John Renbourn
『The Hermit』
CD: Shanachie Records Corp.
Series: GuitarArtistry
97014 (1991)
1. Medley:
A Toye
[This is taken from the Thomas Robinson 'Schoole of Musike' published in 1603, which contains a number of solo pieces and duets for the lute. Bass to D.]
Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home
[This appearss to have been a very popular Elizabethan tune. There are settings for solo lute by Thomas Robinson and Nicolas Vallet (as Soet Robbert) also by Dowland with a second part added anonymously and an arrangement by Byrd in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book as 'Rowland'. It seems that the tune was made popular by Will Kemp and his players who accompanied Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester to the Netherlands. When Leichester was disgraced and recalled, he was succeeded by Lord Willoughby, and in the hope of finding a new patron Kemp renamed the tune in his honor.
With John James - Guitar.]
2. Three Pieces by O'Carolan:
[Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) the blind harpist and poet occupies a unique position in the history of Irish music. he is thought of as being the last of the Irish Bards and during his lifetime he was held in high regard for the quality of his compositions and also feared for the sharpness of his tongue. He was renowned for his love of good whisky which is the theme and inspiration of a number of his finest works. After his death, brought about by a period of enforced abstinence, his skull is said to have been preserved by the country people and used as a drinking vessel for a cure for epilepsy.]
A) The Lamentation of Owen Roe O'Neill
[The lament for the dead is a very old and important class of Irish music. This piece is in honor of General Owen Roe O'Neill who led the Irish against Cromwell and was the hero of the Victory of Benburb. His death in 1649 laid Ireland open to the Cromwellian settlement. The tune is printed in Captain Francis O'Neill's MUSIC OF IRELAND and is played in the tuning DGDGBbD.
B) Lord Inchiquin
[The subject of this piece is probably the 4th Earl of Inchiquin who succeeded to the Title in 1719 and lived in Countary Clare. The Source is the Bunting manuscript in the Library of Queen's Unviersity, Belfast. Bass to D.]
C) Mrs. Power (O'Carolan's Concerto)
[This is one of O'Carolan's best known compositions. It comes from a time when Italian composers were enjoying much favor in the great houses of Ireland and is said to have been composed spontaneously by O'Carolan in a contest of musical skills with the violinist Geminiani when they were both guests of the Irish nobleman Lord Mayo. The tuning is DGDGBD.]
3. The Princess And The Puddings
[This is a short tuen in E Minor which is an extension of a 45 second background piece commissioned by the makers of some famous fruit pies. The construction is genuine Mock-Tudor and the tuning is EADGBE.]
4. Faro's Rag
[This is the nearest thing to authentic picking on the record. None of the sections have the remotest claim to originality except of course the bass Boom-Chick.]
5. The Hermit
[This is the sort of tune that most guitar players put together sooner or later. It is made up entirely of short phrases that fit nicely on the guitar and can usually be rolled into something that resembles an instrumental. Bass to D.]
6. Goat Island
[A short tune in the key of A using the slightly unusual tuning, DAEGBE.]
7. Old Mac Bladgitt
[This is an upright iron grand type of tune a little worn on the felts. I use the tuning DGDGBD but somehow manage to avoid actually playing in the key of G Major.]
8. Pavanna (Anna Bannana)
[A little tune respectfully dedicated to the young daughter of a prominent guitarist. This is played in a tuning commonly used by guitarists for vihuela and lute music. EADF#BE.]
9. Bicycle Tune
[In E major throughout and the F# on the third string gives an added freedom to playing in that key. It should be played with an easy flowing rhythm and starts and finishes with a little repeat phrase, a preamble or perambulation that has no definite ending and may be played over several times in cases of brake failure.]
10. John's Tune
[I wrote this after being in the studio with John James when he was making his last solo album and it is loosely based on his very fine tune HEAD IN THE CLOUDS. Tuning DGDGBE.]
11. Caroline's Tune
[Dominique Trepeau came over from Paris to stay for a few days and we put together this duet version of his tune while he was here.
With Dominique Trepeau - Guitar.]
Art direction: Stefan Grossman
Front cover & hand lettering: Anita Karl
Digitalmastering: Robert Vosgien, CMS Digital, Ca.
◆本CDについて◆
ブックレット（全36頁）に楽曲コメント（LPより再録）、楽譜（タブ譜付）「The Lamentation of Owen Roe O'Neill」「Lord Inchiquin」「Mrs. Power」「Goat Island」、楽譜頁にカット3点、裏表紙にトラックリスト＆クレジット。
本作は『The Black Balloon』（1979年）、『Three Kingdoms』（1986年）と共に個人的にはジョン・レンボーンの三大傑作／愛聴盤なので、言いたいことも山のようにあるような、もう何も言わなくてもいいような、そんな感じです。
それにしても本CDはオリジナルの曲順を大幅に変更しているので、LPでなじんだ耳には違和感があります。ちなみにLPではSIDE ONEが#5,10,6,7,4,11、SIDE TWOが#2,3,9,8,1でした。
2004年には英Castleから曲順もジャケット・デザインも元通りでボーナス・トラック入りで新たに解説も付いてアーティスト写真入りで至れり尽くせりのCDが出ているので、初CD化に飛びつかないであと13年待てばよかったです（※）。今から思えば13年などあっという間です。そしてその2004年からもすでに17年が過ぎてしまいました。光陰矢の如し。
※とはいうものの本CDにはLPにもCastle CDにも欠落している「Bicycle Tune」楽曲コメントが掲載されているので、そういう意味では無駄ではなかったです。
★★★★★
The Hermit
Old Mac Bladgitt
Pavana (Anna Banana)
