A selection of Songs from UCD’s Special Collections
Reference was made to the poet MacDara Woods and the setting of his poetry to music at a concert in Dun Laoghaire’s Pavillion Theatre last December. This was a name I recognised having mentioned the poet’s name briefly in a previous blog post. The poet read his poem ‘Fire and Snow and Carnevale’ in our reading room as part of the Irish Poetry Reading Archive. Wood’s poem ‘Fire and Snow and Carnevale’ has been set to music by Brendan Graham and ‘Winter Fire and Snow’ is sung by Eimear Quinn.
The preface to J Dickson and C. Elliot’s 1776 book Ancient and modern Scottish Songs, heroic ballads etc: collection from memory, tradition and ancient authors notes that “every nation has its peculiar style of musical expression.”(25.X.13) It is at this time of year that one may gain insight into the music and songs of other nations with the arrival of the Eurovision Song Contest. ‘Winter Fire and Snow’ is not the first song Eimear Quinn has sung with music composed by Brendan Graham. This May marks the thirtieth anniversary of Ireland’s win at the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘The Voice.’ Written by Brendan Graham it was sung by Eimear Quinn in Norway in 1996.
A Selection from the Poems and Songs by T.D Sullivan (821 IR SUL)
The relationship between poetry and songs may be described as intertwined. In some instances, poems and songs have been written by the same author. A search in our catalogue for poems and songs brings up twenty one results while a search for songs and poems reveals fifteen items. Examples include the 1907 publication A Selection from the Poems and Songs by T.D Sullivan (821 IR SUL), a former Lord Mayor of Dublin, and The Pocket Book of Poems and Songs For The Open Air by Edward Thomas (100.R.38).
An example of the bookplates placed in the Gerard Quinn Robert Frost Collection
The Gerard Quinn Robert Frost Collection is held in UCD’s Special Collections. It includes the poems and songs of Edward Thomas and provides further examples of poets’ works which have been set to music and sung. Examples include ‘The Poison Tree’ from William Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ (100.A.11), sung by Mary Black and Robert Frost’s ‘A Road Not Taken’ and ‘Choose Something Like A Star’ (100.A.17) both of which have been set to the music composed by Charles V. Stanford.
Mr. A.P. Graves in The Story of a Song by M.A. Belloc (35.E.4/25)
A search in our library catalogue reveals that UCD’s Special Collections include several items relating to the composer Charles V. Stanford. Amongst them is ‘The Story of a Song’ by M.A. Belloc (35.E.4/25). Published in The English Illustrated Magazine in 1894 it tells the story of the ballad of Father O’Flynn and the song’s author Mr. A.P. Graves. Included is reference to Graves’ first published poem, which was sent by the then teenager’s father, to a newspaper. Reference is also made to a later request by Stanford that Graves might send him words. Words which Stanford would then set to his musical compositions.
Father O’Flynn in The Naval Song Book (5. M. 15)
It is noted that Stanford found Father O’ Flynn “too humorous for his collection” and needed “some persuading to include it.” This song in addition to others can be found in Father O’Flynn: and other Irish lyrics by Alfred Perceval Graves (780.278 GRA). The music score composed by Stanford for Father O’Flynn is published in The Naval Song Book (5. M. 15) held in Special Collections.
Sea Shanties (5.E.15) and Sea Chanties (5.M.22) in UCD’s Special Collections
On that note, Sea Shanties or Sea Chanties sung by sailors are another genre of song within our collections. In 1926, a year when the Irish population participated in a census, Captain W.B. Whall’s Collection of Sea Songs and Shanties (5.E.15) was published by James Brown and Son. The reader is informed that this genre of song had at the time of publication become popular with choirs. While it is noted that those on shore used the term chanty, Whall who had spent eleven years at sea, maintained that the correct term was shanty.
Voice, Song and Speech: A practical guide for singers and speakers from the combined view of vocal surgeon and voice trainer (101.H.12)
In addition to poetry, songs, and sea shanties, UCD’s Special Collections hold items which place attention on singing instruction. This includes a copy of the seventh edition of Lennox Borwne and Emil Behnke’s Voice, Song and Speech: A practical guide for singers and speakers from the combined view of vocal surgeon and voice trainer. (101.H.12) Published in 1896 it includes an Ex Libris informing us of a previous owner’s name. The reader of this book is introduced to topics such as the anatomy and physiology of the vocal organ, divisions of voices (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) and the daily life of the voice user with consideration given to aliments and topics such as whether or not to drink tea.
Daily life also features in ‘Care of the Voice; or The Singers Daily Life’ a lecture delivered at Freemason’s Hall Edinburgh on the 8th of February 1833. This lecture was published with others in Alberto B. Bach’s book On Musical Education and Vocal Culture. (782.043 BAC)
Newspaper clipping placed in the book On Musical Education and Vocal Culture (782.043 BAC)
A response to this published lecture series can be found on the title page where a previous owner or reader of the book took it upon themselves to attach a newspaper clipping which reads; “keep doing, always doing remembering that wishing, dreaming, intending, mummering, talking, sighing and repining are all idle and profitless employments.” To an extent, this is debatable. Perhaps though, if one is idle and looking for something to do or keep doing, they might choose to explore UCD’s Special Collections.
This post was written by Patricia Bedlow, Library Assistant, UCD Special Collections / Information and Learning Services
Lovely post. Thank you.