Composer O'Carolan (1670-1738) seems to know, feel and imagine more than the seeing can; talents one frequently encounters in blind people, as Ireland's great author Yeats once wrote. O'Carolan's melodies possess such beauty that they are literally not from this world, or so they say in Ireland. Through the centuries the rumor has been spread that O'Carolan spent his nights beneath thorn bushes where the fairies sang to him the undying melodies that he performed on his harp the next day - a rumor that we unquestioningly believe to be true.

As only Turlough O'Carolan's melodies are contained in the book and the accompaniments are not notated, arrangers are afforded a great degree of freedom here. In order to differentiate between the melody and its accompaniment, we have borrowed terms common to classical music. O'Carolan is the dux (the leader), Morscheck & Burgmann are the comes (the accompanist) … and we do it with great dedication.