Thomas Moore Songbook

Una Hunt has established a unique position as a leading authority in practice-based research which, allied to her distinguished international career as a concert pianist, chamber musician and accompanist, has resulted in published research outputs focused on performance practice along with an extensive collection of world-premiere CDs. Her consultancies at the National Library of Ireland established the first digital collection of the library’s music holdings and led to performances, videos and CDs of Irish opera and other neglected repertoire. She is series editor of a new concept book collection for Peter Lang focussed on performance research in Ireland which features complementary performance exemplars on the internet. Much of Una’s advocacy of Irish music has been directed towards bringing Thomas Moore’s music before new audiences. The present collection draws on previous research such as the first complete audio archive of Moore’s Irish Melodies: My Gentle Harp (Heritage Music Productions, 2008-2009) comprising all 124 songs, and the seminal publication, Sources and Style in Moore’s Irish Melodies (Routledge, 2017).

«This Urtext edition gives students and recitalists a nicely contextualised selection of domestic and art song associated with Ireland’s most captivating lyricist Thomas Moore. Irish Melodies, National Airs, and ballads in settings by Stevenson (solos and duets), Balfe, Stanford and Lambert are complemented by the «foreign songs» of Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Duparc. A valuable repertory is now accessible thanks to editor Una Hunt.»(Dr Sarah McCleave (Queen’s University Belfast))«This wonderful anthology, which ranges from Sir John Stevenson’s arrangements of Moore’s airs to original settings by Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Schumann and Duparc, is at once a decisive contribution to Moore scholarship and a vital resource for teachers and students of singing. It will solace thousands, and deserves an ardent reception.» (Harry White, Professor of Music, University College Dublin)

• Contents: Source Editions and Abbreviations – Song Texts and Notes to the Songs – The English Songbook – arr. Sir John Stevenson: Oft in the stilly night – arr. Stevenson: The song of Fionnuala (Silent, oh Moyle!) – arr. Stevenson: Avenging and bright – arr. Stevenson: The farewell to my harp (Dear harp of my country!) – arr. Stevenson: Those evening bells – melody - Giovanni B. Viotti: Love thee, dearest, love thee! – arr. Henry R. Bishop: The dream of those days – arr. Michael W. Balfe: The minstrel-boy – arr. Balfe: The meeting of the waters – arr. Balfe: ’Tis the last rose of summer – arr. Charles V. Stanford: At the mid hour of night – arr. Stanford: ’Twas one of those dreams – arr. Stanford: Fly not yet – Frank Lambert: She is far from the land – The Foreign Language Songbook – Felix Mendelssohn: Der blumenkranz – Hector Berlioz: three songs, Irlande, op. 2 – Robert Schumann: «Zwei Venetianische Lieder», Myrthen, op. 25 – Henri Duparc: Élégie – arr. Sir John Stevenson: Original Duets – Oh! Breathe not his name – Believe me, if all those endearing young charms – It is not the tear at this moment shed.