Annotation:Norah the Pride of Kildare

---

---

X:1 T:Norah, the Bride of Kildare M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Air B:O'Flannagan - The Hibernia Collection (Boston, 1860, p. 26) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D A|d>cd BA>F|d>cd BA>F|GAB Ade|f>ed e2A| dcd BA>F|dcd BA>F|GAB Ad e/d/|c>Bc d2|| A|BGd AFd|BGd AF^A|B>cd B!fermata!f f/e/|dec B2 !fermata!A| f>ed edB|Ad c/d/ e2 !fermata!a|f>ed e!fermata!dB|A!fermata!f/e/ (d/c/) d2||

---

NORAH THE PRIDE OF KILDARE' (Nora an blat g-Cille-Dara). AKA and see "Stony Point (2)" (Pa.). Irish, Slow Air (6/8 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. "Norah the Pride of Kildare" is a song (words and music) by John Parry (1776-1851), a Welshman who also composed the popular "Jenny Jones" (AKA "Sweet Jenny Jones"). His lyric goes:

As beauteous as Flora
Is charming young Norah,
The joy of my heart and the pride of Kildare;
I ne'er will deceive her,
For sadly 'twould grieve her
To find that I sighed for another less fair.
Her heart with truth teeming,
Her eye with smiles beaming,
What mortal could injure a blossom so rare
As Norah, dear Norah, the pride of Kildare?

Where'er I may be, love!
I'll ne'er forget thee, love!
Though beauties may smile and try to ensnare,
Yet nothing shall ever
My heart from thine sever,
Dear Norah, sweet Norah, the pride of Kildare!
Thy heart with, truth teeming,
Thy eye with smiles beaming,
What mortal could injure a blossom so rare
As Norah, dear Norah, the pride of Kildare?

The song was quite popular in the 19th century in Ireland and Britain, and appears in numerous anthologies (frequently listed as an 'anonymous' Irish ballad). Rather than 'composing' the tune, Parry may have adapted it from an older melody, for Samuel Bayard identifies the melody as appearing in its earliest setting in James Oswald's c. 1760 Caledonian Pocket Companion, Book 2 (p. 28) and McGibbon's 1768(?) Collection of Scots Tunes (p. 47). In both works it is simply called "Giga" (Jig). Bayard further states that this gigga or giga, like others of the form, is based "to some extent" on the song-tune immediately before it, in this case "Bonny Boatman (The)." Compare also with "Stony Point (2)."

0.00

(0 votes)

---