Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)

Subject: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: Alice
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 11:58 AM

I am trying to find information on the author/composer of THE FAIRY TREE.
All night around the thorn tree
The little people play
And men and women passing Will turn their heads away.

I have the music and lyrics as done by Mary O'Hara, but she does not say in her book, and it is not on the CD, who wrote the song, how old it is; although in her book she gives interesting background on the thorn tree, history, mythology, etc., realting to the lyrics.

I have four verses in all.

Alice

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: MMario
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 12:02 PM

This fairy tree?

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: Alice
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 12:07 PM

Yes, that's it! I have an additional verse as O'Hara sings it. If McCormack recorded it,... still looking for date. I'll add the song for the DT with all the verses when I have a minute. Thanks.

Alice Flynn

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: MMario
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 12:20 PM

He recorded it 3 dec 1930

Subject: ADD: The Fairy Tree
From: Alice
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 12:31 PM

THE FAIRY TREE
(Isabel Leslie, alias Temple Lane, Clogheen, Ireland)

All night around the thorn tree,
The little people play,
And men and women passing
Will turn their heads away.
From break of dawn til moonrise,
Alone it stands on high,
With twisted springs for branches,
Across the winter sky.

They'll tell you dead men hung there,
Its black and bitter fruit,
To guard the buried treasure
Round which it twines its root.
They'll tell you Cromwell hung them,
But that could never be,
He'd be in dread like others
To touch the Fairy Tree.

But Katie Ryan who saw there
In some sweet dream she had,
The Blessed Son of Mary
And all His face was sad.
She dreamt she heard Him saying:
"Why should they be afraid?"
[O'Hara repeats "Why should they be afraid?"]
When from a branch of thorn tree
The crown I wore was made?

From moonrise round the thorn tree
The little people play
And men and women passing
Will turn their heads away.
But if your heart's a child's heart
And if your eyes are clean,
You'll never fear the thorn tree
That grows beyond Clogheen.

-source, Mary O'Hara, Songs Of Ireland - you can get this book from used book websites.

I see it wasn't an extra verse, just some extra lines in the first verse left out on the other website. Thanks, MM.

Alice

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: MMario
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 12:39 PM

Music by Vincent O'Brien: but I still can't find a date

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: Peg
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 12:51 PM

I would love to know of a recording of this or other way I could get the tune? Great lyrics.

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: MMario
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 12:53 PM

Peg - a search of "The fairy Tree" shows quite a few recordings. One site also says they have sheet music.

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: Alice
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 12:56 PM

Peg, order Mary O'Hara's CD through the Mudcat link to CDNow, help support the forum.

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: Alice
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 12:57 PM

MM, can you give us a link to the site that has sheet music?

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: MMario
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 01:15 PM

Sorry - read through more thoroughly and it's a list of holdings rather then a catalog of items for sale. sorry.

url=http://www.jump.net/~pwworth/sheetmusic.html

but they have it at the John J. Burns Library at boston College, Peg.

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: Peg
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 03:47 PM

thanks all! Is her CD really great and/or have great songs on it? I might do that.

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: Alice
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 04:41 PM

Peg - I guarantee you will love any of her recordings.

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 31 Mar 05 - 10:23 AM

Anyone happen to have the tune for this?

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 31 Mar 05 - 01:27 PM

Thanks for returning this interesting poem to the forum, Mario. I like it.

As for a tune, why not make up your own? I plan to try it.

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From: ard mhacha
Date: 31 Mar 05 - 03:25 PM

Alice away back in the 1920s John McCormack recorded this song.

Subject: RE: The Fairy (Thorn) Tree
From:
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 01:10 AM

I heard this song once, a long time ago, sung by John McCormack The only info I have on it is the following extract from somewhere or other:

The Fairy Tree
Music by Vincent O'Brien
Words by Temple Lane (real name M. Isabel Leslie)
This song was also written in 1930 – by Doctor Vincent O'Brien, who had been choirmaster to John McCormack when the singer was still an unknown student. O'Brien dedicated the song to the tenor's wife. It reads: 'To Lily. Countess McCormack. In kind remembrance'. This captivating piece contains traits of paganism and Christianity – a duality often found in the Celtic tradition.

Apparently the name Temple Lane was used as a pen-name because that's where Isabel Leslie lived - on Temple lane, near her father's rectory. The fairy tree is actually a solitary hawthorn tree.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: GUEST,Jamie O'Reilly
Date: 27 May 11 - 09:41 AM

I learned this song from my Aunt Dorothy, and sang it in the John McCormick Centenary Concert in Chicago's Orchestra Hall in 1984, and had a copy of the music with the dedication to McCormick's wife. You can hear it on my CD, Jamie O'Reilly & The Rogues: A Collection, where I accompanied by 2 guitars, mandolin alto recorder and bass. (more at Recordings at jamieoreilly.com)

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: MartinRyan
Date: 27 May 11 - 09:48 AM

A little background HERE

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: GUEST,Greg white
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 02:23 PM

This was my mothers most popular party song. She sang it with an unusual passion and feeling which I remember well clearly stimulated her audience. The song for me is a lament of the loss of natural healing wisdom which our ancient culture was famous for. The thorn tree ha extraordinary healing properties.
It's reference too little people and Christ is an allusion to his entreaty to be like little children, who heal naturally as they relate without fear to our environment. To lose our child likeness is to cloud our vision, our soul. We have yet as a nation been able to grasp this.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: Alice
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 11:20 PM

I'm enjoying seeing this old thread coming back up when I returned to the forum today.
Alice

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: leeneia
Date: 14 Nov 16 - 10:53 AM

You can hear the original tune here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmwHGtcnNWQ

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: AmyLove
Date: 26 Jan 17 - 11:14 PM

"Twisted sprigs" makes more sense to me than "twisted springs," and when I listen to both McCormack and O'Hara, it sounds like they're singing "sprigs." Does "springs" have a meaning similar to "sprigs" in this context?

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: Lighter
Date: 27 Jan 17 - 07:31 AM

The word - as sung correctly by McCormick and O'Hara - is "sprig."

I assume that "spring" is simply a typo.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: AmyLove
Date: 27 Jan 17 - 04:05 PM

You may be right about it being a typo, but if it is, it's been copied and pasted a number of times online -- that's the main reason I asked -- the fact that a number of sites presenting the lyrics use the word "springs."

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: Lighter
Date: 27 Jan 17 - 05:27 PM

> copied and pasted a number of times online

The 'Net isn't known for its proofreading.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: AmyLove
Date: 27 Jan 17 - 06:01 PM

Agreed.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 19 - 03:53 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to find the sheet music for The Fairy Tree by Vincent O'Brein.

Can anyone advice please.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 30 Nov 19 - 05:38 PM

The publisher of origin was J. & W. Chester in London, 1930.
On the Internet, search results yield
a seller in Australia
who has posted several listings in an attempt
to sell a copy of the sheet music.

Don't know if the piece
has been included in any published song anthologies.

There must be libraries that have it though.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Fairy Tree (sung by Mary O'Hara)
From: leeneia
Date: 03 Dec 19 - 01:55 PM

You can probably sound it out.

Here's John McCormack singing it on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmwHGtcnNWQ

The key is G. The first note is a D. There are repeats to make it easier.

I think the time is 4/4.