This tune appears in Francis O'Neill's "Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies" (#653), where it is attributed to Turlough O'Carolan. Like many of O'Neill's Carolan tunes, this is not in the later Carolan edition by O'Sullivan. My source for the tune is the book "Celtic Music For Mandolin" by Allan Alexander & Jessica Walsh, where the title is spelled "Dermott O'Doud". I'm sticking with O'Neill's spelling. The book gives a variation, intended to be played after the original tune to make it longer. I have taken that variation and used it as a harmony/counter melody voice, which works just fine. Played as a trio on a nylon-strung mandolin, a steel-strung mandolin and tenor guitar. "Baroq-ulele" nylgut-strung mandolin Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin Ozark tenor guitar Martin
Very stridente and full of determination, like a peace march. Did O'Carolan really compose these himself, or did he receive the sheet music from Shakespeare, in return for writing his plays?
I've just revisited this relatively obscure Carolan tune. My new recording is based on the same setting by Allan Alexander, but without the strident rhythm that Bertram noted last time. Tenor guitar lead with OM accompaniment, and mandolin coming in on the repeat. Vintage Viaten tenor guitar Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin <Updated recording below in this thread> Martin
Interesting recording, Martin. Can’t tell why – I prefer your 2015 recording. May be the chosen instruments.
Thanks, Frithjof. My new version is somewhat faster which changes the character of the tune to some extent -- more lively and less contemplative. Not a deliberate decision, it just turned out that way when I picked up the tenor guitar. Martin
Lovely tune, thanks for bringing it back to our attention, and I too like the first one Martin. It has a sort of innocent delicate feel to it. (The second one’s good too though ) -is it on thesession? Couldn’t find it.
Thanks, Simon. There are two versions of the tune, including ABC, at tunearch.org: https://tunearch.org/wiki/Dermot_O%27Dowd I may have had too much coffee last night -- it did turn out to be quite a brisk tempo... Martin
I have that Allan Alexander book and CD, but I prefer your playing. The mandolin on the CD is played by Angelina Galashenkova-Reed, who uses so much tremolo that the music doesn't sound Celtic to me at all. It's a matter of taste. What seems to be happening in your newer recording is that you hit the high Bb instead of the high B in the B part on the first and third verse. Together with the accompaniment, this creates a rather jazzy chord. The melody still works, but creates a very different mood compared with the first recording. The same doesn't happen in the second verse, where the mandolin takes the lead. I agree with Bertram's comment about how the tune has a peace-march vibe to it. I've been largely ignoring it on the CD, but having listened to your videos a few times I now really like it. Interestingly, as you said in your first posting, it is "attributed to O'Carolan" in O'Neill's, as opposed to being demonstrably an O'Carolan composition. I've tried to do a quick recording emphasising the "marching" quality even further. You can hear how weak my little finger is!
Thanks, Dennis. It was late last night -- I thought I had stretched that pinky all the way to 7th fret on the tenor guitar, but I may not have. I may revise my take if I have the time as that bothers me. I agree on the playing on the CD that comes with the book. She is clearly a classical mandolinist and despite being very good at that, the recordings don't have a Celtic feel to them. Nice recording by you, good groove! Martin
Further to my exchange with Dennis, I have now recorded another take -- this time at the tempo I meant to play and with the high B natural rather than Bb. Otherwise exactly the same arrangement, but quite a different feel: https://youtu.be/e0yQvuw9ntA Martin
Beautiful! It's so interesting to see, by accident on this occasion, what a difference a single note can make to the whole feel of the arrangement. Personally, I think it would work at the faster speed as well. But this version here is really pretty and evocative. I like how the tenor guitar and mandolin take turns at playing lead and harmony.
Really like the sound of the tenor g in this, Martin.
