Original Anthem: The Rose of Tralee
Country: Ireland
Style: Ballade
“The Thorns of Tralee” is an alternative take on “The Rose of Tralee”, a popular 19th century Irish ballad about a wealthy merchant who falls in love with a beautiful woman named Mary.
The origin of the song is disputed, with alternative claims between Edward Mordaunt Spencer and William Pembroke Mulchinock. The music has also been attributed to the English violinist Charles William Glover. Whatever its origins, such is its popularity that it inspired an annual Rose of Tralee International Festival held in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland since 1959.
“The Thorns of Tralee” is closely derived from “The Rose of Tralee” melody, but has been modally inverted from major to minor and vice versa. So, the major-minor-major ABA form of the song is inverted to minor-major-minor. This gives it a much sadder, tragic quality, but perhaps appropriately so, given that the story ends tragically with the death of Mary.
Instrumentation
Renaissance tenor recorder: Charlie Hearnshaw
Piano: Chris Lee
Acoustic bass: Neil Todd
