Nóra Críona jig

Also known as Hushed Be Sorrow’s Sigh, Lesbia Hath A Beaming Eye, Metal Bridge, The Metal Bridge, Nora Chreena, Nora Chrionna, Nora Creena, Nora Creina, Nora Criona, Nora Crionna, Old Nora, Save Me From The Grave And Wise, Wise Nora.

There are 55 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

Nóra Críona appears in 7 other tune collections.

Nóra Críona has been added to 34 tune sets.

Nóra Críona has been added to 238 tunebooks.

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Ten settings

1
X: 1
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
G2A BAG|A2B cBA|dBd gdB|AdB BAF|
G2A BAG|dcB ABd|gaf gdB|A2B cBA:|
dBd gdB|ded dBc|dBd gdB|A2B cBA|
dBd gdB|ded def|gfa gdB|A2B cBA|
dBd gdB|ded dBc|dBd gdB|A2B cBA|
dBd ece|fdf g2a|bge dBG|A2B cBA||
2
X: 2
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:.G.G.G G2A|BAG d2B|.G.G.G GAB|A2B cBA|
G3 G2A|BAG dcB|AFA fef|A2B cBA:|
|:.d.d.d .dcB|BAG d2B|.d.d.d dcB|A2B c3|
.d.e.d .dcB|BAG ABc|d^cd fef|A2B cBA:|
|:BGG G3|BGG G3|AFF cFF|AFF cFF|
BGG dGG|BAG ABc|d^cd fef|A2B cBA|
BGG dGG|BGG dGG|AFF cFF|AFF cFF|
BGG dGG|BAG ABc|d^cd fef|A2B cBA||
|:GB/c/d GB/c/d|GB/c/d dBG|GB/c/d GB/c/d|A2B cBA|
GB/c/d GB/c/d|GB/c/d dBG|GB/c/d f3|A2B cBA|
GB/c/d gB/c/d|GB/c/d gdB|GB/c/d gdB|A2B cBA|
GB/c/d fB/c/d|gB/c/d g2a|b2g agf|A2B cBA||
|:GBd g3|g3 gdB|GBd gf/e/d|edB cBA|
GBd g3|gba g2a|b2g agf|A2B cBA:|
|:dBG GDG|BGB d2B|dBG GFG|.A.A.A cBA|
dBG GDG|BGB dcB|AFA fef|A2B cBA|
dBG GDG|BGB d2B|dBG GFG|.A.A.A cBA|
BDD cDD|dDD cDD|d^cd fef|A2B cBA||
# Added by JACKB .
3
X: 3
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:GFG BAG|A2 B cBA|B2 d gdB|AGA cBA|
GFG BAG|A2 B cBA|f/g/af gdB|AGA cBA:|
|:B2 d gdB|dGB dgd|B2 d gdB|AGA cBA|
B2 d gdB|dGB def|gfe dcB|AGA cBA:|
4
X: 4
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Fmaj
|:F3 AGF|G2 A BAG|cAc fcA|G2 A BAG|
ABA AGF|cBA GAc|f2 e fcA|1 G2 A BAG:|2 G2 A B2 G||
|:c=Bc fcA|cdc cAB|c=Bc fcA|G2 A BAG|
[1 c=Bc fcA|cdc cde|fgf fcA|G2 A BAG:|
[2 c=Bc d^cd|ede f2 g|a/g/fd cAF|G2 A BAG||
5
X: 5
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G3 BAG|A2 B cBA|dBd gdB|A2 B cBA|
BcB BAG|dcB ABd|g2 f gdB|1 A2 B cBA:|2 A2 B c2 A||
|:d^cd gdB|ded dBc|d^cd gdB|A2 B cBA|
[1 d^cd gdB|ded def|gag gdB|A2 B cBA:|
[2 d^cd e^de|fef g2 a|b/a/ge dBG|A2 B cBA||
6
X: 6
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
~G3 {c}BAG|~A2B cBA|d(3.B.c.d gdB|(3A.B.c.A .d.^c.A|
~G3 BAG|dcB ABd|(3egaf {a}gdB|A2B {d}cBA:|
|:d(3Bcd gdB|ded dBG|.d (3Bcd gdB|~A2B {d}cBA|
d(3Bcd gdB|d(3Bcd ~g3|bge dcB|{d}cAB {d}cBA:|
7
X: 7
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Cmaj
G|:c2c c2d|e2c g2e|c2c c2e|d2e fed|
c2c c2d|e2c g2e|d2a a^ga|d2e fed:|
|:g2g g2f|e2f g2e|g2g g2e|d2e fed|
g2g g2f|e2f g2e|d2a a^ga|d2e fed:|
8
X: 8
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Fmaj
|:F2 F F2 G|A2 F c2 A|F2 F F2 A|G2 A (cB)G|
F2 F F2 G|A2 F c2 A|G _e e2 e|G2 A (cB)G:|
|:(G2 A cB).G|(A2 B dc).A|(G2 A cB).G|(A2 f) f2 z|
(G2 A cB).G|(A2 B dc).A|1 (G2 A cB).G|.E(dc BAG):|
[2 (G2 A cB).G|(dc).A (gf).c|(ba).f (c'b).g|ffa ffa|f2 z z2 z||
9
X: 9
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
.d2.d .d2.e|(f2d) (a2f)|.d2.d (d2f)|.e2.f {a}(g2e)|
.d2.d .d2.e|(f2d) (a2f)|(e2=c') c'2c'|.e2.f {a}(g2e)|
.a2.a (a2g)|(f2d) (a2f)|.a2.a (a2f)|(e2f) {a}(g2e)|
.d2.d .d2.e|(f2d) (a2f)|.d2.d {e}(dcd)|(e2f) {a}(g2e)|
.d2.d .d2.e|(f2d) (a2f)|(e2=c') .c'2.c'|(e2f) {a}(g2e)||
10
X: 10
T: Nóra Críona
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:A2B cBA|B2c dcB|ece aec|B2c dcB|
A2B cBA|edc Bce|~a3 aec|B2c dcB:|
|:ece aec|efe ecd|ece aec|B2c dcB|
[1 ece aec|efe ece|~a3 aec|B2c dcB:|
[2 ece fce|ece a2f|ece aec|B2c dcB||
# Added by DaveF .

