It é Saighte Gonna Suain
Words: various unknown authors, Music: Lorcán Mac Mathúna, Martin Tourish, Seán Óg Mac Fhirléinn.

This is the first quatrain of the 8th century Lament of Créide. It was told that Créide, the daughter of Gúaire sang this lament after Díneartach fell at the battle of Aidne in 649AD. Dínertach had come to battle on behalf of Guaire of Gort in a pitched battle against the Uí Néill of Tara, the High King of Ireland.

The poem is taken from a cycle of Munster poetry dating from the 8th century. A root language of modern Irish (Gaeilge) and Gáighlig it is very different to the Irish we speak today.

While the lyrics and lyrical structures of early music is recorded we really have no idea what it sounded like as there was no development of musical notation at this time - that wouldn't develop even in its most rudimentary form for another half millenium. The best we can do is guess what it may have sounded like through methods such as experimenting on instruments that were in use at the time and the examination of primitive music in contemporary primitive societies.

In this project Martin and I nod our heads to these method but personal creativity is the chief goal in our efforts. Keeping within strict theories of what early music is not our defining guideline in the creation of music for the poetry of early Medieval Ireland, rather we strived to create music that relays the epic nature of medieval saga.

The first performance of The Arrows that Murder Sleep will be held on September 14 in the New theatre, Temple Bar, as part of IMRAM, the Dublin Irish Language literature festival.