Music and Texts of GARY BACHLUND
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Piccolo Duos on Irish Themes - (2025)
1. On "Jar Of Porter" ( also known as "We Won’t Go Home ’til Morning" )
A humorous lyric tells: " When I was young and cradle cake / No drop of milk now would I take / Me father up, then had his spake / “Give the child a jar of porter” What is all the more humorous is the last verse's sentiment: And when I reach the golden gates, / I hope I'll not have long to wait, / I'll call Saint Peter aside and say / "Brought you a jar of porter."
circa 2:15 minutes -- an MP3 demo is here:
2. On "Drowsy Maggie" from circa the 1850s and first published in 1903 according to sources, it us an instrumental Irish reel, of somewhat obscure origins.
circa 2:20 minutes -- an MP3 demo is here:
3. On "Banish Misfortune" is a melody with so many alternative names:
"Díbir Anachain," "Díbir Mí-Ádh," "The Horse Under The Stairs," "The Humours Of Mullinafauna," "The Little Bag Of Meal," "Mammy’s Horse Is Dying," "The Mangled Badger," "Ruaig An Mí-ádh," "The Stoat That Ate Me Sandals," "The Whore (Hoor) Amongst The Nettles Roaring," "Strathmartine Braes" and apparently more. Stories for some of the titles alone would be most amusing.
circa 2:20 minutes -- an MP3 demo is here:
4. On "Wild Mountain Thyme" is a tune to capture the mood of a tale:
"Oh, the summer time is coming. /And the leaves are sweetly blooming, / And the wild mountain thyme / Blooms around the purple heather. / Will you go, lassie go? / And we'll all go together / To pull mountain thyme / All around the blooming heather."
circa 3:15 minutes -- an MP3 demo is here:
5. On "I'll Tell Me Ma" sings "I'll tell me ma, when I go home, / The boys won't leave the girls alone. / They pull my hair, they stole my comb, / And that's alright till I go home.
circa 2:15 minutes -- an MP3 demo is here:
Score of 10 pages, circa 12' 30"
The score is available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this score and parts.
