John O’Dwyer Of The Glen waltz

NOT a waltz but a lovely slow languid air.

T: John O’Dwyer of the Glen
T: Sean O Duibhir a Ghleanna
S: Tiny MacMahon
Z: Hetty 20/02/08
K: A Mixolydian
|: de | f4 g2 | a4 g2 | ef- f2- f2- | f2 (3efe dc | d4 c2 | d4 c2 | d2 e4- | e4 AB |c4 de | d4 c2 | A2 B2 A2- | A4 F2 | G4 FG | A4 A2 | A6- | A4 :|
A4 eA | e4 d2 | e2 f4- | f4 g2 | a4 b2 | a4 gf | g2 a4- | a2 (3aba gf | f2 g2 a2- | a4 (3gec | d2 e4- | e4 ce | d4 e2 | A4 A2 | A6- | A4 ag | f4 g2 | a4 g2 | ef- f2- f2- | f2 (3efe dc | d4 c2 | d4 c2 | d2 e4- | e4 AB | c4 de | d4 c2 | A2 B2 A2- | A4 F2 | G4 FG | A4 A2 | A6- | A4 |]

I’ve transposed this from a vinyl recording I have of Tony MacMahon in response to a request by ‘tonyb’
My original transcript was in ‘Bmix’ but that was due to the actual recording itself and possibly the condition of my turntable. Thanks to ‘c’ for his help and advice, the chances are that Tony MacMahon did not play it in ‘E’ (Bmix)
I’ve included the ‘Amix’ for those who can get down to low F# as I am able to do on my de-clubbed D/G. It does sound so rich low down there.

Has anyone got the words to this AIR

M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: Air
Tony MacMahon includes subtle and restrained bass accompaniment and ornamentation in his recording.

After Aughrim’s great disaster, when our foe, in sooth, was master,
It was you who first plunged in and swam the Shannon’s boiling flood.
And through Sliabh Bloom’s dark passes you led your Gallowglasses,
Although the hungry Saxon wolves were howling for your blood.
And as we crossed Tipperary, we rived the Clan O Leary,
And a creacht we drove before us as our horseman onward came.
With our spears and swords we gored them, as through flood and fire we bore them
Still Seán Ó Duibhir a Ghleanna, you were worsted in the game.

Long, long we kept the hillside, our couch hard by the rillside
The sturdy knotted oaken boughs our curtain overhead.
The summer sun we laughed at, the winter snow we scoffed at,
And trusted to our long bright swords to win us daily bread.
Till the Dutchman’s troops came round us, in steel and fire they bound us,
They blazed the woods and mountains till the very clouds were flame.
Yet our sharpened swords cut through them, to their very hearts we hewed them,
Still Seán Ó Duibhir a Ghleanna, you were worsted in the game.

Here’s a health to yours and my king, the sovereign of our liking,
And to Sarsfield, underneath whose flag we’ll cast once more a chance.
For the morning dawn will wing us across the seas and bring us
To take a stand and wield a brand amongst the sons of France.
And as we part in sorrow, still, Seán Ó Duibhir, a chara
Our prayer is "God Save Ireland" and pour blessings on her name.
May her sons be true when needed, may they never fail, as we did
For Seán Ó Duibhir a Ghleanna, you were worsted in the game.

I’ve a notebook somewhere with more information on it, and another set of words. I suspect there are others that will have more to add on this lovely air and song…

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/index.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/JOHAN_JOHN.htm#JOHAN_O’DWYER_OF_THE_GLEN_[1]

O’Neill states: “Versions (of the song) are almost as numerous as the singers of this fine old air," and he says it was very popular in Munster in a variety of forms and titles. According to Flood (1906), the song commemorates the Glen of Aherlow, which hid for a time the brave Anglo Irish lord James, Earl of Desmond, after his defeat in September, 1600, at the hands of Captain Greame and the Irish. One version of the melody can be found in Bunting’s Ancient Irish Airs of 1796 (a collection of 66 airs, mostly collected from performers at the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792). A translation of the lyrics goes: *

* As given above, but those are also the words given to me by other sources, to list two ~ Paddy Tunney & from Sean Nugent and family in Lack, County Fermanagh, where one of the daughters had a beautiful way with it, these words, in English. I have a recording of her and notes, that notebook I have yet to find. I was sure I also had Irish words for it as well, and information on the original source for the English lyrics given above. I’ll keep looking…

