TURLOUGH O'CAROLAN was the most famous of all the Irish harper-composers of his day, and his music is the most popular ever composed for the harp in Ireland. It affords a lot of scope to the creativity of the individual performer and arranger, since only Carolan’s melodies survive. This book contains Máire Ní Chathasaigh's original arrangements (with suggested fingering) of 24 of Carolan’s beautiful tunes, informed by her knowledge both of the native Irish harp tradition and of baroque forms; a brief biography of Carolan; historical notes on the pieces; and performance guidance.
The book was first published by Old Bridge Music in 2001. It has been amended, updated and given a new cover for the Second Edition, published in July 2022.
The arrangements originally appeared on Máire’s 1994 CD with Chris Newman, The Carolan Albums. “Restores the harp to its true voice." THE IRISH TIMES “Máire is the foremost modern interpreter of Carolan.” TAPLAS "In a plethora of Carolan records, this is the best.” FOLK ON TAP
Further review extracts below. Full reviews here.
For those harpists that have been asking how the second edition differs from the first, here is a summary:
The arrangements in the original book were identical to those on The Carolan Albums and therefore feature Máire's own versions and variations. In the new edition Máire has indicated by means of ossia staffs where her versions diverge from the printed or manuscript sources. Other changes include rewriting of some of the notes on the pieces; the use of additional interpretative symbols and guidance; the correction of a small number of fingering typos - and a new cover!
