ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The Edward Bunting Harp Festival, organised by Armagh Harpers' Association, celebrates the life and work of Edward Bunting, who was born in Armagh in 1773, and died in 1843. His grandfather was a piper, by the name of Quinn, and his father was an English man, who came to Ireland to open a coal mine in Tyrone. Edward was one of three brothers, all of whom studied music in Armagh, and became professional organists.

During his youth, his mother's family immersed him in traditional Irish music. Such was his musical genius, that it was not long before he was teaching pupils older than himself. Not only did he excel in music, he mastered the skill to tune and repair the instruments as well. He was recognized as a prodigy, and in 1792, at the age of 19, he was selected to transcribe at the Belfast Harpers' Festival. The musicians attending the festival, represented a distinctive Irish harping tradition, dating back to at least the 12th century. 

For the next four years, he devoted himself to the work of collecting airs. He continued to collect and research traditional Irish music, during his occupation as an organist and teacher. In 1840, Bunting published his third volume, which contained over 100 airs and musical examples. It also contained valuable insights, relating to the characteristics of Irish music, and included sketches of famous Irish pipers. Edward was able to preserve melodies which were otherwise certainly destined for extinction.   

A HARPING TRADITION – BROKEN

When this tradition of harping died out in the early decades of the 19^th century, Bunting’s collection remained as an invaluable record. Continuity within the instrumental tradition as a whole, would have resulted in the sharing of tunes and similarities in the manner of their interpretation. With the demise of the harping tradition, some of the tunes lived on in the repertoire of the Uilleann pipes and fiddle, to be 'minded' to be developed and re-shaped. But many lovely harping tunes remained on the page, the details of their nuances and interpretation fading from memory.