The Fair Hills of Éire: Irish Airs and Dances

The theme for this remarkable new CD of Irish airs and dances is summed up by a quotation from the Irish poet, Donnchadh Ruadh Mac Conmara (c.1715-1810): “Far dearer to my heart than a gift of gems or gold/Are the Fair Hills of Éire, O!” It is fair so say that there is a degree of tearjerking in this recital, but also much vivacity and fun.

The opening number, Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself, is by the Irish Chopin, John Field. The source of the original tune would seem to be unknown: it may be one of his own inventions. Field has worked this up into a satisfying rondo. It is one of his earliest published compositions. 

Michele Esposito was an Italian pianist and composer. However, in 1882 he was appointed Professor of piano at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. Much of his mature career was spent in Éire. He established the Royal Dublin Society Chamber concerts as well as founding the Dublin Orchestral Society, which he conducted. His corpus includes an opera, The Postbag, an Irish Symphony, an overture to Shakespeare’s Othello, some chamber music and, unsurprisingly, many piano pieces.

The Two Irish Melodies op.39 are based in old tunes: Avenging and Fair on the air Cruachan na Feine and Though the Last Glimpse of Erin on the famous melody The Coulin. Both reveal subtle pianism, but most of all present “a musical expression of affection and admiration for his adopted home.”

It is hardly surprising that the Londonderry Air is included. It has been arranged many times, with popular “classical” versions by Charles Villiers Stanford and Percy Grainger. Stephen Hough’s reworking here is suitably sentimental and dreamy. Strangely similar in melodic progress is the redoubtable American Amy Beach’s The Fair Hills of Éire, O!, op.91 which is a “subtly and evocative meditation on the Irish landscape.” This miniature is an adaptation of an early seventeenth century song.

I admit to never having heard of Edward Swan Hennessey until reviewing this CD. He was born in Rockford, Illinois in 1866. After his musical formation he travelled much in Europe (he owned homes in Italy and England) and ended up in Paris in 1903. Originally, his compositions were influenced by Schumann and the later German romantic tradition. He soon became enamoured with Impressionism. In 1912, Hennessey became involved with a group of French composers who sought to infuse their art with a spirit of Celticism, combining “elements [of] Breton and Irish traditional music and culture.” He promulgated the Irish element in this endeavour. The present Variations sur un Air Irlandais Ancien, op.28 was published in 1908 (it may have been written earlier) thus predating his later interests but may have been a catalyst. It is a satisfying number that explores many moods in its twelve variations. The theme is an unidentified folk tune.

Philip Hammond’s delightful Old Truagh and The Beardless Boy from Miniatures and Modulations were created in 2011 as a part of his 60^th birthday celebrations. The composer has explained that they were commissioned for that year’s Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at the Queen’s University and present a series of pieces for solo piano based on the Edward Bunting collection of Irish melodies from the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792. I understand that Bunting, then aged only 19 years, was employed to write down and annotate everything he heard at that event. His subsequent published edition, The Ancient Music of Ireland is in three volumes and “provided a treasure trove of over 300 bardic tunes and their attributions.” Philip Hammond has selected 21 of these. As I understand the situation, Bunting’s original transcription is the Miniature and Hammond’s freely styled variation is the Modulation. The complete set has been issued on the Grand Piano label (GP702) played by Michael McHale. I have not heard this album. 

The short Sionna, Spirit of the Shannon, which was composed by Philip Martin for the present pianist, fits in well with the ethos of this disc. Like Sabrina for the Severn, and Isis for the Thames, Sionna is the personification of that great Irish River.

Many years ago, when I used to rummage in piles of musty sheet music in the famous Glasgow Barras, I often came across pieces by Sydney Smith. I never bought them as they were well beyond my Grade 5 and a bit. His catalogues of published piano music exceeded 400. Every Victorian piano stool would have contained several of his works.

The liner notes rightly suggest that Smith’s The Last Rose of Summer, Paraphrase de concert, op.173, owes much to Franz Liszt. Certainly, there is some remarkably effective pianism here – from a gentle exposition of the well-known melody to the tremendous technical complexity and pyrotechnics and figurations inherent in its gradually expanding development.

I was delighted that David Quigley chose to include the Two Folksong Arrangements by E.J. Moeran. Though not an Irishman by birth, he was by association and often by inspiration. The Irish Love Song was written in 1926: it is based on a folk song that he may have heard from his friend Peter Warlock or his mentor Hamilton Harty. The liner notes should have mentioned that the tune was “I grieve when I think on the dear happy days of my youth” by Michael Hogan (1828–1899), the Bard of Thomond, and published in Padraic Colum’s Anthology of Irish Verse (1922). The second piece is The White Mountain, which is based on the melody The Star of County Down also known as Dives and Lazarus. Moeran’s take is unhurried and introspective. There is little chromaticism here, just a serene diatonicism.

The final track on this CD is Stanford’s A Reel from his Four Irish Dances. This has been “souped up” by Percy Grainger. It is summed up by a note in the score: “…a rollicking Cork Reel engagingly entitled “Take her out and air her” with which is contrasted a graceful middle episode based on a winsome tune named “The cutting of the hay.””  Earlier in this recital, the opening dance of this set was performed. Maguire's Kick was originally a marching song used by Irish rebels in 1798. The middle section uses a Leitrim jig. It is a pity that all four of Grainger’s arrangements could not have been included.      

The playing by David Quigley is both enthusiastic and thoughtful throughout and is complimented by the superb sound quality. 

The liner notes give a good introduction to this repertoire. Although composer dates are given in the text, I would have liked to see them in the track listing. Equally helpful here would have been the dates of composition where known; in some cases they are given in the commentary.

This is a splendid album of arrangements, transcriptions, re-imaginings and variation. It all adds up to an evocative musical portrait of the Island of Ireland.

Track Listing:
John Field (1782-1837)
Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself (1797)
Stephen Hough (b.1961)
Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) (?)
Michele Esposito (1855-1929)
Avenging and Bright and Though the Last Glimpse of Erin (The Coulin) from Two Irish Melodies op.39 (pub.1896)
Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)/Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961) 

Maguire's Kick and A Reel from Four Irish Dances, op.89 (1907/1916)
Edward Swan Hennessey (1866-1929)
Variations sur un Air Irlandais Ancien, op.28 (c.1908)
Philip Martin (b.1947)
Sionna, Spirit of the Shannon (?)
Sydney Smith (1839-89)
The Last Rose of Summer, Paraphrase de concert, op.173 (c.1883)
Philip Hammond (b.1951)
Old Truagh and The Beardless Boy from Miniatures and Modulations (2011)
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
The Fair Hills of Éire, O!, op.91 (1922)
E. J. Moeran (1894-1950)
Irish Love Song and The White Mountain (The Star of the County Down) from Two Folksong Arrangements (1926-27)