see her face again
The seas I'd brave

And if 'tis heaven's decree
That mine she way not be
May the Son of Mary me
in mercy save.

Of, thou blooming milk white dove
To whom I've given true love
Do not ever thus reprove
my constancy.

There are maidens woud be mine
With wealth in land and kine
If my heart would but incline
To turn from thee.

But a kiss and welcome bland
And touch of thy fair hand
Is all that I demand
Would'st thou not spurn.

For if not mine, dear girl
Oh, sonwy-breasted pearl,
May I never from the fair
with life return.

Words written by George Petrie

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Em
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 07:03 PM

Lesley… That seemed to work! Hooray. I'm printing it out right now, and will give it to my guitar-and-fiddle playing friend on Thursday. Hopefully we'll learn it by next month's session. Thanks so much! Ooh ee, how exciting!

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Em
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 07:07 PM

Oh. But what exactly is meant by "a kiss and welcome bland"? We've both pondered this… (Thanks Len.)

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Lesley N.
Date: 27 Jul 99 - 07:52 PM

Wow - glad it worked - I shall have to be careful or I shall loose my abc novitiate standing... well, maybe not..

As to "kiss and welcome bland" - be careful what you ask for - this can be a pretty bawdy place!

Subject: Lyr Add: PÉARLA AN BHROLLAIGH BHÁIN
From: Philippa
Date: 08 Dec 99 - 01:29 PM

SNOWY BREASTED PEARL, 18th c Irish poem, well-known by the George Petrie translation. That's in the DT database, though Petrie isn't credited. Here are Irish language lyrics as published in Dónal O'Sullivan, "Songs of the Irish":

Péarla an Bhrollaigh Bháin

Tá cailín deas am chrá
Le bliain agus le lá
'S ní fhéadaim a fáil le bréaga;
Níl aiste chlis le rá
Dá gcanaid fir le mná
Nár chaitheamhar gan tábhacht lé-si,
Don Fhrainc nó don Spáinn
Dá téadh mo ghrá,
Go raghainn-se gach lá dá féachain;
'S maran dúinn atá i ndán
An ainnir chiúin seo d'fháil,
Och! Mac Muire na ngrás dár saora!

Is a chailín chailce bhláith,
Dá dtugas searc is grá,
Ná tuir-se gach tráth dhom éara;
'S a liacht ainnir mín 'n-a láimh,
Dá ngabhaimis id áit-se céile.
Póg is mile fáilte
Is barra geal do lámh
'Sé ' n-iarrainn-se go bráth mar spré leat;
'S maran domh-sa taoi tú i ndán,
A phéarla an bhrollaigh bháin,
Nár thí mise slán ón aonach!

literal translation by O'Sullivan:

There is a pretty girl tormenting me For a year and for a day, And I cannot win her by cajolery; There is no clever poem that could be mentioned Of the kind that men compose for women That I have not vainly tried with her. to France or to Spain If my love should go, I would fare every day to see her, And if it be not my destiny To win this modest maid, Oh! may Mary's Son of graces save me!

And O gentle white girl To whom I have given passionate love, Do not keep ever refusing me; There are many fair maids that seek me, Who possess cattle and treasure, If I would take them to wed in your place. A kiss and a thousand welcomes, And the white tips of your fingers, Are all that I would ever ask as a dowry with you; And if you are not fated to be mine, O pearl of the white bosom, May I not return from the fair!

Subject: Péarla an Bháin
From: Philippa
Date: 08 Dec 99 - 01:31 PM

chaitheamhar should be spelled chaitheamar

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: SingsIrish Songs
Date: 09 Dec 99 - 01:38 PM

This is the December 1999 Featured Song at Prof's Irish Pages...for other information (ie about Petrie himself)visit the Prof's page and select Featured Song on the Navi Bar...

Prof's Pages

Enjoy!

Mary

Subject: RE: Song Request:Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 11:43 PM

This thread is a little older already, but I thought I'd contribute anyway -- my Irish songbook says it was translated by George Petrie in 1855.

Nathali

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: GUEST,Maggie
Date: 23 Feb 14 - 05:19 PM

I have the music for Snowy Breasted Pearl. It's in a book called "Traditional Slow Airs of Ireland by Tomas O'Canainn", published by Osian Publications of Cork.There are 118 tunes in this book, and it's very good value.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 23 Feb 14 - 11:57 PM

That's a nice book. I happen to own it and can play perhaps one-third of the songs in it.

But actually, where would we all be if we had to pay $10 to $25 for a book every time we wanted to learn a new song?

Anybody who wants 'Snowy-Breasted Pearl' can go here:

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/tunefind

and start following the trail.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Stewart
Date: 24 Feb 14 - 01:46 PM

Here's the song and the tune.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 25 Feb 14 - 10:07 AM

Thanks, Stewart. It was nice of you to make the music so accessible.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: GUEST,Jerry A. O'Neill
Date: 28 Jul 22 - 10:25 AM

Lovely rendition here:

https://youtu.be/yTQGnoo1VQk

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Helen
Date: 28 Jul 22 - 03:33 PM

Thanks for the link Jerry:

Pádraig Mac Niocaill: Pe´arla an Bhrollaigh Bha´in

It's a lovely tune. I have the music in a book called Soodlum's Irish Ballad Book

The note on that page says, "The tune, translation and text, is to be found in the Collection of George Petrie (1855) who founded the Society for the Preservation and Publication of the melodies of Ireland. He lived at 67 Lr Rathmines Road, Dublin."

I

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Helen
Date: 28 Jul 22 - 03:39 PM

Sorry, I hit submit prematurely.

I also have the tune without the lyrics in a couple of harp music books.

I loved the melody from the first time I heard it.

Regarding Lesley N.'s post on 26 Jul 99 - 07:12 PM, her Contemplator website of tunes is an enduring favourite of mine since I discovered it over 20 years ago, and Barry Taylor's MIDI arrangements are beautiful, in my opinion. Thank you Lesley and Barry, from the bottom of my heart.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: leeneia
Date: 02 Aug 22 - 12:22 PM

I learned this tune from O'Neill's Music of Ireland, and the version in the DT is very like it. At first O'Neill's triplets intimidated me, but now I've got them figured out.

I play it as an instrumental.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Helen
Date: 02 Aug 22 - 04:19 PM

leeneia, there is an excellent website of O'Neill's Music of Ireland which has the sheet music, ABC notation, a MIDI file, and a Noteworthy Composer (music programme) file of each tune.

It's a great resource for learning tunes.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: Helen
Date: 02 Aug 22 - 05:01 PM

...but, I just listened to the MIDI file on the O'Neill's (Old Music Project) website and I don't like it as much as Barry Taylor's version posted by Lesley N. Date: 26 Jul 99 - 07:12 PM

and that version is close to the one in the Soodlum's Irish Ballad Book and other books I have, which is like this version:

Snowy Breasted Pearl - Wolfe Tones

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Snowy Breasted Pearl
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Aug 22 - 03:58 AM

John McCormack