Identify 'Gaelic' 'Away in a manger'?

27 Nov 02 - 02:57 AM (#835684)
Subject: Identify 'Gaelic' 'Away in a manger'?
From: Haruo

I've got a setting (for SATB, organ & violin) of Away in a manger here, arranged by one Raymond H. Haan, to a tune that is described as "Gaelic Folk Tune" but not otherwise identified. The melody sounds familiar to me but I can't quite place it; not sure if I actually have heard it before or if it's just similar to one or more other melodies I've heard. Here's a MID2TXT rendition of the basic melody line; anybody know what it's really called, or what (Gaelic or otherwise) text is traditionally sung to it? —

MIDI file: awaygael.mid

Timebase: 192

Name: Away Gaelic melody line
Text: By Gaelic traditional
Tempo: 056 (1071428 microsec/crotchet)
TimeSig: 3/4 24 8
Start
0000 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 69 110 0336 0 69 000 0048 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0336 0 60 000 0048 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 74 110 0160 0 74 000 0032 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 72 110 0160 0 72 000 0032 1 74 110 0160 0 74 000 0032 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 72 110 0352 0 72 000 0032 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 60 110 0336 0 60 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the latest version of MIDItext and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Away Gaelic melody line
M:3/4
Q:1/4=56
K:C
CDE2E2|G2EDC2|CDE2G2|c2A4|GFE2G2|E2D2E2|cAG2E2|
D2C4|GAc2c2|d2c2A2|GAc2d2|cAc4|CDE2D2|C2D2E2|
cAG2E2|D2C7/2||

Haruo

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27 Nov 02 - 11:24 AM (#835773)
Subject: RE: Identify 'Gaelic' 'Away in a manger'?
From: Barbara

I know what you mean, Haruo -- the tune has a very familiar sound to it, but I don't recognize it. Thought I should answer anyway so you'd know someone had listened to it.
Blessings,
Barbara

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27 Nov 02 - 12:48 PM (#835793)
Subject: RE: Identify 'Gaelic' 'Away in a manger'?
From: Malcolm Douglas

So very many arrangers of traditional tunes over the years seem to have thought it beneath them to identify the tunes upon which their work depended. Sad, really.

This is a form of the tune commonly known as Farewell to Lochaber, after the (English-language) song Alan Ramsay set to it (Tea-Table Miscellany, 1724). Later in the 18th century, Robert Burns found the first part of the melody being used in Ayrshire tradition for a fragment of Lord Ronald My Son (Child 12F; the earliest known example with a tune). I can't think of any Gaelic texts set to it, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.

It appears that part or all of Lochaber was used by the Irish harper Thomas Connellan (and credited to his composition by O'Neill) as an introduction to his composite piece The Breach of Aughrim (latter part of the 17th century), the central part of which was apparently based on an earlier tune.

More information (not all of it terribly clear in this case, and often contradictory) can be found at The Fiddler's Companion. See also references to Limerick's Lamentation and King James March to Ireland. As early as 1701, a form of the tune had also appeared in Playford's Dancing Master as Reeve's Maggott.

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