There are two quite distinct versions of this very fine air in the living tradition - one favoured mostly by pipers and the other mostly by singers. An Buachaill Caol Dubh is not usually thought of as a harp air, but I believe its unusual mode may have its origins in the harp and harp tuning. Whether this tune was composed by a harper or not, it is a wonderful tune, which suits the harp very well.

The arrangement that we will be working on in this class is based on the version favoured mostly by singers. It is not possible to play the pipe versions on the harp, as they contain pitches that the harp cannot play, but listening to pipers can help us to understand the mode and also to get a sense of style.

(part 1 of a two-part session)