Annotation:Eagle's Whistle (3) (The)

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X:1 T:Eagle's Whistle [3], The M:3/4 L:1/8 B:Stanford/Petrie (1905, No. 305) S:P. Carew's ms. Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D F2 AF ED|F2 AF ED|E2 EF ED|E2 EF ED| F2 AF ED|F2 AF ED|D2 DF ED|A>D DF ED|| d>A BA FA|d>A BA FD|E2 EF ED|E2 EE FD| d>A BA FA |d>A BA FE|D2 DF ED|AD DF ED||



EAGLE'S WHISTLE [3], THE. Irish, Air (3/4 time). D Major: F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. A 3/4 time setting of "Eagle's Whistle [1]." Also see "Eagle's Whistle (2) (The)." English folklorist and folksong collector Lucy Broadwood took down the tune in County Waterford in 1906 from Mrs. Bridget Geary (Camphire, Cappoquin). She inquired of Bridget about lullabies, who in response sang this tune which she said her mother used to “jig about the house” without any words. It represents “the mother-eagle putting the little eagles to bed.” “Mrs. Clandillon says ‘The Eagle’s Whistle’ is well-known throughout Ireland. Her mother always sang it as a lullaby, and Mrs Clandillon sings her own children to sleep with it now, using Irish words which she believes her father composed to the tune. She says the it is ‘a single jig’”[1].


Additional notes
Source for notated version : - George Petrie notes the versions he gives are from "P. Carew's MS". Researcher Nicholas Carolan of the Irish Traditional Music Archive records that P. Carew (or, as collector William Forde gave his name, 'Paddy Carey') was a musically literate professional uilleann piper living in Lag Lane, St Finbarre’s parish, Cork, in the mid-1840's. The area, notes Carolan, was near a military barracks, and was the location of shebeens (illicit bars) and brothels, notorious for poverty and crime. A number of harper Turlough O'Carolan's compositions were in his repertoire, and were the object of collectors.

Printed sources : - Stanford/Petrie (The Complete Collection of Petrie's Irish Music), 1905; Nos. 305 & 306, p. 76.






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  1. Journal of the Folk-Song Society, vol. III, 1908-1909 (pp. 34-35)