Si Bheag, Si Mhor (Irish) Score, parts, + audio track (level 2.5)

“Si Bheag, Si Mhor,” is a beautiful old Irish air with a waltz feel. Most Irish tunes are referred to as “traditional” or “public domain,” meaning there is no knowledge of the composer’s name. Si Bheag, Si Mhor demonstrates a rare instance when it comes to authorship. It’s attributed to blind harpist and singer Turlough O’Carolan (1670 – 1738) as his first song, written to the tune of “The Bonnie Cuckoo,” and played by many fiddlers. The original lyrics described the battle between the queens of the Big Fairy Hill (Sí Mhór) and the Little Fairy Hill (Sí Bheag), and apparently refers to a site in Co. Meath where “two battling giants were turned by a wizard into two hills.”