This piece is the first in the set Mouth music set 1
The next piece is Chuala mi e
If you don't want to buy the whole set, then you can buy Tha bean agam individually using the link on this page.
This is a mischievous piece of Gaelic puirt-a-beul ('poorsht-a-beel') or mouth music - the name for songs written to accompany dancing. It's well known in Scotland and presents the musings of a man who would like to go out but needs a clean shirt to go out in; what can he do, he wonders, with the combination of dirty shirt, stream, soap and wife? Traditionally, puirt-a-beul is sung unaccompanied and in unison but the tunes harmonise very well. Frequently they are sung in sequences of three or four, each song leading without a break into the next. Tha bean agam works well as the first song in the following set of four: Tha bean agam; Chuala mi e; Còta fad air Dòmhnull lòm; 'S ann an Ile (all published by Canasg). The piece has not been marked dynamically - feel free to experiment. I would suggest singing it at least twice through in performance so as to give the audience a proper taste of it.
Pronunciation guide included
Words
Tha bean agam (I have a wife)
Tha bean agam, tha taigh agam, Tha allt aig ceann an taighe agam, Tha bun de shiabun geal agam, 'S mo lèine salach, grannda. Dè ni mi gun lèine ghlan, Gun lèine gheal, gun lèine ghlan, Dè ni mi gun lèine ghlan, 'S mi 'falbh an taigh' a-màireach. traditional Gaelic song
Translation I have a wife, I have a house There's a stream by the end of my house I have a lump of white soap And my shirt is really dirty! What will I do for a clean shirt, For a clean, white shirt? What will I do for a clean shirt When I want to go out tomorrow? Canasg editors
Full pronunciation guide provided
Purchase – 1503: Tha bean agam (SATB)
Before you click the "buy" button, please enter the name of your group and select the appropriate size.
The price depends on the number of singers in your group.
This is a single payment for a licence to make as many copies as you
need for your group to rehearse and perform the song. You can also re-print
- for instance, to replace copies that get lost or worn out.
Copies must not be given, lent, hired or sold to any other group.
Orders are normally despatched within 24 hours - not
instantly, because each PDF file is created specially
for the purchaser.
Canasg sales are processed via Paypal. Paypal lets you pay with a simple
credit or debit card if you don’t have a Paypal account.
Your Paypal transaction will be in
sterling and it will be converted automatically if
your credit card draws on a different currency.
Paypal passes none of your secure information to Canasg.
If you would like us to send an invoice before you pay, or if you would like your order priced in $US or Euros,
then please e-mail your order to us instead of using the form above.
