Carolan's Cap
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O'Carolan
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Carolan's Cap", also known as "Carolan's Nightcap" is an Irish air in 2/4 time and G Mixolydian<br> composed by Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1734).<br> A "cap" is a dram of liquor, as in a 'nightcap'.<br> The tune was originally published by Irish collector Edward Bunting in his General Collection of<br> the Ancient Music of Ireland (1809), noted from the playing of one of the last of the ancient<br> Irish harpers, Patrick Quinn. The Forde and Pigot manuscripts both have versions of this tune and<br> Forde has entered the comment "Very Scottish" next to the tune. O'Sullivan notes that the opening<br> phrase is "virtually identical" with "The Lass of Patie's Mill" published in Thomson's Orpheus<br> Caledonius (1725). It is possible that O'Carolan adapted and modified that air for his own.<br> Hardiman mentions a "Carolan's Nightcap" and O'Sullivan believes the 'cap' of the title indeed<br> refers to a last drink before bed. <br> It was printed in Complete Collection of Carolan's Irish Tunes (1984), Mulholland's Ancient Irish<br> Airs (1810), O’Sullivan's Carolan: The Life, Times and Music of an Irish Harper (1958)<br> and Ossian's The Complete Works of O'Carolan (1989). <br> It was recorded by Derek Bell on Carolan's Receipt (1987) (Appears as "Carolan's Nightcap"). <br>
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