“The Last Rose of Summer” is set to a traditional Irish tune called “Aisling an Óigfhear”, or “The Young Man’s Dream.” The poem was written by Thomas Moore in 1805.
Here is this beautiful melody played on zither, lyre with Oriole (soprano) Recorder, and double strung harp. It also includes Ocean Drum to evoke the Irish coast.
I hope you enjoy “The Last Rose of Summer!”
Click the Play button below to listen.
Download “Bringing in the Sheaves” Mp3
Knowles Shaw wrote this hymn in 1874. The text is based on Psalm 126:6, which reads: “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” It’s considered an American Gospel song and Protestant Christian hymn. Although Shaw did compose music for his lyrics, the hymn is most often sung to the tune played here, composed by George Minor in 1880.
Today I play Oriole (soprano) Recorder accompanied by ukulele, then solos on zither, lyre, and double strung harp. These solo instruments are all stringed instruments with a very similar range. However, you can hear that they have very different sounds, and the double strung harp can play lovely effects and arrangements that the zither and lyre cannot.
I hope you enjoy “Bringing in the Sheaves!”
Download “The Sweet By-and-by” Mp3
This hymn was first published in 1868, with lyrics by S. Fillmore Bennett and music by Joseph P. Webster. It is still a popular traditional Christian hymn that appears in many modern hymnals. I’ve always found it comforting and peaceful.
Today, enjoy ukulele and viola, then compare the sounds of double strung harp, lyre, harp again, and last but not least, zither. Though these instruments are similar, they have different sound qualities. You will hear some slight buzzing in the harp recording, because I misplaced the microphone. My apologies!
Did you know? There are 98 strings in this arrangement! The harp has 23 strings on each side, for a total of 46. The lyre and zither each have 22 strings. Ukulele and viola have 4 strings each. That’s a lot of strings to tune!
I do hope you enjoy this hymn!
Download “The Irish” Mazurka Mp3
Here’s another light and lively mazurka, a dance tune. This one is often played in a set with
Francie’s Mazurka
and others.
I hope you enjoy listening to this delightful tune on zither!
Since Passover begins this evening, here is a medley of two Hebrew
songs. Well, one original called “Erev Tov,” (Good Evening), and a
traditional Hebrew folksong called “Shalom Chaverim,” variously
translated as “Hello Friends,” “Good-bye Friends,” and “Peace to You,
My Friends.”
These are played on zither and Oriole (soprano) recorder, and “Shalom
Chaverim” is a 2-part round. I’ve named this medley “Chaverim Tovim,”
which means “Good Friends.”
I hope you enjoy these two pieces!
Here’s another Turlough O’Carolan tune, or part of one, called “Captain O’Kane.” This tune has 3 sections that I know of, but I’ve chosen the most common, “A” section, to play on Oriole (soprano) recorder and zither. I hope you enjoy it!
Download “Carolan’s Lament” Mp3
Here’s a tune composed by Turlough O’Carolan, the well-known Irish harper who was blind. Carolan was born in 1670 and died in 1738. He traveled throughout his home country of Ireland, composing harp pieces for his patrons in exchange for their hospitality, room, and board. Some of Carolan’s music was written down by others, and about 300 of his pieces still survive today.
Since I don’t have a harp yet, I’m playing “Carolan’s Lament” on zither. I hope you enjoy it!
“St. Columba” is one of at least 4 musical settings for the hymn, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is.” It’s a traditional Irish melody that makes a lovely setting for this 1868 hymn by Henry Baker.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement, which includes the soprano Oriole recorder, viola, and zither!
It’s March! You know what that means: St. Patrick’s Day is on its way! I’d like to say Spring is also on its way, but let’s just say I’m not holding my breath. Meanwhile, enjoy this traditional Irish tune that’s most often a fiddle tune, today played on zither!
Download “The Sheep under the Snow” Mp3
“The Sheep under the Snow” is a Manx folk song called “Ny Kirree fo Niaghtey.” Please don’t ask me how to pronounce that! It’s a haunting melody I heard for the first time a few days ago. Do yourself a favor and avoid the lyrics, because they are so sad… Needless to say, I’m not posting them here.
I hope you enjoy this folk song on zither!
Mystical Strings 
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