Annotation:Pastime of Ned the Blind Harper (The)

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PASTIME OF NED THE BLIND HARPER, THE (Dyfyrwch Ieuan Delynor Dall). Welsh, Air (2/4 time). C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A blind harper named Ned was mentioned in a passage by Mary Anne Eade (National Library of Wales, MS22190B, f. 25v-26), who happened on him in the village of Corwen, New Inn, in 1802:

...we had also a most excellent harper, who played the whole evening & indeed some time after we were in bed, with a taste & feeling not to be surpassed … on our return, the good woman came with great joy to tell us that a fine fiddler had just arrived, & that he & Ned the blind harper above mentioned were playing together … I soon found that this itinerant fiddler played in a stile (sic) far different from what our poor scraping fellows in the street do. He accompanied the harp with such uncommon delicacy as never to overpower it & as our friend Ned had a soul in unison with his own they played their native airs together with such exquisite pathos I could have listened to them for ever.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Jones (Musical, Poetical and Historical Relicks of the Welsh Bards, vol. 2), 1802; p. 104.

Recorded sources:

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