John O’Connor
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legacy / instrumental
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O'Carolan
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"John O'Connor" (in Gaelic "Sean O Conchubhair") is also known as "The Belfast Almanac",<br> "Irish Air", "Planxty Connacht", "Planxty Connor" or "Planxty Mrs. O'Conor"is an Irish<br> Planxty in 6/8 time and G Major. The parts are played AB+Chorus, ABC, AABBCC or AA’BB’.<br> "John O'Connor" is one of the more popular compositions by blind Irish harper Turlough<br> O'Carolan (1670-1738). The air appears in Burk Thumoth's Twelve English and Twelve Irish<br> Airs (c. 1745-50, No. 42) and in Bryson’s Curious Collection, both instances under the<br> corrupted title "Planks of Connaught" i.e. "Planxty Connacht", however, the earliest<br> printing is in John and William Neale's untitled publication of Carolan's melodies,<br> printed in Dublin around 1742, wherein it is called simply "Jigg".<br> Donal O'Sullivan (1958) says it is clear from manuscript copies of the poem indicate<br> John O'Connor "was one of the O'Connors of Offaly and that he was a young bachelor at the<br> time it was composed". However, O'Sullivan was not able to trace his identity. The melody was<br> employed (along with other Irish tunes) by the English popular composer William Shields<br> for use in the finale of his 1782 opera The Poor Soldier. Under the title "The Belfast<br> Almanac" it was printed in Scotland by the Gows and by Glasgow publisher James Aird<br> simply as "Irish Air."<br> It was printed in The Complete Collection of Carolan's Irish Tunes (1984), Johnson's A <br> Further Collection of Dances, Marches, Minuetts and Duetts of the Latter 18th Century (1998),<br> Moylan's Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra (1994), O’Farrell's National Irish Music for the<br> Union Pipes (1804), O'Farrell's Pocket Companion, vol. 1 (1805), O'Neill (Krassen) (1976),<br> O'Neill's Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies (1903), O'Sullivan's Carolan: The Life and<br> Times of an Irish Harper (1958) and Samuel, Anne & Peter Thompson's The Hibernian Muse,(1787). <br> It was recorded by The Chieftains (1978) and Ensemble Galilei on Music in the Great Hall (1992)<br> and Derek Bell on Carolan's Receipt (1987). <br>
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