O'Carolan's Receipt AKA and see "Carlione,"
"Carlionne," "Doctor John Stafford" (An Dochtuir Sean
Stafford), "Planxty Stafford," "Stafford's Receipt for
Whiskey." Irish; Planxty (listed in Roche as a March,
2/4 time, "with spirit"). G Major (most versions): D
Major (Williamson): E Major (Haverty). Standard tuning
(fiddle). AB (Complete Collection, Heymann, O'Farrell,
O'Neill, O'Sullivan/Bunting): AAB (Johnson, Roche): ABB
(Williamson): AABB (O'Farrell/Pocket). Composed by
blind Irish harper Turl...(+)
O'Carolan's Receipt AKA and see "Carlione,"
"Carlionne," "Doctor John Stafford" (An Dochtuir Sean
Stafford), "Planxty Stafford," "Stafford's Receipt for
Whiskey." Irish; Planxty (listed in Roche as a March,
2/4 time, "with spirit"). G Major (most versions): D
Major (Williamson): E Major (Haverty). Standard tuning
(fiddle). AB (Complete Collection, Heymann, O'Farrell,
O'Neill, O'Sullivan/Bunting): AAB (Johnson, Roche): ABB
(Williamson): AABB (O'Farrell/Pocket). Composed by
blind Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan (1670–1738) at
the house of his life-long friend, Dr. John Stafford of
Portabello, near Elphin, County Roscommon, who attended
to O'Carolan during his last illness and who helped
bear the harper's coffin at his funeral. O'Carolan had
a fondness for alcoholic spirits; so much so that for
his health he had been advised to abstain from
drinking, and he endeavored to do this for some six
weeks. During this time, however, he became
increasingly morose, and his harp lay neglected.
Williamson (1976) relates that "it was then that his
friend... prescribed a liberal dose of whiskey with
repeated applications, and the two of them sat up till
dawn. The fire would be burning low and the candles
guttering against the daylight, Carolan 'wild in
frenzy, harp strings breaking,' and he composing this
tune for the Doctor" (Williamson, 1976). O'Neill
(1913), relating a tale that comes from Charles O'Conor
(and printed by Walker, 1786), concludes the tale
somewhat differently, and has the blind bard visiting a
grocer's shop in Boyle, where he asks the clerk to pour
him a measure of his favorite liquor "which I shall
smell to, but indeed shall not taste." The temptation
proved to great and "he once more quaffed the forbidden
draught until his spirits were sufficiently exhilarated
and his mind had resumed its former tone." O'Carolan
immediately set about composing the tune known as
"O'Carolan's Receipt," and "before the following
morning he sang and played the noble offspring of his
imagination in Mr. Stafford's parlour at Elphin."
Stafford himself died later the same year, 1738, as did
Carolan.
Another O'Carolan story relates that the harper expired
with a tumbler of whiskey in his hand, though by the
end he had no strength left to drink it. It was a pity,
said Turlough, 'that two such friends should part, at
least without kissing' (Ó hAllmhuráin, 1998). One of
the bard's drinking cups was preserved by the Stafford
family at Rockingham, and escaped being consumed in a
disastrous fire that destroyed the great mansion in
1957 (O'Sullivan, 1958).
At least one piper met his doom playing the tune,
records O'Neill (1913). In India in the 19th century,
the King of Oude became an affectionado of Irish music
and desired that a piper be attached to his court. A
capable piper was found and sent overseas, and received
a lavish reception in Calcutta. Unfortunately, the
piper took a considerable fondness to arrack, the
native liquor, and while playing "Carolan's Receipt" on
the state barge the king had sent to convey him upriver
to Hoogly, he fell overboard and was drowned.
Early printings of the melody are to be found in Lee's
Favourite Collection (1780, p. 28), Walker's Historical
Memoirs of the Irish Bards (1786, p. 15) and Samuel,
Anne and Peter Thompson's Hibernian Muse (London, 1786,
p. 2). In the latter volume there is a note that it was
"In the Castle of Andalusia," referring to John
O'Keefe's comic three-act opera of 1782, with music
composed by Dr. Samuel Arnold (1739–1802). Arnold
arranged "Carolan's Receipt" as a duet, sung by Mrs
Kennedy and Mr Brett. Donal O'Sullivan (1958) printed
his version-which is often reproduced-as a composite of
the aforementioned three sources, the result being
"more suited to the words...than any individual copy of
the tune." Scottish versions appear in print by the
James Aird (Glasgow) and the Gows (Edinburgh) under the
title "Carlionne-A Favorite Irish Tune," by which name
it also appears in McGoun's Repository of Scotch and
Irish Airs (Glasgow, c. 1799).
Although originally written for Traditional Irish
instruments, I created this Interpretation of the Irish
Folksong "Carlionne" (O'Carolan's Receipt) for Flute,
Oboe & Celtic or Concert (Pedal Harp).
PARTITION