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Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'

20 Jul 00 - 12:33 PM (#261600)
Subject: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Roger in Sheffield

Does anyone know where I can get hold of written music for this tune for a friend?
Roger

20 Jul 00 - 04:55 PM (#261706)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Roger in Sheffield

Spent most of the night weaving round the web to no avail. Please Help. Tried every tune site I can think of.

Roger

20 Jul 00 - 07:46 PM (#261858)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Barry T

I've uploaded the bagpipe notation for this tune here. Because the pipes are restricted to nine notes, I don't know how close this setting is to the song itself. I've only heard it played on the pipes.

'Hope it's close to what you need!

21 Jul 00 - 05:05 PM (#262341)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Roger in Sheffield

Thanks
Its for a scottish lady called Hannah who has been searching for it for ages
Sure she will be thrilled
Hannah is a friend of a friend so it may be a while before I have a reply
Thanks again Barry T
i am going to try it on my flute

Roger

21 Jul 00 - 05:16 PM (#262348)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Mbo

Not sure if it's the same tune, but here's one called "The Island of Mull". Check it out here.

--Mbo

28 Dec 00 - 01:49 PM (#364655)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Roger in Sheffield

I asked if this was the tune Hannah wanted
Unfortunately it isn't, though she likes the tune anyway
It turns out that as a child Hannah heard a song which had The Isle of Mull it is the fairest, of ocean gems it is the rarest..... as part of the lyrics
She would like the tune to which the song is sung
thats all I know as I am getting all of this secondhand

Roger

28 Dec 00 - 02:37 PM (#364673)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Sorcha

In the other Isle of Mull-Tannahill thread, Malcolm says he has sheet music for Hannah's song, and will send if Roger posts an e mail addy. Also, see Dan Mulligan's post for lyrics.

28 Dec 00 - 05:23 PM (#364788)
Subject: Lyr Add: AN T-EILEAN MUILEACH - THE ISLE OF MULL
From: Malcolm Douglas

This is the full version:


AN T-EILEAN MUILEACH

 THE ISLE OF MULL

(Gaelic words by Dugald MacPhail)

 (Translation by Malcolm MacFarlane)

Ged tha mi 'm fhògarrach cian air m'aineol
'S a' Chaisteal nuadh, 's an taobh tuath de Shasunn,
Bith'dh tìr mo dhùthchais a' tigh'nn fainear dhomh,
An t-Eilean Muileach 'bu lurach beannaibh.

 Tho' far from home I am now a ranger,
In grim Newcastle a doleful stranger,
The thought of thee stirs my heart's emotion,
And deeper fixes its fond devotion.

Sèist:

 Chorus:

An t-Eilean Muileach, an t-eilean àghmhor,
An t-eilean grianach mu'n iath an sàile;
Eilean buadh-mhor nam fuar-bheann àrda,
Nan coilltean uaine, 's nan cluaintean fàsail.

 The Isle of Mull is of isles the fairest,
Of ocean's gems 'tis the first and rarest;
Green grassy island of sparkling fountains,
Of waving woods and high tow'ring mountains.

B'fhallain, cùbhraidh's bu réidh an t-àilean,
Le 'bhlàthan maoth-bhog 'bu chaoine fàileadh:
Bu ghlan na bruachan mu'n d'fhuair mi m'àrach
An Doire-'chuilinn aig bun Beinn-bhàirneach.

 Oh! fresh and fair are thy meadows blooming,
With fragrant blossoms the air perfuming,
Where boyhood's days I've oft spent in fooling,
Around Ben-Varnick and Durry-Cooling.

Air Lusa chaisleach nan stac 's nan cuartag,
Bhiodh bradain thàrr-gheal nam meanbh-bhall ruadh-bhreac,
Gu beò-bhrisg, siùbhlach, le sùrd ri lùth-chleas
'N a cuislibh dù-ghorm gun ghrùid, gun ruadhan.

 Where Lussa's stream through the pools comes whirling,
Or o'er the clear pebbly shallows swirling,
The silvery salmon is there seen playing,
And in the sunbeams his hues displaying.

Bu chulaidh-shùgraidh do dh'òg-fhir uallach,
Le gathan tri-mheurach, rinneach, cruaidh-ghlan,
Air caol-chroinn dhìreach, gun ghiamh, gun chnuac-mheòir,
'Bhi toirt nan làn-bhreac gu tràigh mu 'bruachan.

 There might young manhood find fit enjoyment,
ln healthy, vigorous, rare employment;
With three-pronged spear on the margin standing,
And with quick dart the bright salmon landing.

'B e 'n sòlas-inntinn leam a bhi'g éisdeachd
Ri còisir bhinn-ghuthach, ghrinn a' Chéitein
A' seinn gu sunndach an dlùth's nan geugan-
A' choill' fo liath-dhealt', 's a' ghrian ag éirigh!

 How pleasant 'tmas in the sweet May morning,
The rising sun thy gay fields adorning;
The feathered songsters their lays were singing,
While rocks and woods were with echoes ringing.

Chlaon gach sòlas dhiubh sud mar bhruadar,
'S mar bhristeadh builgean air bhàrr nan stuadh-thonn:
Ach soraidh slàn leis gach loinn 'us buaidh
A bh'air eilean àghmhor nan àrd-bheann fuara. 		But gone are now all those joys for ever,
Like bubbles bursting on yonder river:
Farewell, farewell, to thy sparkling fountains,
Thy waving woods and high tow'ring mountains!


From The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Highlands, ed. and arr. Alfred Moffat.  I'll do a midi for the Mudcat Midi Pages.


