The Distinctive Characteristics of Ancient Irish Melody - The Scales, a Plea for Restoration and Preservation, Being a Lecture Read on Monday Evening, 15th February, 1897, Before the National Literary Society #222117

He came very near to the light, but his practice was not equal to his theory; or, must we ask, did he, too, like others, sometimes yield to the temptation of flattering the modern ears, instead of keeping his work consistent with the antiquity of his material Petrie, Dr. Joyce, not to speak of others Of less mark, show in their harmonization, similar signs of imperfect method.l Even Dr. Parry, in his exhaustive essay upon scales, is shy when he comes to treat of the peculiarities of the Irish scale form. Looking into the work Of such a man as Carl Engel, expecting there, if anywhere, to find firm ground, we meet confusion worse con founded. Indeed his definition of an Irish scale — he gives us only one — is the most ridiculous and farthest from the truth of any.