Irish ballad – Carrickfergus

Here is a beautiful Irish song about a woman lamenting the loss of her lover. It is a sad and mournful song, but packs a lot of emotion and warmth.

This performance uses Irish Gaelic mixed in with English.

The very capable British choral group Voces8 performs featuring soprano Sibéal. She delivers a tender and poignant performance, perfectly in balance with the choir. The harmonization achieved in this performance is fantastic! Tenebrae and Voces8 are my two favorite contemporary choral groups, both British. I should mention that the space they are singing in has amazing, reverberant acoustics ideally suited for this type of performance.

Traditional: Carrickfergus (Arr. Pacey)

Lyrics:

CHORUS: I wish I was in Carrickfergus

I wish I was in Carrickfergus

Is fada ón áit seo go Baile Uí Chuain
Sailing over the deep blue waters
I ndiaidh mo ghrá geal is í ag ealó uaim.
For the seas are deep, love, and I can’t swim over
And neither have I wings to fly,
I wish I met with a handy boatman,
Who’d ferry over my love and I.

[Chorus]

Tá an fuacht ag teacht is an teas ag tréigint
An tart ní féidir liom féin é do chlaoi,
Is go bhfuil an leabhar orm ó Shamhain go Fébur
Is ní bheidh sí reidh liom go Féil’ Mhichíl;
I’m seldom drunk though I’m never sober!
A handsome rover from town to town.
But now I am dead and my days are over
Come Molly, a stóirín, now lay me down!

[Chorus]