Experience the rich history of Irish harp music with Give Me Your Hand, an arrangement for wind band that beautifully captures the 17th century melody "Tabhair Dom Do Lámh" by Rory Dall O'Cahan. With tempo and textural variations, this piece offers an opportunity for young performers to develop their musicality, while the subtle percussion parts add just the right touch of color to the winds.

Program Notes

Give Me Your Hand" is a lush wind band setting of the popular Irish harp tune Tabhair Dom Do Lámh, written in the early 17th century by Rory Dall O'Cahan. Set in 3/4 time, this arrangement offers elasticity with several tempo & textural changes throughout, helping young performers to improve their musicality. Simple percussion parts add the perfect amount of color without overwhelming the winds.

I was first introduced to this tune in 2016 when I saw mandolinist Chris Thile and jazz pianist Brad Mehldau perform it in a live duo concert. It stuck with me all this time and knew I wanted to do something with it. Most versions are performed as a fairly quick waltz with a lilt, but I wanted to lean into the richer qualities of the wind band, using straight eighths throughout with only a couple of triplets. I encourage you and your ensemble to listen to several recordings, including The Chieftains (The Chieftains 5) and Chris Thile & Brad Maheldau (Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau).