An Raibh Tú Ag An gCarraig? (”Were You At The Rock?”)

Lyrics

"An Raibh Tú Ag An gCarraig?" ("Were You At The Rock?") (Traditional; arranged by Paddy Maloney) Sissel Long Journey Home: The Irish in America [Original Soundtrack] ©1998 • Vocals – Sissel (aka Sissel Kyrkjebø) • Tin Whistle, Uilleann Pipes – Paddy Moloney • Fiddle – Martin Fay • Fiddle – Seán Keane • Swedish Keyed Fiddle, Hardanger Fiddle – Annbjørg Lien • Harp – Derek Bell • Flute – Matt Molloy • Keyboards – Bjørn Ole Rasch • Percussion – Per Hillestad • Bodhrán – Kevin Conneff > Did you go then to the grеy rocks And behind a wind-swept crevicе there Did you find our Mary gently waiting Our lady,sweet and fair? Did the sun shine brightly 'round her Making gold darts through her hair? And will you stay silent as the day When the wind has left the air? Oh, my Mary, long we wait here While the hunter combs the mountains high And the soft wind whispers "Guard her," Though as hunted we must die Oh, the dawn is longtime coming And the long night clings with care But they shall not find with their chains to bind My Mary, pure and fair << The beautiful voice of Norwegian performer Sissel adds a wonderful element to the song "An Raibh Tú Ag An gCarraig?" ("Were You At The Rock?"). It recounts a time in Irish history when the celebration of the Mass was forbidden. The mass rock referred to in the song was sometimes no more than a large stone that took the place of the altar. More often than not the setting was in some remote part of the countryside. The location was not chosen for its wild beauty but rather so that approaching soldiers could be sighted far enough away for the worshipers to disappear into the countryside - Paddy Moloney