St. John’s National School, Breaffy, Co. Mayo скачать в хорошем качестве

St. John’s National School, Breaffy, Co. Mayo

‘Gráinne Mhaol’, performed by the 39-strong Macalla Mhaigh group. Primary Finalist in the 2019 Waltons Music for Schools Competition. St. John’s response to the 2019 Competition theme, Music =, was ‘music tells stories’. The group, Macalla Mhaigh Eo (Echoes of Mayo), tell the story of Mayo’s most famous daughter, the Pirate Queen Gráinne Mhaol. Gráinne was an extraordinary woman who lived, loved, fought and survived during a pivotal period of Irish history that saw the collapse of the Gaelic order and the ruination of Ireland’s Tiarna (Chieftains). As a girl, and the only child of the powerful Eoghan Dubhdara Uí Máille, Gráinne was not entitled to her father’s throne. So she devised a cunning plan to fulfil her lifelong ambition – she shaved her hair and posed as a boy, thus becoming known as Bald Gráinne or Gráinne Mhaol. Gráinne sailed along the west coast of Ireland with her fleet of ships and fearful warriors, raiding as she went and building up great hoards of wealth. She earned the title ‘Pirate Queen’ and garnered such respect from the people of Mayo that she was eventually crowned Queen of the Uí Mháille clan. The group chose instrumental, song and dance pieces from traditional Irish music to the story, opening with a powerful call to join Gráinne as she strives to earn her place as head of the Uí Mháille clan. After the Celtic dance and drum roll, they sing a three-part minor melodic harmony to the words ‘Gráinne Mhaol, Queen of the Pirates, she set sail on the ocean wide.’ Gráinne dramatically receives her crown as – having been acknowledged a powerful pirate – she can now become Queen of the O’Malley clan. The drums and treble dancers then summon the people to the coronation of Gráinne. This leads to a piece that combines an Indian air with the Irish sean-nós song ‘Slan le Máigh’ to tell story of Gráinne leaving her native Mayo to travel to many exotic places as a pirate queen. The clarinet signifies that, once again, the newly crowned queen is ready to set sail. Five harps introduce ‘The Cradling Arms of Cruachán’, composed by local Achill man Des Cafferkey. When all the other traditional instruments join the harps, the dancers/sailors surround Gráinne in her boat in a dance that echoes the motion of the Atlantic waves. Gráinne basks in the glory of her people. A minor drone and the beat of drums then introduces an old jig, ‘The Clare Island Rowing Tune’, which comes from Gráinne’s home of Clare Island in Clew Bay. Here the people pay homage to their queen and bear her gifts. The finale is Pádraig Pearse’s version of ‘Óró ‘s é do bheatha bhaile’, because Gráinne has earned her place as a central figure in the Celtic Revival / Athbheochan na Gaeilge.