Twenty-five comments

Source: Mary Bergin : "Fead

Nora Crionna

I came across this tune on Galway flute master Sean Moloney’s recent solo album. I think it’s identical to what Paul McGrattan and Paul O’Shaughnessy recorded as the jig version of Colliers Reel.

Don’t get it?

Sorry, slainte - I just don’t see any similarity betwen “Nora Crionna” and “The Collier’s Jig”, posted on this website under it’s alternative title of “Do You Want Anymore?”. To my ears , they are two distinct tunes. Am I missing something? Maybe the 2 Pauls got the name wrong. What does Sean Moloney call it?

Posted by .

Sorry, I confused two different tracks of the recording. This is actually what those two Pauls recorded as Lilliburlero Jig. It seems they don’t have the correct name for it. Sean Moloney has it through Galway piper Emmet Gill.

Sorry for too much pedagogic comments above. If this were a jig version of Colliers Reel, my information would be very useful. But actually it was a mistake.

Dicky Deegan’s Version

|:G3 G2A | BAG d2B | G3 GAB | A2B cBA |
G3 G2A | BAG dcB | AFA fef | A2B cBA :|
|: ddd dcB | BAG d2B | ddd dcB | A2B c3 |
ded dcB | BAG ABc | d^cd fef | A2B cBA :|
|: BGG G3 | BGG G3 | AFF cFF | AFF cFF |
BGG dGG | BAG ABc | d^cd fef | A2B cBA |
| BGG dGG | BGG dGG | AFF cFF | AFF cFF |
BGG dGG | BAG ABc | d^cd fef | A2B cBA ||
|: GB/c/d GB/c/d | GB/c/d dBG | GB/c/d GB/c/d | A2B cBA |
GB/c/d GB/c/d | GB/c/d dBG | GB/c/d f3 | A2B cBA |
GB/c/d gB/c/d | GB/c/d gdB | GB/c/d gdB | A2B cBA |
GB/c/d fB/c/d | gB/c/d g2a | b2g agf | A2B cBA ||
|: GBd g3 | g3 gdB | GBd gf/e/d | edB cBA |
GBd g3 | gba g2a | b2g agf | A2B cBA :|
|: dBG GDG | BGB d2B | dBG GFG | AAA cBA |
dBG GDG | BGB dcB | AFA fef | A2B bBA |
dBG GDG | BGB d2B | dBG GFG | AAA cBA |
BDD cDD | dDD cDD | d^cd fef | A2B cBA ||

Posted by .

Is this the first tune in the set titled Lesbia Hath a Beaming Eye on Conal O’Grada’s new album Cnoc Bui? He does an amazing job with it!

