I first heard this tune played by one of my favorite dulcimer players, Maggie Sansone on her album ‘A Scottish Christmas’ & it has become one of my favorite strathspeys to play. It is not to be confused with a tune the Tannahill Weavers play called ‘Christmas Carousal’ which I think is a reel and is completely different anyway. If you haven’t heard Maggie Sansone & enjoy dulcimer music at it’s best, she’s worth checking out. Her band also incorperates fiddle, harp and a number of different bagpipes & they play some fairly obsure tunes (at least to me anyway).
P.S.
In Maggie’s liner notes she says that this tune is from the Isle of Skye.
This tune (actually, it’s a song) is also on the Susan McKeown/Johnny Cunningham/Aidan Brennan recording A Winter Talisman --- and they provide the lyrics too. It’s a fun piece.
A Mhisg A Chur An Lolig Oirn
Isn’t this the same tune, more or less, as Christmas Day Ida Mornin’? Nice tune.
A’ mhisg a chuir an Nollaig oirnn
This tune is actually a gaelic port a beul, or mouth tune. Above is the correct spelling o the title, which translates as ‘the spree we had at Christmas’
The words to it are as follows…
A’ mhisg a chuir an Nollaig oirn
Cha robh dìth dollaidh oirnn
A’ mhisg a chuir an Nollaig oirnn
Cha chuir i tuilleadh call oirnn
Shaoghail, a shaoghail duibh!
Cò chuir an dollaich oirnn?
A shaoghail, a shaoghail duibh!
Cò ghabhadh dall sinn?
A’ Mhisg A Chuir An Nollaig Oirnn (English Lyrics)
Here are the lyrics to the port-à-beul in English, since Seumag already provided the Gaelic lyrics.
Credit: www.celticlyricscorner.net
~~~
The spree we had at Christmas
We didn’t lack for liquor to make us drunk
The spree we had at Christmas
Won’t cause us any more loss
The spree we had at Christmas
We didn’t lack for liquor to make us drunk
The spree we had at Christmas
Won’t cause us any more loss
World, black world
Who made us drunk?
Oh world, black world
Who would have us as drunk as we were?
Oh world, black world
Who made us so drunk?
The spree we had at Christmas
Won’t cause us any more loss
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