"The Minstrel Boy" is an Irish patriotic song written
by Thomas Moore (1779–1852) who set it to the melody
of The Moreen, an old Irish air.
It is widely believed that Moore composed the song in
remembrance of a number of his friends, whom he met
while studying at Trinity College, Dublin and who had
participated in (and were killed during) the Irish
Rebellion of 1798. However this has never been
definitively proved and the tune is also played by the
British Army and Orange Order flute...(+)
"The Minstrel Boy" is an Irish patriotic song written
by Thomas Moore (1779–1852) who set it to the melody
of The Moreen, an old Irish air.
It is widely believed that Moore composed the song in
remembrance of a number of his friends, whom he met
while studying at Trinity College, Dublin and who had
participated in (and were killed during) the Irish
Rebellion of 1798. However this has never been
definitively proved and the tune is also played by the
British Army and Orange Order flute bands. The song
gained widespread popularity and became a favourite of
many Irishmen who fought during the American Civil War
and gained even more popularity after World War I. The
song is notably associated with organisations that
historically had a heavy representation of
Irish-Americans, in particular the police and fire
departments of New York, Boston and Chicago and those
of various other major US metropolitan areas, even
after those organisations have ceased to have a
substantial over-representation of personnel of Irish
ancestry.
The melody is frequently played, typically on bagpipes,
at funerals of members and/or officers of such
organisations who have died or been killed in service.
Unsurprisingly, given its lyrics, it is also associated
with the Irish Army and with traditionally Irish
regiments in the armies of the United Kingdom and the
United States, the United States Marine Corps (John
Phillip Sousa, as director of the Marine Band
incorporating elements into the Mother Hubbard March
(1885)) as well as other armies of the world. It is
Roud Folk Song Index no. 13867.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Minstrel_Boy).
Although originally written for Traditional Irish
instruments, I created this Interpretation of "The
Minstrel Boy" for Flute & Celtic or Concert (Pedal)
Harp.
PARTITION