Mrs. Maxwell - first tune
Notation:
Standard Notation
ABC Notation
Mandolin Tablature
Violin Tablature
legacy / instrumental
PDF Files:
--- choose file type ---
Standard Notation
Mandolin Tablature
Violin Tablature
Tune Sheet
O'Carolan
Play
MIDI
No audio
available
Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
"Mrs. Maxwell - first tune", in Gaelic,"Baintighearna Macsbhell", also known as "Madam Maxwell" or<br> "Planxty Madam Maxwell" is an Irish air or planxty in 2/4 time and E Major was<br> composed by the great blind Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738).<br> It is one of two tunes that he composed for Mrs. Maxwell.<br> O'Sullivan writes that Mrs. Maxwell was probably Judith Barry (1699-1771) of Newtown Barry,<br> Co. Wexford, daughter of James Barry. She married John Maxwell of Farnham, Co. Cavan, in 1719,<br> who later became M.P. for Cavan (from 1727-1756), High Sherriff (1739), and, upon succeeding to the<br> estate of Farnham on the death of a cousin, became in 1756 the Baron Farnham of Farnham,<br> Co. Cavan, thus transforming Mrs. Maxwell into Lady Farnham. One of the settings of this tune,<br> for which no words have been found, was recorded by the Belfast Northern Star of July 15, 1792,<br> as having been played in competition by one of ten Irish harp masters at the last great<br> convocation of ancient Irish harpers, the Belfast Harp Festival, held that week. <br> It was printed in Bunting's Ancient Music of Ireland (1840) (as "Madam Maxwell"), Complete<br> Collection of Carolan's Irish Tunes (1984), O'Neill's Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies (1903),<br> O'Sullivan's Carolan: The Life, Times and Music of an Irish Harper (1958),<br> Samuel, Anne & Peter Thompson's The Hibernian Muse (1787) and Ossian's The Complete Works of<br> O'Carolan (1989). <br> It was recorded by Brian Conway on Consider the Source (2008) (appears as “Madam Maxwell”) and<br> Derek Bell on "Carolan's Receipt" (1987). <br>
Click
here
for a full page view.