Dear Harp of My Country: The Irish Melodies of Thomas Moore (Spirit of Ireland in Lyric and Song, Vol 1) [Paperback]

James Flannery (Author)

Book Description

Series: Spirit of Ireland in Lyric and Song, Vol 1 | Publication Date: October 28, 1997

Since the late John McCormack I have heard no finer singer of Irish songs than James Flannery.--Ulick O'Conner

Editorial Reviews

Review

A magic and yet thoroughly predictable Celtic symmetry infuses the collection of Irish melodies published in Nashville last fall by J.S. Sanders & Company. Dear Harp of My Country is at once biography and twin-CD record set. It is simultaneously a celebration in text of the crystal, lyric verse by Irish laureate Thomas Moore (1779-1852) and a lilting, dreamy rendition of voice and Irish harp by tenor-turned-biographer James W. Flannery and harpist Janet Harbison. Most intriguing of all, it is a subtly rousing expression of Irish destiny and determinism cloaked in honey-laced unsentimentality. -- Nashville Scene, 3/19/98

Flannery and Harbison's performances breathe new life into Moore's Melodies, reminding listeners why it is that these classic songs have delighted Irish men and women for over 150 years. -- Irish Voice, Jan. 7, 1998

Flannery's excellent writing is complemented by a veritable treasure-trove: two CDs of performances by Flannery, a tenor, and Janet Harbison on Irish harp, and the words of the songs with explanatory notes. If this didn't appear in your Christmas stocking, you should really treat yourself now. -- Irish Edition, February 1998

The package does not fall under the rubric of books on tape, although it offers a substantial reading experience that is part biography, part musicology, and part history, linked to the songs. Flannery shows what can be done with the compact disc as a dimension of the text. -- Boston Globe, 12/28/97

This is a fine collection born out of immense affection and respect for its subject. There is a wealth of history and drama between these covers, and it is accessible to anyone. -- The World of Hibernia, Spring 1998

From the Back Cover

Thomas Moore's Irish Melodies have been known and loved throughout the world since their composition in the early nineteenth century. Before radio and the phonograph, the sheet music for "Tis the Last Rose of Summer" sold one and a half million copies in the United States alone! The songs of Moore have now found a voice to bring them alive for a new generation. In Dear Harp of My Country, author and singer James Flannery presents the story of Ireland's first national poet against the backdrop of his nation's turbulent history, and restores the Irish Melodies to their spare, original settings, accompanied only by the Irish harp. The resulting text and recordings are a stirring tribute to the legacy of Thomas Moore, and to the enduring power of music and song within the Irish cultural tradition.

"A work of advocacy in the deepest sense. Flannery's voice--as singer and as writer--calls us to attention and advances Moore's claims with an ardor that surely would have delighted Moore himself. He manages to explicate the Irishness and exhibit the melodiousness that have always been central to the allure of Moore's epoch-making collection."--SEAMUS HEANEY, poet, winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize for Literature

"Blessed with a beautiful tenor voice and a remarkable feeling for the subtleties of poetic language, James Flannery also has the gift of knowing how to reach into what the Irish call uaigneas an chroi --the secret places of the heart."--BILL WHELAN, Grammy Award-winning composer of Riverdance

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: J.S. Sanders Books (October 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879941368
• ISBN-13: 978-1879941366
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,496,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.