Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh

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A selection of MP3 files of Seoirse's music through the years. All for free!

Ag Geaftaí Bhaile Buí (At the Gates of the Yellow Town)

One of the “big” songs of West Donegal, this particular one is now only heard in Ranafast.  It’s a rather intense love song with undertones of bitterness and loss. The man who is speaking in the song has taken his sweetheart, late one night, to a favourite nook up in the mountains, but has fallen asleep. She leaves him there and then, thinking, apparently, that he has lost interest in her.

Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh’s arrangement here is the first mix. The second mix which appeared on the album “Dúlamán a’ tSléibhe” (2002) was not to Seoirse’s liking. This first one, he feels, is much better.

https://www.seoirse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ag-Geaftaí-Bhaile-Buí-Out-Take.mp3

Composed by Trad. arranged and adapted by Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh.

Composed: 1995

Musicians

Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh, lead vocals and guitar, Steáfán Hannigan, percussion & flute, Aodh Mac Ruairí, vocal harmony, Heather Innes, vocal harmony, Mike Cosgrave, keyboards & piano accordion, Saskia Tomkins, cello

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Lyrics for Ag Geaftaí Bhaile Buí (At the Gates of the Yellow Town)

1.

Ag geaftaí Bhaile Buí a rinne mise an gníomh

A bhí amaideach baoth-dhéanta

Ealódh le mnaoi seal tamaillt insan oíche

Ar neamh-chead ‘a raibh faoi na spéartha

Mar bhí mé lag gan bhrígh gan mhisneach i mo chroí

‘S í agam ar mhín shléibhe.

Bhí an codladh ‘a mo chloí ‘gus b’éigin domhsa luí

Agus d’imigh sí ‘na fíor-mhaighdean.

2.

‘Gabháil a luí don ghréin fán am seo aréir

Is agamsa bhí ‘n scéala buartha

Ba é a shamhailt domhsa a’ té a shínfí insa’ chré

Ó’s a Mhuire, nach mé an truaighe!

‘Sé deirfeadh mo chairde a’ méid acu bhí ‘láthair

“Altaigh leis na mná, a bhuachaill”

‘S a’ méid a ngoillfeadh orthu mo chás ghoillfeadh siad a saith

Fa mo chroí a bheith ‘mo lár ‘na ghual dubh.

3.

Dá mbínn-se thall sa Spáinn ‘mo luí ar leabaí ‘n bháis

Agus chluinninn-se do dháil in Éirinn.

Go n-éireóchainn chomh sámh leis an bhradán ar a’ tsnámh

I nduibheagán i lár na hÉirne.

Focal ar bith mná ní chreidfidh mé go brách

‘Mura bhfá’ mise scríobhtha i mBéarla é

Gur chaith mé naoi lá ag cleasaíocht leis a’ bhás

A’ dúil go bhfuighinn spás ar éigin.

4.

Ó, a Mhuire (a)gus a Rí, nach mairg a bíos

I dtoiseach an tsaoil le pléisiúir

‘Gus a ghiorracht is a bíos an tinneas a’ do chloí

‘S ‘a do tharraingt ar na críocha déanacha

Níl sé ar a’ domhan ní ar bith ba mhó

Is peacaí (a)gus is mó dá ndéantar

Ná an mhaighdean deas óg a mhealladh le do phóig

Is a fágáil faoi bhrón ‘na dhiaidh sin.

 

Corpus Christi Carol

Music composed by English composer Benjamin Britten in 1933. The text is anonymous from the Middle-Ages. Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh re-arranged it for folk ensemble in 1998.

The recording here is from a concert broadcast on WDR of a live performance in Germany in 1998.

 

https://www.seoirse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Corpus-Christi-Carol.mp3

 

 

Composed by Benjamin Britten, Arr. Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh

Composed: 1933

Musicians

Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh, lead vocals and guitar,                                                                                                                                  Heather Innes, vocal harmony,                                                                                                                                                           Andreas Völlmecke, guitar

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Lyrics for Corpus Christi Carol

 

He bare hym vp, he bare hym down,

He bare hym in to an orchard brown.

Lully, lulley, lully, lulley!

Þe fawcon hath born my mak away.

 

In þat orchard þer was an hall,

Þat was hangid with purpill & pall;

Lully, lulley, lully, lulley!

Þe fawcon hath born my mak away.

 

And in þat hall þer was a bede,

Hit was hangid with gold so rede;

Lully, lulley, lully, lulley!

Þe fawcon hath born my mak away.

 

And yn þat bed þer lythe a knyght,

His wowndis bledyng day & nyght;

Lully, lulley, lully, lulley!

Þe fawcon hath born my mak away.

 

By þat bedis side þer kneleth a may,

& she wepeth both nyght & day;

Lully, lulley, lully, lulley!

Þe fawcon hath born my mak away.

 

& by þat beddis side þer stondith a ston,

“Corpus Christi” wretyn þer-on.

