DOWNWARD ARPEGGIOS
If it is his initial notation, the question arises as to why Bunting notates the first four
chords in MS29 p54 as ascending arpeggios sinces he says, in an apparently
post-engraving footnote on p83 of the 1840 Introduction,
However, not one of Bunting's notations of this piece show downward arpeggios. This
is perhaps because he had already begun to tamper with the piece (there might be
evidence of such a tendency in other of his early notations, such as that of Eibhlín, a
Rúin).
Bunting was certainly able to discern the difference between downward and upward
arpeggios and between chords with or without 3rds in them, especially as Hampsey
and the strings of the Dowanhill harp were right in front of him when notating. Even
the end of the piece shows that he was perfectly capable of notating downward
arpeggios. Bunting is very unlikely to have made this transcription from a single
rendering of the piece and, lacking electronic recording equipment, he would surely
have asked harpers for the live equivalent of a 'rewind'.
a From an error in the engraving of the music, the arpeggios in this prelude
are made to run from the lower to the higher notes, as in the modern style,
when they should have been in the contrary direction, according to the
practice of the ancient Irish harpers.
Féachain Gléis