Bealtaine, Thugamar Féin An Samhradh Linn for four harps

Bealtaine - the Celtic Fire Festival of May
In Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, Bealtaine (or Beltane in Scottish Gaelic) is a traditional Celtic fire festival celebrated on May 1st, marking the beginning of summer in the ancient Gaelic calendar. Historically, it involved lighting great bonfires to protect people and livestock, and to encourage growth and fertility for the coming season. People would often drive cattle between fires as a cleansing ritual, and flowers and greenery were used to welcome the vitality of summer.

The song "Thugamar Féin An Samhradh Linn" ("We Have Brought the Summer with Us") is traditionally sung during this season, and many versions are known throughout the Gaelic-speaking regions.

This particular arrangement preserves the rustic charm of the version transcribed by Fr. Luke Donnellan (1878-1952), a priest from County Armagh in Northern Ireland.
Reference: Ní Uallacháin, Pádraigín. A Hidden Ulster (2003). Dublin: Four Courts Press.

Instrument crafting, arrangement, and performance by Keisuke Teramoto
Cover Art "The Phoenix" by Tomoko Nakai

Harps used in this performance:
- "Cinnamon": Maple wire-strung harp (op.347, 27 strings, G2-E6)
- "Dragon's Harp": Cypress wire-strung harp (op.311, 20 strings, G3-E6)
- Yellow poplar wire-strung harp (op.345, 20 strings, G3-E6)
- Paulownia carbon-strung harp (op.151, 20 strings, G4-E7)