The Tale of Cu Chulainn

The Tale of Cú Chulainn concerns itself with a daunting topic: adapting the titular Irish hero into a dramatic musical work. Since I first heard about the story of Cú Chulainn and Ulster Cycle (an Rúraíocht), I was inspired to adapt it into music. Given the stories’ complexities and length, it took me a while to find a way to pursue any form of adaptation. Even in this adaptation certain changes had to be made. Characters needed to be combined and many stories truncated or omitted entirely. It wasn't until I discussed the idea with my friend and librettist Elisedd Knapp-McGinley that the piece really began to take shape. Working on this piece has felt like the culmination of so much of my projects to date. My first orchestral piece was inspired by Irish folklore and I’ve always had a strong relationship with mythology ever since I was a child. Writing for Wind Band has always been my favorite ensemble to compose for, especially with the various types of timbral colours available to the ensemble. Most important to me, however, is the ability to work with text. Working alongside Ellis has been a highly rewarding experience. Being able to discuss our different interpretations created a truly symbiotic approach to the music. Both of our respective bodies of work are highly influenced by Irish culture and traditions. Throughout the creation of this work, we would compare notes on different interpretations and translations of our primary sources and our discussions led to many creative decisions for both of us. The decision to have the entire story be narrated by the Morrígan was born from these early discussions. This dramaturgical choice became the kernel for countless musical ideas, most notably my inclusion of keening from the Irish tradition of sean nós (“old style”) singing. Each of the 10 poems that Ellis created were named after traditional Irish story forms. Having completed my piece, Caoineadh, shortly before starting this work I was already familiar with the tradition of keening and was aware of Alan Lomax’s recording of Cití Ní Ghallachóir’s keening. In transcribing the field recording, I realized that it could form an additional type of “musical through-line” to supplement the various leitmotivs I had also composed. The keening became its own character — in addition to a representation of the Morrígan’s presence as a goddess of War, Death, and Fate — appearing as small fragments throughout the work until it is heard in its entirety in the final movement. For those unfamiliar with the Ulster Cycle, Cú Chulainn is a demi-god and a central figure of the cycle. In many ways, he parallels figures like the German hero Siegfried and the Greek heroes Achilles and Heracles. He seeks glory and trades an eternal name in exchange for a short life. Like so many of these ancient heroes, he is able to perform superhuman feats of strength and many tales of love and tragedy befall him. From a young age Cú Chulainn loses his identity as Sétanta, the name his mother gave him. When he mistakenly kills the hound of the smith Culain, he offers to act in the hound’s place until a new dog from the same litter can be raised to replace the previous one, earning him the name Cú Chulainn, literally the Hound of Culain. Upon hearing the prophecy of Cathbad, he chooses to seek glory in exchange for a short life, reaching toward immortality in glorious deeds and the stuff of eternal legends. His fate is then sealed in a life cut short and forgone chances of ever becoming king. Sneaking away to the kingdom of Lusk with his battle brother Ferdiad, Cú Chulainn laid eyes upon Emer and became enthralled with her beauty. The two spoke in riddles, confusing Ferdiad. In Cú Chulainn, Emer saw freedom from her father. She set a challenge for Cú Chulainn and agreed to marry him upon its completion. Accepting the challenge, Cú Chulainn and Ferdiad traveled across the sea to train. On their return, Emer and Cú Chulainn were wed. Time would divide Cú Chulainn and his battle brother Ferdiad leading them to opposite sides of the Táin Bó Cúailnge (“The Cattle Raid of Cooley”). High Queen Medb led an army against Ulster, with Ferdiad amongst their ranks. Cú Chulainn fights against the army in single combat each day until one day Ferdiad steps forth. At first Ferdiad pleads for Cú Chulainn to join his side, but Cú Chulainn is steadfast in his desire to defend his homeland. The two would fight for three days straight until Cú Chulainn’s spear finally found purchase and killed Ferdiad. Enraged at the death of his brother-in-arms, he marched to fight the army of Medb, who gathered the fathers of countless men and women that Cú Chulainn had killed. Facing an endless onslaught of spears and arrows, Cú Chulainn is forced to tie his entrails to a standing stone before taking a final stand. –JFH The Tale of Cú Chulainn, was written for the American Band under the direction of Dr. Brian Cardany and was premiered by the ensemble on April 16, 2026 with Isobel McCollough as the soloist. The piece is dedicated to Dr. Brian Cardany. I am eternally thankful for his years of mentorship during my time at the University of Rhode Island and willingness to trust me when I first presented him with the idea of writing this piece.