I reckon you were sitting there at your PC with finger of one hand poised and possibly a glass of something in the other hand also poised. But which one moved first?
Thank you ‘c’

On the recording Tony’s basses are used sparingly as follows:
‘A’ music: bar 1 = G. bar 3 = D, 5 = G, 7 = D, 9 = D, 11 = D, 13 = C, 14 = D
‘B’ music: bar 17 = D, 19 = Aminor, 21 = D, 23 = Aminor, 24 = D,
25 = G, 26 = D, 27 = G, 28 = D, 29 = G, 30 = D, 31 = D.
the rest is same as ‘A’ music. The first time ‘A’ Tony plays without chords. sometimes chords are sustained but what I have stated is as the record gives. No more, no less.

No, but now a thirst is coming over me… 😉

https://thesession.org/tunes/6554

I thought it was more than just me singing this that was rattling around in my head… Thanks for the wakeup call Will. I wish you were closer to help keep me more awake…

3/4 will slow it down nicely. I hope hetty’s transcription survives, but I’m copying it just in case it doesn’t…

Hadn’t realised that you had submitted the hornpipe version, ‘c’
but they are different enough with their own added information, again by yourself, to allow them to stand seperately. I put my trust in Jeremy to acknowledge the value of this one staying.

T: John O’Dwyer of the Glen
T: Seán Ó Duibhir a’ Ghleanna
S: Tony MacMahon
Z: Hetty 20/02/08
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: air
K: B Mixolydian
|: EF | G4 A2 | B4 A2 | FG- G2- G2- | G2 (3FGF ED | E4 D2 | E4 D2 | E2 F4- | F4 B,C | D4 EF | E4 D2 | B,2 C2 B,2- | B,4 G,2 | A,4 G,A, | B,4 B,2 | B,6- | B,4 :|
B,4 DB, | D4 E2 | F2 G4- | G4 A2 | B4 c2 | B4 AG | A2 B4- | B2 (3BcB AG | G2 A2 B2- | B4 (3AFD | E2 F4- | F4 DF | E4 D2 | B,4 B,2 | B,6- | B,4 BA |
G4 A2 | B4 A2 | FG- G2- G2- | G2 (3FGF ED | E4 D2 | E4 D2 | E2 F4- | F4 B,C | D4 EF | E4 D2 | B,2 C2 B,2- | B,4 G,2 | A,4 G,A, | B,4 B,2 | B,6- | B,4 |]

How does this key work for you fiddlers out there?

Key signature: A Mixolydian
Submitted on April 2nd 2004 by Phantom Button.
https://thesession.org/tunes/2748

If you’re going to "save" Hetty’s AMix version, you might want to consider changing "Tiny MacMahon" to "Tony MacMahon".

😀 Thanks Gary. if it doesn’t last, I’ve made the correction in what I’ve saved, just in case. Maybe the 3/4 will last as being different enough? That wouldn’t be the only thing where a minor tweak wouldn’t help… 😉

I’ve modified the end repeats of the ‘A’ music. There are no lead-ins to the ‘B’ music.

~ in the ABCs, so that’s how Tiny joins up the A-part with the B-part it is it? 😉

I have to say, I prefer the 3/4 take to how the midi handles the 4/4 I’d given in the past… That was influenced by several transcription I have of it… But, basically, both are in 3s, and for the 4/4, N>N, divided as 2 & 1 rather than 3 & 1… This one still catches me in the heart, for many reasons…

This is how I’d bridge it… But, yes, as you’ve given it, that was how I was playing your transcription, and not catching the missing beat… That and it being late and a certain couple of caipirinhas… 😉

Here are your bridges from the A-part to the B-part for your other two transcriptions above ~

K: A Mixolydian
~ | G4 FG | A4 A2 | A6- | A4 :|[2 A6 ||
A4 eA | e4 d2 | e2 f4- | f4 g2 | ~

K: B Mixolydian
~ | B,4 B,2 | B,6- | B,4 BA |[2 B,6 ||
B,4 DB, | D4 E2 | F2 G4- | G4 A2 | ~

