Twenty-nine comments
AKA Limerick Lamentations
Liam O’Flynn recorded this tune on his first solo LP in 1988.
The transcription is by John Chambers.
Another Title is "The Forlorn Lover"
Discussion: anyone have the dots for Limerick’s lament?
# Posted on October 3rd 2008 by Shylock
https://thesession.org/discussions/19299
Lamentation ~ singular, not ‘s’… & the John Chambers transcription
X: 1
T: Irish Lamentation
T: King James’ March to Limerick
O: England c.1735
Z: 1997 by John Chambers <jc@trillian.mit.edu>
N: Compare O’Neill’s 275 ("The Forlorn Lover")
N: Barnes (dates c.1735)
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|: GA |\
"G" B2 B2 Bc | B3 A G2 | "Am"{g}a2 A2 AB | "D" A4 GA |
"G" B2 cB AG | "C"E3 GFE | "D7" DE G2 {G}A2 | "G" G4 :|
|: GA |\
"G" B2 d2 d2 | de dB AB | "C" {f}G2 g2 g2 | "D7" g3 fed |
"G" B2 d2 d2 | de dB AB | "C" {f}G2 g2 g2 | "D7"g4 de |
"F" =f>e fg fg | "C"e>d eg eg | "G" d2 ed cB | "D7" A4 GA |
"G" B2 cB AG | "C" E3 GFE | "D7" DE G2 G-A | "G" G4 :|
N: Not a transcription of Liam O’Flynn’s playing…
“The Forlorn Lover” ~ from O’Neill
X: 2
T: Forlorn Lover, The
B: "O’Neill’s Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies", 1903, page 48, tune #275
N: Moderate
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: Air
K: Gmaj
|: G2 |\
B2 B2 B2 | B3 A G2 | e2 A2 A2 | A4 GA |
B2 dB AG | E2 D2 GA | B3 c BA | G4 :|
B2 |\
d2 d2 d2 | d2 cB AG | G2 g2 g2 | g4 Bc |
d2 d2 d2 | ed cB AG | G2 g2 f2 | g4 de |
=f3 g f2 | e4 g2 | d2 cB AG | A4 GA |
B2 dB AG | E2 D2 GA | B3 c BA |G4 |]
I like the O’Flynn take on this one but haven’t that recording on hand. It would be great to see a transcription, if anyone would be kiind enough to offer it…
My transcription from O’Flynn’s playing
X:1
T: Irish Lamentation
T: the Forlorn Lover
T: Limerick’s Lamentation
D:Liam O’Flynn 1988
M:3/4
L: 1/8
K:G
GA| B2 B2 B>c | B3 A G2 | g2 A2 AB |A4 GA |
B2 c>B A>G | E2 D2 BA | G2 G2 GA | G4 :|
|: GA | B2 d2 d2 | de dB A>B |G2 g2 ga | g4 :|
de | =fef g fg | ede geg | d2 ed cB | A4 GA |
B2 d>B A>G | E2 D2 BA | G2 G2 GA | G4 ||
Probably mislabelled
It’s named Limerick’s Lamentation on the album but it seems to be definitly the Irish Lamentation.
“The Forlorn Lover” ~ courtesy of Liam O’Flynn & swisspiper
Sorry I’m late getting back to this. Thanks Pierre for the transcription. Here it is again adorned and stripped down…
X: 4
T: Irish Lamentation
T: Forlorn Lover, The
T: Limerick’s Lamentation
D: Liam O’Flynn 1988
N: whistle & uilleann pipes
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
K: G
|: {F/}G>A |\
{c/}B2 B2 {c/}B>c | {A}B3 {A/c/}A G2 | {f/}g2 {G/}A2 {c/}A{B/c/}B | {G/}A4 {F/}G>A |
{c/}B2 {d/}c>B A>{B/A/}G | E>{F/}E D2 {A/}B>{A/B/}A | G2 {A/}G2 {A/}G>{A/B/}A | G4 :|
|: {F/}G>A |\
{A}B2 d2 d2 | {e}d{e/f/}e dB A>B | G2 {f/}g2 {a/}g{a/b/}a | g4 :|
{d/e/}d>e |\
{a}=f>e {a}f>{a}g f>g | {e/f/}e>d {a}e>{a}g {a}e>g | d2 {a}ed c{B/c/}B | A4 {F/}G>A |
{A/}B2 d>B A>{/B/A/}G | E>{F}E D2 {B/A/}BA | G2 {A/}G2 {A/}G>{A/B/}A | G4 |]
N: sans the jewels
|: GA |\
B2 B2 Bc | B3 A G2 | g2 A2 AB | A4 GA |
B2 cB AG | EE D2 BA | G2 G2 GA | G4 :|
|: GA |\
B2 d2 d2 | de dB AB | G2 g2 ga | g4 :|
de |\
=fe fg fg | ed eg eg | d2 ed cB | A4 GA |
B2 dB AG | EE D2 BA | G2 G2 GA | G4 |]
Liam does a lot of sliding up from the note below ~ for example F to G ~ |: {F/}G>A |\
c,
brilliant trabscription, I just miss the regulator work ;-)
Damn, I knew I was forgetting something…
My Version
X: 1
T: Limerick’s Lamentation
M: 3/2
L: 1/8
K: G
|: G2A2|B4 dB3 AG3|A4 G4 G2 A2|B4 dB3 AG3|A4 A4 G3A|
BG3 cA3 BG3|E3D E4 G3A|B4 G4 G2 A2|G4 G4 G2 A2||
B4 B4 B2 c2|B4 B4 AB3|a4 A4 A2B2|A4 A4 G2 A2|
BG3 cA3 BG3|E3D E4 G3A|B4 G4 G2 A2|G4 G4 G2 A2||
|:B4 d4 d2 e2|d2 c2 B2 A2 G2|G4 g4 a2 b2|g4 g4 G2 A2|
B4 d4 d2 e2|d4 c2 B2 A2 G2|G4 g4 g2 a2|g4 g4 d2 e2|
=fe3 =f2 g2 a=f3|e2 d2 e2 =f2 ge3|d2 e2 g2 B2 A2 G2|A4 A4 G2 A2|
BG3 cA3 BG3|E3D E4 G2A2|B4 G4 G3A|G4 G4||
Also known as Marbhna Luimni (which means the dead of Limerick) but more usually called in English Limerick’s Lamentation. It is a Jacobean tune lamenting the defeat of the Irish-Jacobean forces at the siege of Limerick in 1691. As a lament it is usually played very slowly and with feeling.
