The Downfall Of Paris (hornpipe) on The Session

Also known as Ça Ira, Carillon National, Ceimsios Parais, The Downfall Of Paris March, The Downfall Of Paris Set Dance, England The Home Of The World, The Fall Of Paris, La Ira, Setdance.

Thirteen comments

The Downfall of Paris

I’ve known this one for years. Don’t be put off by the length because it’s fairly repetative and so easy to learn. I think this is technically a set dance but it has a hornpipe rhythm. The tune sort of goes in undulating waves and I find using ‘mf’ on the high notes and a little ‘mp’ on the low notes adds a nice dynamic.

A very fine renditioning of this can be found recorded by the Chieftains on their LP ‘Bonaparte’s Retreat’ (Island label, 1976).
It is part of a long and evocative set of tunes relating to the defeat of Bonaparte’s army. It is described as a set dance tune. Paddy Maloney’s version is said to evoke the colapse of the Empire.

Another uber-standard American Fife & Drum piece. I kinda like it like this as a hornpipe. As a fife piece it screams, and it’s rather difficult. Reference the fife version:
http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/TuneGet?F=TXT&X=51&U=http://members.cox.net/chrismyers/CFD_Vol1_webready.abc

“Ça Ira” ~ “Carillon National” ~ “Ceimsios Parais”

Song, March, Set Dance, Slur ~ Too many distractions you beat met to this one. I’ll return later with one of the notations I’d collected for this. Some play it without the :||: repeats. Here’s some of the sources and links to more information regarding this tune of many guises and much history:

Kerr’s Fourth Collection of Merry Melodies, page 40 ~ ‘march’

A Sussex Tune Book ~ "The Fall of Paris"

The Fiddler’s Companion
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/DOW_DOY.htm

http://www.oldmusicproject.com/
http://www.oldmusicproject.com/OtherMusic.html
http://www.oldmusicproject.com/OneillsHornpipes.html

http://abc.musicaviva.com/tunes/ireland/on/oneill-1850/oneill-1850-1562.abc

http://www.drumband.org/music/downfall.pdf

South Riding Folk Arts Network
http://www.folk-network.com/welcome.html
South Riding Folk Arts Network Publications
http://www.folk-network.com/products/index.html
The South Riding Tune Book Volume 1
http://www.folk-network.com/products/tunebook1.html
The Downfall of Paris
http://www.folk-network.com/products/notes/downfall.html
& further links ~
http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/index.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mussmhtml/mussmhome.html

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/dihome.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/dicatlg.html
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=musdi&fileName=011/musdi011.db&recNum=0

“The Fall of Paris” ~ 1805

O’Farrell’s Pocket Companion for the Uilleann or Union Pipes,

Wow Ceolachan! That’s a lot of info on this tune. I should perhaps have left the transcription to you 🙂

FyfferGuy, I’ve only ever heard this with a "hornpipish" feel although I have seen it written with a straight rhythm. I checked out the fife version! Struth! That rattles along at a fair old clip doesn’t it. I’d imagine (without meaning to be rude to fife players) that it could be a bit shrill!

Uhh — I am a fife player, and it *is* shrill!
At jam sessions, it’s often played between 110 - 120 bpm, and the second time through (yes, it often gets played twice!), the drummers "double" it! It’s enough to send you back for another beer.

Bar 6

Glad to see this has appeared here. (I should check more often…) It’s an old favourite of mine, but one I’ve rarely heard played, so now I can check out some of the recordings, etc.

All the settings I’m familiar with (Eugene O’Donnell, O’Neill’s, my own) have a different 2nd and 6th bar in the 3rd and 4th parts, though. Like this:
BdgedcBA
which takes you much more elegantly to the G at the start of the next bar.

I seem to have acquired a different 6th bar in the first two parts as well. Mine goes:
BdgedcBG
and so up to the A at the start of bar 7. I’m not so sure about the validity of this variation though….might be more on a mental aberration on my part.

I find it a great tune for imitating the pipes. Never knew that it had travelled so far and wide, though.