Arthur Warren Darley facts for kids
Arthur Warren Darley (born June 19, 1873 – died December 19, 1929) was a talented Irish musician. He was a wonderful violinist, a collector of old Irish songs, and a music teacher. He also helped judge music competitions and kept records of traditional music. Arthur was great at playing both classical music and traditional Irish fiddle tunes.
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Life of a Musician
Arthur Warren Darley was born in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. His family loved music. His grandfather played the uilleann pipes (a type of Irish bagpipes) and the fiddle. His father played the fiddle and the viola.
Arthur started learning the violin when he was 8 years old. He studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM). He became a teacher there while he was still a student! Later, he became a senior professor at the RIAM from 1900 to 1903. He also taught at the Leinster School of Music & Drama. In 1928, he became the first director of the Municipal School of Music in Dublin.
Arthur also started and led the Dublin String Quartet. This group included Terry O'Connor (second violin), George H. Brett (viola), and Joseph Schofield (cello). They performed many important concerts. For example, they played Swan Hennessy's String Quartet No. 2 for the first time in Paris in 1922.
Besides his classical music, Darley was also a church organist. He spent time in County Donegal, where he met the famous fiddler, John Doherty.
Darley was a very active person in the Irish music world. He was president of the Irish Music Club. He also helped start the Feis Ceoil Association and the Father Mathew Feis. These are big music festivals and competitions in Ireland. Today, the Arthur Darley Memorial Prize is given to violinists at the Feis Ceoil. He also created the Ceól Cumann orchestra, which played on Radio Éireann for many years.
Collecting Irish Folksongs
Even though he was a classical violinist, Arthur Darley loved traditional Irish music his whole life. He met Patrick Joseph McCall, who also collected old Irish tunes. Together, they gathered many old songs. They published these songs in 1914.
McCall put together the famous Wexford Ballads. Arthur Darley helped by adding Irish tunes to these songs. Some of these famous songs include "The Boys of Wexford", "Boolavogue", and "Kelly the Boy from Killanne".
Darley supported the movement for Irish independence. His home, Bruckless House, was a safe place for Irish leaders. After he passed away, Seán T. O'Kelly, who later became Ireland's second president, wrote about Darley's important contributions to Ireland and Irish music.
Legacy
The English poet Leonard Strong wrote a poem about Arthur Darley.
The library at Trinity College Dublin keeps an archive of Arthur Darley's personal papers. These papers help us learn more about his life and family.
Selected Folksong Arrangements
- "The Boys of Wexford" by Darley & McCall
- "Boolavogue" by Darley & McCall
- "Kelly the Boy from Killanne" by Darley & McCall
- "Drocketty's March" by Darley & McCall
- "Lady and the Farmer" by Darley & McCall
- "Bruckless Shore" (also known as "Swedish Jig" or "Arthur Darley's Jig")
- "Cloch na Ceithre Mhile (The Four Mile Stone)" by Arthur Darley
See Also
- List of Irish ballads