This version of Nora Criona is pretty much as Willie Clancy played it (he also had set dance and piece versions). Lesbia.. is an extended version of the tune which is, under that title, in O’Neill’s MOI

Posted .

Nora Críona

I know this as The Metal Bridge.
I was in fact looking for the Nora Críona as played for inst. by Maeve Donnelly. That’s the version (a kind of air) Willie Clancy used to play in the back room in Friel’s.

Yeah, this tune shows up under the title ‘Metal Bridge’ in the Bulmer and Sharpley “Music of Ireland” series (book 3, tune 46). But the title Metal Bridge also applies to another jig, Boys of the Town:
https://thesession.org/tunes/1264

Posted by .

“The Metal Bridge” ~ Bulmer & Sharpley

“Music From Ireland, Volume Three”
Dave Bulmer & Neal Sharpley, 1976
ISBN: 0-9503784-4-5


X: 3
T: Metal Bridge, The
B: “Music From Ireland, Volume Three”, Bulmer & Sharpley, page 16, tune #46
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: GMaj
|: GFG BAG | A2 B cBA | B2 d gdB | AGA cBA |
GFG BAG | A2 B cBA | f/g/af gdB | AGA cBA :|
|: B2 d gdB | dGB dgd | B2 d gdB | AGA cBA |
B2 d gdB | dGB def | gfe dcB | AGA cBA :|

Re: Nóra Críona

There is a poem, “Nora Criona” written by the Irish poet and novelist James Stephens (1880-1950), an associate of James Joyce. I present it to you here to provide you with some rich banter for your audiences after (never before!) playing this tune:

Nora Criona
by James Stephens ~ 1910

I have looked him round and looked him through,
Know everything that he will do.

In such a case, and such a case;
And when a frown comes on his face.

I dream of it, and when a smile
I trace its sources in a while.

He cannot do a thing but I
Peep to find the reason why;

For I love him; and I seek,
Every evening in the week;

To peep behind his frowning eye
With little query, little pry,

And make him, if a woman can,
Happier than any man.

—Yesterday he gripped her tight
And cut her throat—and serve her right!

Norma Creina

A pleasant jig, but, apart from its being Irish I am not able to give any details about the tune. I put it in key of C major - but another key might fit it better.

Re: Norma Creina

Nice! G or D might be more common, but C is nice too. Where did you learn it?

This setting could possibly be changed to a setting under the slide version of Nóra Críona (“Norah Creeney,” https://thesession.org/tunes/6648). Definite similarities to the first setting there if it’s transposed down to G and converted to 12/8:

X:1
T:Norma Creina
R:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Gmaj
D|: G2 G G2 A B2 G d2 B | G2 G G2 B A2 B cBA |
G2 G G2 A B2 G d2 B |A2 e e^de A2 B cBA :|
|: d2 d d2 c B2 c d2 B | d2 d d2 B A2 B cBA |
d2 d d2 c B2 c d2 B | A2 e e^de A2 B cBA :|

Re: Norma Creina

I couldn’t find it looking up “Norma” or “Creina”, but looks like it should be a setting of “Nora Criona”. (I jotted it down a while back but can’t remember where I got it from.)

Nóra Críona, X:8

The air “Nora Criona” as credited to the song “Save Me From The Grave And Wise” in Beethoven’s arrangement of Irish folk songs WoO 154, of tunes collected by George Thomson in the 1810s. The arrangement is in F major and includes a soprano-bass duet and the extended coda on the last ending.

Lyrics by William Smyth (1765-1849):
Save me from the grave and wise,
For vainly would I tax my spirit,
Be the thing that I despise,
And rival all their stupid merit.
On! My careless laughing heart,
O dearest Fancy let my find thee,
Let me but from sorrow part,
And leave this moping behind me.

Refrain
Speak ye wiser than the wise,
Breathe aloud your welcome measure,
Youthful Fancy well can prize
The words that counsel love and pleasure.

Is it merry look, or speech,
Or bounding step that thus displeases?
Go and graver movements teach
To yon light goss’mer on the breezes:
Go where breathes the opening spring,
And chide the flowers for gaily blowing,
Tell the linnet not to sing
In jocund May, when noon is glowing.

(Refrain)

Hence with wisdom, dull and drear,
And welcome folly at a venture:
Cease my song, a sound I hear,
The planxty comes, the dancers enter.
In yon throng, if I should see
Some gallant, giddy, gay adviser,
Who trough life might counsel me,
He indeed might make me wiser.

(Refrain)