A Fairy Song

Stay, silver ray,
Till our airy way we wing
To the shade of the glade
Where the fairies dance and sing:
The mortals are asleep-
They can never understand
That night brings delight,
It is day in Fairyland.

Float, golden note,
From the lute strings all in tune,
Climb, quiv’ring chime,
Up the moonbeams to the moon.
There is music on the river,
There is music on the strand
Night brings delight,
It is day in Fairyland.

Sing while we swing
From the bluebell’s lofty crest.
“Hey! Come and play,
Sleepy songbirds in your nest;
The glow-worm lamps are lit,
Come and join our Elfin band,
Night brings delight,
It is day in Fairyland.”

Roam thro’ the home
Where the little children sleep,
Light in our flight
Where the curly ringlets peep
Some shining eyes may see us,
But the babies understand,
Night brings delight,
It is day in Fairyland.

From the Oppereta “Freda and the fairies,” by Caroline Maude Viscountess Hawarden.

By kind permission of Caroline Maude Viscountess Hawarden.

Prose, Poems & Parodies of Percy French, 1980, Helicon Limited, Dublin.

Tickets

Early Booking Special Offer

Each whole day €50. Students €10

  • Three / Four Lectures
  • Afternoon Recital
  • Tea / Coffee / Homemade Cakes

Tickets to the talks taking place in the theatre room in Castlecoote House must be booked in advance, seating is strictly limited per event and we expect these to be fully booked well in advance so please book early to avoid disappointment

Ticket Office:

  • +353 (0)90 666 3794

Don’t miss out, Festival tickets sell out quickly!

We are very sorry to say that we can’t do refunds as they play havoc with the ticketing system. If you can’t make it, we’d rather you gave your tickets to a friend who can.

The 15th Percy French Festival

French Awakenings

19th, 20th, 21st July 2023

At Castlecoote House

Honorary President of the Festival, the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins.

Informed Social & Cultural Discussion of Ireland Today.

Update Heating logo

The Percy French Festival 2023 acknowledges the major support of Excel Industries, Dublin; Whyte’s; CastleAcre; C&F Quadrant Ltd; Davies Group; Hidden Ireland.

Cookie settings

This website uses some essential cookies to make it work.