Thursday 1 June 2017
Tune of the Day: The Harp That Once Thro' Tara's Halls
Traditional Irish ballad, arranged for two flutes
Today's tune is the melody of “The Harp That Once Thro' Tara's Halls”, a ballad by Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779–1852). Tara was the mythical hilltop castle that was home to Irish high kings. It actually existed somewhere in what is now County Meath, but was destroyed in the 6th century.
The harp that once through Tara's halls
The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls
As if that soul were fled.
So sleeps the pride of former days,
So glory's thrill is o'er,
And hearts that once beat high for praise,
Now feel that pulse no more!
The present arrangement for two flutes appeared in Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.