Malcolm

12 Jan 01 - 01:26 PM (#373416)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Roger in Sheffield

I am still waiting for a response from Hannah - sure she will want to thank Malcolm herself for all his hard work on this one. In the meantime thanks Malcolm

Roger

13 Jan 01 - 12:55 PM (#373971)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Roger in Sheffield

The letter arrived today, Hannah would like to thank Barry T for the tune (she did not recognise it at first)and Malcolm for the keyboard friendly tune and words.

10 Sep 10 - 03:16 PM (#2984110)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: GUEST,Carol, Kilmarnock

Hi Roger...are you still looking for the music for 'The Isle of Mull'? I have a copy of 2-part sheet music you're welcome to have a copy of if you let me have your email address?

Carol

06 Feb 11 - 07:42 PM (#3090115)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: GUEST,Mike

Hi Carol

I saw this thread and was wondering if you still have the sheet music to AN T-EILEAN MUILEACH the isle of mull song, I am getting married and need this for my piper to play it.

would you be kind enough to send me a copy via e mail.
Kind Regards
Mike

01 Jun 17 - 01:57 PM (#3858341)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: keberoxu

This song, as spelled out in the post from Malcolm Douglas on this thread,
appears in Malcolm MacFarlane's 1908 anthology, Binneas nam Bàrd.

The tune is given along with the Gaelic text.
No credit is given to Dugald MacPhail.
Mr. MacFarlane does not include his English translation --
there are no English translations in this edition.

More generally,
there are no poet/author or composer/musician credits
for the fifty-two songs printed.

More particular:
all the Gaelic Dugald-MacPhail verses in Malcolm Douglas's post are given,
with an additional verse NOT in that post.

None of the old music/melody/tune links in the earlier posts
work any longer,
so I can't confirm the melody as printed in Binneas nam Bàrd.

01 Jun 17 - 06:02 PM (#3858369)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: leeneia

https://books.google.es/books?id=RTgRAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=zh-CN#v=onepage&q&f=false

copy that link to get to the 1908 book that has t'Eilean Muileach on page 61. It's a little slow, because it's in Japanese or Chinese, and you can't just tell it to go to page 61.

01 Jun 17 - 06:26 PM (#3858373)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: GUEST,keberoxu

Oddly, I just checked to see what Google could offer me, here in the USA.

I found that a digital copy of Malcolm MacFarlane's 1908 book, under the English title Bardic Melody, is available at books dot google dot com without Español, Japanese, Chinese, or what have you. When I checked where I know how to check for the source of the digital file, the page said Oxford University.

True, even on books dot google dot com I could not tell the file to go directly to Page 61 (that's correct, I can confirm), nor to search for any of the Gaelic vocabulary. I just had to start at the beginning of the digital file and scroll down through the copy's pages until Page 61 came up. But there it is, plain as day.

02 Jun 17 - 09:39 AM (#3858461)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: leeneia

Yep.

02 Jun 17 - 12:22 PM (#3858505)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: Stewart

Here's the Scottish jig - Island of Mull
musical score
midi

very similar to the song

Cheers, S. in Seattle

04 Jun 17 - 03:24 PM (#3858888)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: keberoxu

Here is the additional verse from Binneas nam Bàrd;
it would be inserted after the fifth verse in Malcolm Douglas's post.

Again, Binneas nam Bàrd does not have an English translation,
so the Gaelic will have to do.

Gheibhteadh 'n ruadh-chearc 'sna coilltean ìosal,
'S a coileach tùchanach dlùth 'ga brìodal;
'S ged bha na beanntan gun fhaing, gun fhrìthean,
Bha daimh na cròice 'nan còrsaibh lìonmhor.

(0age 62, verse no. 5)

05 Jun 17 - 02:55 PM (#3859087)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: leeneia

Thank you for the links, Stewart. I've printed the jig and will play it on recorder.

09 Feb 19 - 09:05 AM (#3975680)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: GUEST

Hi, am looking for piano score for this beautiful tune & wondered if anyone had a copy?
Moira

10 Apr 21 - 06:45 AM (#4101709)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: GUEST

It is available from Taigh na Teud, a Scottish music vendor on Skye.

10 Apr 21 - 06:47 AM (#4101710)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: GUEST

Moira, the piano accompaniment was composed b Charles R Baptie.

10 Apr 21 - 09:02 AM (#4101731)
Subject: RE: n t-Eilean Muileach.
From: Felipa

There are several youtube videos of either Isle of Mull or an t-Eilean Muileach.

This one, in Gaelic, has French translation on screen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK46kSqU0Gw

The verse Keberozu quotes is also published in
"A' choisir-chiuil : the St. Columba collection of Gaelic songs, arranged for part-singing"

Gheibhteadh 'n ruadh-chearc 'sna coilltean ìosal,
'S a coileach tùchanach dlùth 'ga brìodal;
'S ged bha na beanntan gun fhaing, gun fhrìthean,
Bha daimh na cròice 'nan còrsaibh lìonmhor.

The red grouse hen (ruadh-chearc) would be found in the lower woodlands
And her gruff-voiced (? tùchanach ) cock beside her wooing her
Amd though the bens* were without fanks (?)** and without deer forests
The antlered stags of the coast (?) would be numerous.

*(mountains/high hills)
** aka sheep pens/ but fang is also a word for a vulture

For lyrics and recordings and information in Gaelic on the author, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/oran/orain/an_t_eilean_muileach/

09 Aug 24 - 02:30 AM (#4206743)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: 'Isle of Mull'
From: GUEST,Seonaid

Thank you, Mudcat! I've been looking everywhere for the Gaelic lyrics to this lovely song, and I should have known it would be here. Thank you all!