Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór

Sí Beag, Sí Mór, "Small Fairy Mound, Big Fairy Mound",[1] is an Irish folk tune. The title uses the word 'Sí', the Irish for 'fairy mound'.[2]

Origins

The tune is usually attributed to blind harpist and singer Turlough O'Carolan (1670 – 1738) as his first song, written to the tune of "The Bonnie Cuckoo" (Roud 24351).[3][4]

One author describes it as a "beautiful old Irish air, usually played simply and leisurely, and occasionally played as a waltz".[5] Sí Mór (Sheemore) and Sí Beag (Sheebeg) are the names given to two small hills, situated close to each other in south County Leitrim, said to be ancient burial sites, and to a site in Carolan's birth county of Meath.[6][7][8]

Recordings

In modern times the tune has been recorded by many artists, first by Planxty on their 1973 debut album Planxty,[9][10] and then by The Chieftains on their 1975 album The Chieftains 5, as part of "The Humours of Carolan" suite.[11] It has been performed live on numerous occasions by Fairport Convention, who also recorded it for the B-side of their 1987 single release of "Meet on the Ledge".[12] It is commonly played on the fiddle[13] – Fairport Convention's fiddler Dave Swarbrick showcased the tune in his touring partnership with Simon Nicol.[14] – and is also a favourite of various fingerstyle guitarists, including Tony McManus,[15] Joseph Chester[16] and Pierre Bensusan.[17] The Galician folk band Milladoiro recorded a version of this song in their 1980 debut album A Galicia de Maeloc.

References
  1. Phillips, Stacy (5 March 1996). Twin Fiddling. Mel Bay Publications. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-61065-530-9.
  2. Dictionary of the Irish Language: síd, síth
  3. Duncan, Craig (28 December 2010). Getting Into Fiddling. Mel Bay Publications. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-61065-277-3.
  4. "The Bonny Cuckoo (Roud 24351)". mainlynorfolk.info.
  5. Dabczynski, Andrew H.; Phillips, Bob. Fiddlers Philharmonic. Alfred Music. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-4574-0671-3.
  6. "Sheemore- Hill of the fairies". Leitrim Tourism Network. 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  7. Isaac, Ali (April 1, 2020). "Shee Mor | Mysterious Ancient Royal Burial Site?". Aliisaacstoryteller.
  8. "O'Carolan, Irish Harper". www.oldmusicproject.com.
  9. ""Planxty" (the Black Album)". www.theballadeers.com.
  10. "Planxty - Planxty | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  11. "The Chieftains 5". irishtune.info. 1975. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  12. "Fairport Convention - Sigh Beg Sigh Mor". 45cat.com. 1987. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  13. Snyder, Jerry (3 May 2005). Jerry Snyder's Guitar School, Method Book 2: A Comprehensive Method for Class and Individual Instruction. Alfred Music. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-4574-1406-0.
  14. "Simon Nicol / Dave Swarbrick - In the Club". discogs.com. 1983. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  15. "Celtic Fingerstyle Guitar An Introduction Tony McManus". youtube.com. 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  16. "Carolan/Cage, by Joseph Chester". Joseph Chester. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  17. "Musiques". amazon.co.uk. 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
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