I was driving to the university where I teach one afternoon in 1976. The car radio was tuned, as it always is, to the local NPR station. "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross came on and her guest was the legendary harper for The Chieftains, Derek Bell. They spoke at length about the difference between the instrument he played and what everyone thinks of as a harp- stringing, size, etc. He then played a piece - O'Carolan's "Farewell to Music." Discussing the music after he'd played, Derek told Terry the story of Turlough O'Carolan and the "Farewell." I decided then and there that this music cried out to be played on the classical guitar.

When I got to the university, I called the radio station. I was too late; I was told that Mr. Bell had just left. They said I might just catch him at his hotel and they gave me the name. I called the hotel. "Oh, we're terribly sorry, he's just left." was followed by, "Wait a minute. He's come back for something." I got to speak with Derek Bell and found him to be a most accommodating and charming man. I learned that the original only exists as a single-line melody and needs some help to bring out its haunting beauty. He said he would send me his own arrangement for Celtic Harp. Who could ask for anything more?

I received the score from Mr. Bell shortly thereafter and made a transcription. I played it so often and liked it so much that I included it on the program of my Wigmore Hall concert in 1981. Here is the story of the tune as told by Derek Bell to Terry Gross. (This is a remembrance from almost thirty years ago, and might not be entirely accurate. I beg your indulgence for the odd variance.)

Turlough O'Carolan lost his sight to smallpox when he was a teenager. In those days in Ireland, the blind were taught music or poetry. As O'Carolan came to his blindness late - that is, he was not born blind - he didn't take all that well to music. He was, in fact, starving. He decided to end it all and went out into the forest to die. The Wee-Folk, the Little People, the Leprechauns - call them what you will - took pity on the poor harper. They gave him two gifts: the gift of music and the gift of prophesy. He became a sensation and a much sought-after musician; able to write music commemorating events that were yet to occur.

All was going swimmingly until he foresaw his own demise. He went back to where he was raised, played this haunting lament, and died.

Some other interesting bits and pieces about O'Carolan: He was not only blind, but often "blind drunk." He became as much of a legend for the consumption of spirits as for his music. Just as with the head of Haydn, the head of O'Carolan became an object of great interest to phrenologists, the folks who studied the bumps on a person's head in the belief that certain personality traits are reflected in these abnormalities.

O'Carolan's head became separated from the rest of his body after his death and was apparently remarkable for having a hole where - in life - O'Carolan had been in the habit of resting his head against his hand.

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