Lament for Limerick
This appears to be another variant on this tune https://thesession.org/tunes/8973
“Limerick’s Lamentation” / “Lament for Limerick” - a later addition
Submitted on May 14th 2011 by DrunkenFiddler.
https://thesession.org/tunes/11237
Sharon Shannon does a great version on her self-titled album, perhaps the moderators could link it up
Garbage….
With regard to alternative titles - where the f@@k’s "Lochlaber"?
Sean Ó Riada memorial concerts: “Limerick’s Lamentation” / “The Lament for Limerick”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p97TCMuGkjM
Sean Ó Riada’s Ceoltóirí Chualann
Highlights from two memorial concerts ~ 1972 & 1981
Seán Ó Riada ~ born August 1st, 1931 - died October 3rd, 1971
The second tune in, started by Sean Potts on whistle… 05:45
Lament for Limerick as film score
Throughout the movie "Miller’s Crossing", there is a haunting melody that sounds like this tune. The credits seem to call it "Come Back to Erin".
Lochaber no More - Breabach
Lochaber no More - the song
The words for the song Lochaber No More are in "The poems of Allan Ramsay, Volume 2" published in 1800 (Google Books has it). Some web sources say that it was first published in his "Tea-Table Miscellany" of 1724 but I don’t see it in the copy of that on archive.org.
The words, titled "Lochaber", and tune (with a harmony part) are in Vol 2 of W. Thomson’s "Orpheus Caledonius" of 1733 - http://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/pageturner.cfm?id=91481498&mode=transcription. It was in the 1755 edition - the link from a search at digital.nls.uk is too long to give.
Page 371 of James Hogg’s "The Forest Minstrel" of 1810 (Google books has it), referring to the song, links the tune to one called "Lord Ronald my son".
Rats ! - 1725 edition of Orpheus Caledonius, not 1755
(I screwed up correcting it from 1975 !)
I could have saved myself some searching today had I looked at my note of a link I found a while ago see: http://chrsouchon.free.fr/lochaber.htm
Can anyone recommend an air that would go well with this?
marbhna luimnigh
the definitive version of marbhna luimnigh is the ceoltoiri chualann rendering in the gaiety concert dublin in 1969. sean potts is magnificent at the start of the piece on tin whistle and the air is played beautifully with perfect timing by the whole group. mind you, the reformed ceoltoiri chualann did a great job of it in 1972 at the tribute concert to o riada with paddy moloney on the pipes in charge.
Sharon Shannon does a fabulous version of this tune with Alan Connor @ the musican
Re: Lochaber no More - the song
Here are a couple of beautifully sung renditions of the song…
The Rankin Family
https://youtu.be/adE8q7ytqV4
Braebach
https://youtu.be/LtXKk81wkhI
Irish Lamentations, X:7
This setting, probably the best I’ve come across, appears as "Caoine Luimnighe "in the Roche Collection, Vol 4, No. 65. For consistency with other postings, I have transposed from the Amix in which it appears there, and also removed the various slurs, grace notes etc. in order to improve readibility. Anyone seeking the original can find it at http://www.itma.ie/digitallibrary/scorch_file/roche_vol-4/10829/750. The ‘variation’ shown, which I presume is for a "last time only" ending, comes with the note "olagón", which is Irish for "lament" (but with loud wailing rather than quiet sobs).
Today is…
…the 325th anniversary of the Treaty of Limerick.
Tune #8973 reflects the harshness, sadness and despair of the time. A brilliant piece of music.
All the best
Brian x
Irish Lamentation, X:9
Such a beautiful Air.