One flat tunes
As these tables have been designed to be used in reference to the 2001 edition of
Carolan's music, informative alternative titles have been inserted.
The sign ♪ indicates that a lyric can be associated with the tune. D J O' Sullivan is not
always reliable in his ability to match lyrics to tunes.
The sign * indicates that the ascription of the song or tune to Carolan is either doubtful
or wrongful.
The sign + indicates that the surviving lyrics associated with the tune are not, or are
probably not, by Carolan.
A total of 14 tunes are estimated are assigned a tuning of one flat. Of the 14 items
listed in the table, only two do not have lyrics associated with them. This is because
most of these items are songs and have been assigned this key in order that their
tessituras fit the proposed vocal range f-Γ well in this tuning. Many items assigned the
key of E one sharp here may also have originally been in a key of D one flat.
Captain O'Neill (p336) for example may originally have belong in the key of D natural
and runs of notes may have obscured the original tonality.
The lyric Mary O'Neill has been associated with number 137 (known in Scotland as the
Humours of Dublin), which may have been made by the 18th century gentleman piper
Walker ‘Piper’ Jackson of Aughrim, Co. Limerick. Were Carolan to have sung tune
number 137 in the key of G natural, the melody line would cross the sister strings if he
played it an octave above his own vocal pitch. This applies also to the song John
Jameson (61). Neither would fit the proposed vocal range of G-ff.
Maggoty parts of the Humours of Dublin are lifted up the octave in surviving versions
and it may be that Carolan sang them at the lower pitch. He might also have set the
song in a one flat tuning, perhaps applying octave chromaticism by playing a lower b
natural against a higher bb flat. John Jamieson is a candidate for Carolan's use of Bb
tuning and may have been sung with a final on middle C and range of ff-b.