Lully, lulley, lully, lulley!

Þe fawcon hath born my mak away.

 

[Original Middle English lyrics]

Cuach Mo Londubh Buí (Cuckoo My Yellow Blackbird)

A very old song from Ulster that was brought to the West Indies by Irish women and children who were deported by Oliver Cromwell in the 1640s. It was arranged by Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh in 1988 for his first album “Slán agus Beannacht”. This is an out-take (the first mix) which has a lightness the final mix doesn’t pick up on.

 

https://www.seoirse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Cuach-Mo-Londubh-Buí-Out-Take.mp3

Composed by Trad. arranged and adapted by Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh

Composed: 1988

Musicians

Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh, lead vocals, vocal harmonies and guitar
Greg Scanlon, keyboard (Marimba)
Peadar McArdle, vocal harmonies
Karen Russell, vocal harmonies
Colum Sands, percussion

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Lyrics for Cuach Mo Londubh Buí (Cuckoo My Yellow Blackbird)

Bhí mise is mo bhean bheag lá gabháil a’ bóthar,
‘s óró ‘ghrá mo chroí,
Is cé chasfaí dúinn ach gruagach an óir bhuí,
Cuach mo londubh buí.

D’ fhiafraigh sé domhsa an ‘níon domh an óigbhean,
Is dúirt mé féin gurbh í mo bhean phóst’ í.

Curfá: Cuach inniu a’s (a) cuach amárach,
Cuach mo londubh buí,
Is cuach i ndiaidh achan lá go ceann ráithe,
Cuach mo londubh buí.

 

“A’ dtabharfaidh tú domhsa choíche go deo í?
Mur ndéanfaidh tú sin liom déanfaidh mé cóir leat.
Gabh tusa na mullaigh ‘gus mise na móinte,
Is cibé fear ‘ leanas sí bíodh sí go deo aige.”

Chuaigh seisean na mullaigh ‘gus mise na móinte,
‘gus lean sí an gruagach nó b’aige bhí an óige.
Phill mé ‘na bhaile go buartha cráite,
Is luí mé síos ar mo leaba trí ráithe.

Na Gamhna Geala (The White Calves)

This very old (1600s) Irish song from Ulster was collected and arranged by Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh and performed here with his six-piece band Dúlamán. The recording is from a live concert in the O’Reilly Hall in UCD in 1999, Dúlamán being perhaps at the height of their powers with a huge audience of several hundred people.

There is some confusion about the exact meaning of this song. Some say it’s about the unhappy political “marriage” between Ireland and England. Others say that it is a reaction against the growing materialism in Irish towns. Whatever way you look at it, the song is paean to the simple, pastoral way of life as it existed in times gone past.

At the outset, it’s the story of the plight of a young Irish country woman from the mountains who marries a rich tavern-owner from the mouth of the River Bann in County Derry. But she is far from happy there. From the window of her new, comfortable abode she looks out onto the mountains of Inishowen where she has spent many a quiet summer’s morning looking after her father’s calves.

https://www.seoirse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Na-Gamhna-Geala-TR.mp3

Composed by Trad. arranged and adapted by Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh

Composed: 1993

Musicians

Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh, lead vocals and guitar,
Steáfán Hannigan, percussion,
Aodh Mac Ruairí, vocal harmony,
Heather Innes, vocal harmony,
Tony Hunter, percussion,
Seán McKay, keyboards

Download mp3 for free

Lyrics for Na Gamhna Geala (The White Calves)

1.

‘S iad mo chuid gamhna, na gamhna geala

Itheann siad a’ féar is chan ólann siad a’ bainne

Téigheann siad anonn is anall ar a’ Bhanna

Is ní fearr leobhtha an tráigh acu ná lán-a-mara.

 

curfá:

hÍm, bím bó! ‘siad mo ghrá-sa na gamhna!

hUm bum bó! ‘siad mo bhrón-sa na gamhna!

Maille-liú, maille leo! ‘siad mo chrá-sa na gamhna!

Maidin chiúin sa tsamhradh gan na gamhna ‘gam le seoladh

2.

Is beag mo dhúil i gcupaí ná i gcártaí

Fuinneogaí gloine ‘gus rúmaí bána

Ba mhíle b’fhearr liom a bheith i gcró beag sa tsamhradh

Poll a bheith ar a’scraith is mé ag coimhéad ar na gamhna

3.

Bheirim mo mhallacht do tsagart a phós mé

‘s an tarna mallacht don bhaile bhuí mhór seo

Chan ag cur maoil ar chártaí a chleacht mé ‘dtús m’óige

Ach ag rince ar a’ tamhnaigh ‘gus na gamhna a sheoladh.

4.

Tiocfaidh an geimhreadh is greadfaidh an t-earrach

Is séidfear an sneachta go domhain ins na gleannta

Tiocfaidh éag ar an eallach is feannfar na gamhna

Is a charaid mo chléibh’ ná cur spéis ar bith iontu

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