Tune Req: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?

Subject: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 05:45 PM

I am trying to download the music for this Carolan tune, but all the sites I have visited appear to be missing the third part of the tune.

Please tell me I am not hallucinating, there is a third part to the melody which is not printed , for example, on JC's Tunefinder, isn't there ?

If anybody has a link to a site with the complete melody, I would be ever so grateful....

Murray

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: GUEST,Kim C no cookie
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 05:49 PM

Murray I don't know about a link, but I know it's in O'Neill's in the Carolan section.

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 05:57 PM

Kim, several of the versions I have looked at (including JC's)claim to be from O'Neill's, but none of them have the third part I seek.

Murray

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: radriano
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 06:13 PM

I've never seen a third part to "Blind Mary" either.

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 06:46 PM

I don't think that there is a third part; unless someone else has made one up, of course. Have you heard it? If so, where?

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Helen
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 06:57 PM

I'll have a look in my complete book of Carolan's tunes and also in my Bunting book. Allow a delay for me to get out of computer mode and into antiquated, paper-based technology mode. :-)

Helen

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 07:06 PM

I take part in an impromptu session each Friday, and this is one of the tunes we play. The sheet I get each week for Blind Mary (which I do not have to hand at the moment) is handwritten, so it is entirely possible that the third part I am waffling on about is in fact either a harmony (second fiddle) part which has been composed by persons unknown, or else an extension to the melody , again composed by persons unknown.

Rest assured, I shall be asking some searching questions tomorrow night, and will post the results here if I deem them interesting enough.

The reason for my enquiry is that I rather fancy doing a guitar solo of this fine tune, and wanted the original, pristine notes to work from.

Murray

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 07:32 PM

I would have thought two parts were quite enough of this one.

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 07 Nov 03 - 05:12 PM

O'Sullivan lists the sources for this piece as being the Forde Manuscript and the Pigot Manuscript, both now in the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin (O'Neill got it from Forde, though not all of the pieces listed in O'Neill's "Carolan" section are actually by him). I think the third part of Blind Mary you are referring to has been grafted on at a later time.

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Helen
Date: 07 Nov 03 - 06:23 PM

Hi Murray,

I looked it up in my complete works of Carolan and it has only 2 parts It is listed in the last section which has the tunes which may or may not be by Carolan. It wasn't in the Bunting book.

I've only ever heard 2 parts. I'd like to see the sheet music or listen to a midi of the other part, just out of interest.

Helen

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Emma B
Date: 07 Nov 03 - 07:48 PM

The words I have heard sung are beautiful, and very moving, too. Does any one know if it was originally a song?

Subject: RE: Blind Mary - the whole melody ?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 07 Nov 03 - 07:55 PM

Well, it appears that the third part was indeed grafted on, by John Mason, the founder/director of the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra. The partner of the owner of the pub plays in the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, hence the version we have been playing.

I am not normally a fan of messing about with Carolan tunes (especially adding words to them) but have to say that in this case the addition enhances the original emphatically. Listening to it one could believe it Carolan himself had composed it.

I do not know any way by which I can upload the music, since I do not have any music notation software. It may well be that the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra has recorded this version if so there may be MP3s avaailable for download somewhere, although I haven't searched.

Murray