Lyr Req: King of the Faeries

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King of the Faeries
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 09:43 PM

Rí na Sideog é seo! Agus is Jacobite é; bhuel ceapaim go bhfuil...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King of the Faeries
From: GUEST,Kitty
Date: 23 Aug 07 - 10:11 PM

I have found some guitar tabs for this song if anyone is interested. They are quite easy to play even for a beginner (myself), and if you are a singer, it is quite fun to sing along with! :)

http://folkguitar.us/chords/King-Fairies.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: DADGBE
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 07:03 PM

While I don't know the King's preferences, I do know that he can cause trouble. Some years ago, I was hired to play Irish music for a large, expensive wedding which was being held in San Francisco's Stern Grove. I submitted several tunes to the wedding planner and this one was selected for the processional. Imagine the suprise and supressed mirth among the band when the couple turned out to be two men!...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 04:12 PM

"...if played three times in a row during a festivity the King must appear. Once summoned, however, the King assesses the situation, and if the gathering is to his liking he may join in; if however, he does not find it to his liking he may cause great mischief."

It's a tempting idea... But does anyone have reliable information about the King's preferences when it comes to gatherings?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: Cluin
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 12:09 AM

Horslips recorded a kick-ass rocked up version of this one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: GUEST,Julia
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 10:50 PM

I think it's fascinating that this tune is such a "crossover hit"! I mean, to be popular enough to switch allegiances from Charlie to William is a neat trick. Of course, the King of the Fairies IS a shape shifter...grin!

Best- Julia

PS When I play this solo on harp, I vary the time signature and "shape shift" the tune

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: GUEST,ra
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 09:58 PM

I'll play it when Charlie ascends the throne!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: GUEST,ra
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 09:57 PM

thanks stewart.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: open mike
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 09:56 PM

i believe this tune is similar to Dance of the Fairies.
any one confirm this? perhaps only the "A" part is the same?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: Stewart
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 09:41 PM

It's a great tune and Kevin Burke does a great version of it.

This is the information from Fiddler's Companion:

KING OF THE FAIRIES, THE (Rí na Sideog). AKA and see "King William of Orange" and "Bonnie Charlie [1]." Irish, Set or Long Dance. E Dorian (Mallinson, O'Neill): E Minor (Brody, Raven): G Minor (Welling). Standard. AAB (O'Neill): AABB (Mallinson): AABBCC (Brody, Raven, Welling). One tale attached to the tune has it that "The King of the Fairies" is a summoning tune, and if played three times in a row during a festivity the King must appear. Once summoned, however, the King assesses the situation, and if the gathering is to his liking he may join in; if however, he does not find it to his liking he may cause great mischief. "King of the Fairies" appears to be derived from a Jacobite tune called "Bonny Charlie," appearing in many 18th century Scots and Northern English publications, such as Aird (1783). Source for notated version: Dave Swarbrick (England) [Brody]. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 158. Mallinson (Enduring), 1995; No. 84, pg. 35. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; pg. 168 (appears as "King William of Orange"). Welling (Welling's Hartford Tunebook), 1976; pg. 22. CAT-WMR004, Wendy MacIssac - "The 'Reel' Thing" (1994). Folkways FW 8876, Kevin Burke‑ "Sweeney's Dream." Transatlantic 341, Dave Swarbrick‑ "Swarbrick 2."

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: GUEST,riverboat annie
Date: 02 Jan 07 - 09:12 PM

I just love this tune so much! I have it by Kevin Burke on his CD of fiddle tunes from Sligo County. There is even an autoharp on this CD. I was amazed and delighted that Sligo fiddlers would play with autoharp...but they sound great with fiddle and I love playing with fiddlers....when I come off the river, that is. Can anyone tell me more about it? Alison????

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: GUEST,Zuki
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 11:42 AM

Many thanks for your help everyone.

Regards Zu

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: BigDaddy
Date: 11 Nov 00 - 02:53 PM

The Irish Rovers' version is on their album, "Life of the Rover," for the information of those who are interested.

Subject: Poem Add: THE FAIRIES (William Allingham)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Nov 00 - 01:18 PM

The "King of the Faeries" on the DT has, as Alice points out, no real connection with the set-dance tune.  Though the entry describes it as "Irish Traditional", it is in fact three verses of William Allingham's poem, "The Fairies" (publ. 1850), chopped about a bit and given the wrong title.  I believe that a band called "The Irish Rovers" did at some point set those words to "The King of the Fairies", though it does seem rather an odd thing to do; presumably that's how part of the poem found its way into the DT.  For the record, and in case it is any use to anyone, here is the full text of Allingham's poem:

THE FAIRIES
(William Allingham, 1824-1889)

Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren't go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl's feather!

Down along the rocky shore
Some make their home,
They live on crispy pancakes
Of yellow tide-foam;
Some in the reeds
Of the black mountain lake,
With frogs for their watchdogs,
All night awake.

High on the hill-top
The old King sits;
He is now so old and gray
He's nigh lost his wits.
With a bridge of white mist
Columbkill he crosses,
On his stately joumeys
From Slieveleague to Rosses;
Or going up with music
On cold starry nights
To sup with the Queen
Of the gay Northern Lights.

They stole little Bridget
For seven years long;
When she came down again
Her friends were all gone.
They took her lightly back,
Between the night and morrow,
They thought that she was fast asleep,
But she was dead with sorrow.
They have kept her ever since
Deep within the lake,
On a bed of flag-leaves,
Watching till she wake.

By the craggy hill-side,
Through the mosses bare,
They have planted thorn-trees
For pleasure here and there.
If any man so daring
As dig them up in spite,
He shall find their sharpest thorns
In his bed at night.

Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren't go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
Wee folk, good folk,
Trooping all together;
Green jacket, red cap,
And white owl's feather!

Malcolm

---

KING OF THE FAERIES (DT Lyrics - truncated version of lyrics above)

Up the airy mountain, through the rushy glen
We daren't go a-hunting for fear of little men.
Wee folk, good folk, trooping all together
Green jacket, red cap and white owl's feather.

By the craggy hillside, through the mosses bare
They've planted thorn trees for pleasure here and there.
Is any man so daring as to dig them up in spite
He'll find the sharpest thorns in his bed at night.

High up on the hill top the old king sits
He's now so old and grey he's nearly lost his wits
He's rising with the music on the cold starry night
To sup with the queen of the gay north light.

Trad. Irish
@Irish @myth
filename[ KINGFAER
CH

Irish Robers recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZvbu4S5pE0

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: Alice
Date: 11 Nov 00 - 12:26 PM

The lyrics to the tune King of the Fairies is different than the poem King of the Fairies that is in the DT. alison posted the lyrics in another thread; it is called The Girl With The Buckles On Her Shoes, by Sidney Bell.

click here, trad tune and Sidney Bell lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: Greyeyes
Date: 11 Nov 00 - 11:29 AM

Not sure why the song index doesn't take you straight there, one of the experts may be able to explain, I had to play around a bit to get there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: King Of The Faeries
From: Greyeyes
Date: 11 Nov 00 - 11:27 AM

Try This.

Click here

Subject: King Of The Faeries
From: GUEST,Zuki
Date: 11 Nov 00 - 09:38 AM

Are there any lyrics to the traditional Irish tune 'King Of The Faeries'? I have searched the site and the title appears but selecting it produces a negative search result.

Thanks Zu