Carolan Set: Sir Arthur Shaen/Planxty Burke/Carolan’s Favorite Jig (Planxty Mary O’Neill)
I found both the first two tunes here in the Carolan Fragment, published c.1742, and thought to be part of the Delaney Carolan collection, though Planxty Burke was also collected by Bunting in 1802 from harper Patrick Byrne. Carolan’s Favorite Jig is found in the Petrie MS. It is such a pleasure to arrange these Carolan tunes for Clarsach in the old manner, as their structure and slow-moving harmony fit perfectly with the long resonance of the instrument. I find the haunting melodies, the infectious rhythms of Irish dance and the baroque phrasing here to be irresistible.