K: A Mixolydian
~ | G4 FG | A4 A2 | A6- |[1 A4 :|[2 A6 ||
A4 eA | e4 d2 | e2 f4- | f4 g2 | ~

K: B Mixolydian
~ | A,4 G,A, | B,4 B,2 | B,6- |[1 B,4 :|[2 B,6 ||
B,4 DB, | D4 E2 | F2 G4- | G4 A2 | ~

I even missed that, and while I was up late last night, I actually got a decent night’s sleep, I think… 😏 Here’s that again, in the three flavours given, but with lead-ins and with a few differences as I take it, just the first 8 bars of each part… 😉

K: D Mixolydian
|: GA |\
B4 c2 | d4 c2 | AB- B4- | B4 A2 | G4 F2 | G4 F2 | GA- A4- | A2 D2 E2 |
~ | D6- | D4 :|
DE |\
F4 D2 | F4 G2 | AB- B4- | B4 c2 |d4 e2 | d2 c2 B2 | cd- d4- | d2 c2 A2 |
~ | D6- | D4 |]

K: A Mixolydian
|: de |\
f4 g2 | a4 g2 | ef- f4- | f4 e2 | d4 c2 | d4 c2 | de- e4- | e2 A2 B2 |
~ | A6- | A4 :|
|: AB |\
c4 A2 | c4 d2 | ef- f4- | f4 g2 | a4 b2 | a2 g2 f2 | ga- a4- | a2 g2 e2 |
~ | A6- | A4 |]

K: B Mixolydian
|: EF |\
G4 A2 | B4 A2 | FG- G4- | G4 F2 | E4 D2 | E4 D2 | EF- F4- | F2 B,2 C2 |
~ | B,6- | B,4 :|
|: B,C |\
D4 B,2 | D4 E2 | FG- G4- | G4 A2 | B4 c2 | B2 A2 G2 | AB- B4- | B2 A2 F2 |
~ | B,6- | B,4 |]

My! how a ‘tiny’ slip up can lead to so much hard work for another.
I also hope that TMacM is not too unhappy with the other slip-up.

It’s Sherry tonight…and the shawl… 😉

"I also hope that TMacM is not too unhappy with the other slip-up." ~ hetty ~ ?

" ~ languid air." ~ hetty ~ ?

"TMacM" ~ duh! ~ you mean ‘Tiny’… You’re here under an alias, don’t worry…

I just checked, I’ve also transcriptions of this in 6/4 ~ 🙂

I am aghast that I really used that word. My intention was to draw attention to the slow, long drawn out soulful manner in which TMacM plays it but on checking my dictionary (something I admit I don’t do enough of) it can also mean "inert" "apathetic" "sluggish" "uninteresting" etc. Tony’s playing is none of these.

Posted corrected 4/4 transcription of Joanie Madden’s setting from Song of the Irish Whistle 2 (see comments):

https://thesession.org/tunes/6454/comments

X:1
T:John of the Glen
R:Air
S:Joanie Madden - SOTIW2
M:4/4
K:D
Ade|f3g a3{ba}g|f6 e{fe}d/c/|d3c d3c|{d}e6 AB|
c3e d3c|{A}B4- B2 A{BA}G/F/|G2{AG}FG A3A|1 A4- A:|2 A6|]
c2|c3A c3d|{d}e6 a2|a3b agf2|a6 ag|
f3g e3c|d2 ee3 ce|d3c A3{BA}G|A8|]

http://youtu.be/v_VkuvMH6-8

play video

This version I posted today is the closest I can get in dots to the beautiful version Liam O’Flynn plays on his CD ‘Out To Another Side’ It’s one of my favourite airs.

http://youtu.be/Qxd4YF1cnRo

play video

This is by far one of the finest versions I’ve heard so far. His harmonization of the melody here is incredibly imaginative and stunningly beautiful as well. It had me wiping away a tear or two, so powerful it was!

https://youtu.be/Lm2c_5x-vPI

play video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTJ1PnC3qcQ

play video

I believe this is Liz Knowles on fiddle.

Transcribed from the Celtic Passion album. I believe that’s Liz Knowles on fiddle. Very expressive version even without vibrato! I love the fiddling on this album. Lots of good tunes and songs.

Sean O’Dwyer works well in D, C and B flat on the fiddle.