Dorothea Barth
Prose, Poetry, Music
Maidens of Melody Vol. 1
Deep within the Celtic mist
Maidens of Melody exist
Your fiddle, flute brings them alive
Their grace and beauty to revive!
Irish Sheet Music Arrangements for violin and recorder/flute or two violins
Selected and arranged by Dorothea Barth
Great for Weddings, St. Patrick Day Celebration, and Celtic Faires!
To introduce Maidens of Melody, here is an excerpt from the Preface:
Irish music cast its spell early on in the dozen years I have performed as a duo of violin and recorders, so it was inevitable that I would be drawn to create new arrangements for this intimate combination of instruments.
The vast treasury of tunes (1850 in all) that comprises O’Neill’s Music of Ireland provided the melodies and inspiration for my second collection of duo arrangements. Many of the tunes called out to be grouped thematically, and an enticing theme that emerged is that of the maiden who inspires the melody. Maidens of Melody presents five such “suites” of tunes.
As in the previous collection, these arrangements can be played recorder and violin, flute and violin, or two violins. If the upper part is played on recorder, it is suggested that the recorder player switch between soprano, alto, and tenor recorders in accordance with the range and mood of each piece. We prefer to play the faster reels and gigs on soprano recorder and the more lyrical pieces on tenor recorder.
I hope that these suites of melodies will be enjoyed by lovers of Celtic music both at home and for weddings and special events--and not just if your name is Mary or Molly!
Maidens of Melody is attractively produced in 8-1/2 by 11 inch format, spiral-bound, color front and back covers with plastic overlay, using high quality white laser paper.
The Gentle MaidenFrom the Maidens of Melody suite, performed on violin and soprano recorder
- My Pretty Mary
From the My Pretty Mary suite, performed on violin and soprano recorder
- The Red Haired Girl
From the Treasured Tresses suite.
- Sweet Molly Malone/Molly My Dear
From the Mostly Molly suite.
- The Tinware Lass
From the Lastly Lasses suite.
The Five Suites:
Maidens of Melody
Mainly Mary
Treasured Tresses
Mostly Molly
Lastly Lasses
The five suites contain 35 melodies in all, both lyrical and lively. Below is a sound sample from each suite (performed on violin and recorder). Below are audio samples from each suite.
