VIOLAAnonymous
"Were you at the Rock?" for Viola & Harp
Anonymous - "Were you at the Rock?" for Viola & Harp
Viola and Harp
ViewPDF : "Were you at the Rock?" for Viola & Harp (3 pages - 131.2 Ko)269x
MP3 : "Were you at the Rock?" for Viola & Harp 62x 375x
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Vidéo :
Composer :
 Anonymous
Anonymous
Instrumentation :

Viola and Harp

Style :

Celtic

Arranger :
MAGATAGAN, MICHAEL (1960 - )
Publisher :MAGATAGAN, MICHAEL
Copyright :Public Domain
Added by magataganm, 11 Aug 2015

This song speaks of Penal Days when the Mass was celebrated in secret at remote gatherings. The "Carraig" was the "Mass rock" used as a meeting-place and altar. According to native Irish "sean nos" singers, the words appear as a love song, "Were you at the Rock and did you see my Valentine?" (meaning either the priest or the Host). However, it was a code addressed to a disguised priest or congregant, so the enemy would not grasp the true meaning even if he spoke Irish. Death was the penalty for those caught at Mass. In Penal Times, a price of 30 pounds was offered for the head of a priest or hedge-school master, the same as for that of a wolf.

At first glance, "An Raibh Tú ag an gCarraig" appears to be a series of questions and answers about a young woman, but in reality it contains a coded message. A traditional air from the 1796 collection of "Ancient Irish Music" of Edward Bunting. The coded message is uncoded below.

Were you at the Mass? I was at the Mass;
Did you see the Virgin Mary? I saw the Virgin Mary
Did you take communion? I received communion,
And say the rosary? and said the rosary
Did you see the chalice? I saw the chalice,
Did you see the sacrifice of the Mass? and saw the sacrifice of the Mass
Did you practice the faith? And I practiced the faith;
Are we being persecuted as they are saying? we are not being subdued as they are saying.

Although this work was originally written for Folk Instruments, I created this arrangement for Viola & Celtic or Concert (Pedal) Harp.
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