The National Songs of Ireland. Edited by M. J. Murphy. John Church Publishing Company, Cincinnati.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 37, 1 July 1892, Page 20

The National Songs of Ireland. Edited by M. J. Murphy. John Church Publishing Company, Cincinnati.

This is an admirable collection of Irish songs, each with muiio and accompaniment, compiled by one who, himself a musician and singer of high standing, has been well qualified for tbe tatk. Tbe selection speaks for itself, and proclaims the taste and discrimination of its author. All the phases of Irish feeling— grief, despair, joy merriment, burning patriotism, nay, even the sinister enthusiasm of Orangeism — are represented in the volume. Every Irish poet known to fame has been drawn on for his verse, and from remote antiquity, as well as from more modern times, the mneic has been taken. Moore, Lover, Lever, Davis, Duffy, Graves, all the far-famed writers of Irish song are to the fore. There is tbe " Lament for Owen Roe," by Graves, Bet to an ancient keen, arranged by Dr Stanford, and a marvel of pathetic beauty. There is Dr Ingram's defiant and noble " Who fears to speak of 'Ninety Eight," and Sir Charles Gavaa Duffy's brave song " The Irish Rapparees." But it would be a vain task to go through a volume of 73 songs, each in itself worth a column,, or even a page, and perhaps hardly to be fitly described even in that.. Those who would obtain a thorough knowledge of the beauties of Irish song, both poetry and music, cannot have a better way of ful - filling their desiro than this book places within their reach.