※ Preview may take some time.
※ Preview is not available for songs under copyright collective.
"Fairy Queen" by Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738), blind Irish harper
According to 19th-century historian James Hardiman (1782-1855), this was the first piece Carolan ever composed.
Edward Bunting noted that Carolan based it on a traditional air called "Coffers nor stores".
The piece first appeared in a music collection published in Dublin in 1724 by Neale, under the title "Fairy Queen by Signor Carrollini", an Italianized version of his name. At the time, it was rare for composers' names to be explicitly credited.
The piece is arranged in the style of a lament or ceol mór, consisting of a theme followed by four variations.
This version also incorporates elements from a later setting by Echlin O'Cathain (1729-after 1791), another blind Irish harper.
Instrument making, arrangement, and performance: Keisuke Teramoto
Harp used: Yellow poplar wire-strung harp (Op. 65, 27 strings, G2-E6).
Keisuke Teramoto Wire-strung harp player & maker Born in Kyoto City, residing in Yokohama City. Studied harp under Koji Amada, neo-Irish harp under Masumi Sakaue, and musicology under Ryuichi Higuchi. Earned a Doctor of Arts (Meiji Gakuin University Graduate School) through research on Irish harp music before the 18th century. Teaches harp in Yokohama and Kyoto, having instructed over 400 students. Since 2014, he has independently designed and crafted more than 347 harps (as of April 2025) . Since March 22, 2024, he has been uploading daily performance videos featuring his handcrafted harps at 6:00 PM on YouTube. www.youtube.com/@telynmoto