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The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

Michael William Balfe and his librettist Edmund Falconer wrote this beautiful Irish air. In later years he and Edmund Falconer became managers of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Balfe's statue still stands in its rotunda, with those of David Garrick, Edmund Kean and William Shakespeare. However, the Royal Lyceum Theatre premiered this famous song, which is still a firm favourite with singers and audiences.

Balfe was an extremely able tunesmith, and sometimes crossed swords with librettists for not showing off their words as they would have liked (Alfred Lord Tennyson - and Come Into The Garden Maud was a classic example)! Nevertheless he supported his melodies with effective accompaniments, and left a legacy of fine songs such as the one we have here. There are two versions of Killarney - one with four verses, and the other with only two. I have included all four verses in this arrangement; if you prefer the two - they are normally verses 1 and 3. Please join us for a visit to the lovely county of Kerry in the south-west of Ireland, where Michael and Edmund obviously felt at home (A feeling they had in common with Arthur Sullivan). Feel free to join in and sing along . . .

Killarney

By Killarney's lakes and fells,
Em'rald isles and winding bays,
Mountain paths and woodland dells,
Mem'ry ever fondly strays.
Bounteous nature loves all lands,
Beauty wanders ev'rywhere,
Footprints leaves on many strands,
But her home is surely there!
Angels fold their wings and rest
In that Eden of the west,
Beauty's home: Killarney
Heav'n's reflex Killarney.

No place else can charm the eye
With such bright and varied tints,
Ev'ry rock that you pass by
Verdure broiders or besprints.
Virgin there the green grass grows,
Ev'ry morn springs natal day,
Bright hued berries daff the snows,
Smiling winter's frown away.
Angels, often pausing there,
Doubt if Eden were more fair,
Beauty's home: Killarney
Heav'n's reflex Killarney.

Innisfallen's ruin'd shrine
May suggest a passing sigh,
But man's faith can ne're decline,
Such God wonders floating by.
Castle, Lough and Glena Bay,
Mountains, Tore and Eagles nest.
Still at Mucross you must pray,
Though the monks are now at rest.
Angels wonder, not that man
There would fain prolong life's span,
Beauty's home: Killarney
Heav'n's reflex Killarney.

Music there, for echo dwells,
Makes each sound a harmony,
Many voic' the chorus swells
Till it faints in ecstasy.
With the charmful tints below,
Seems the Heaven above to vie,
All rich colours that we know
Tinge the cloud wreaths in the sky.
Wings of angels so might shine,
Glancing back soft light devine.
Beauty's home: Killarney
Heav'n's reflex Killarney.

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