Fanny Poer (O’Carolan) – Tin Whistle & Chords (PDF) – A major – Irish Baroque Air

Fanny Poer
Key: A major
Arrangement: Tin Whistle & Chords (lead sheet) (also works for other melody instruments)
Composer: Turlough O’Carolan (1670–1738)
Period: Baroque
Region / Culture: Irish
Type: Instrumental
Format: Digital download (PDF) — 2 files (2.1MB)

About this tune

“Fanny Poer” is a well-known melody from the repertoire of the Irish harper-composer Turlough O’Carolan. It’s also widely encountered under related names such as “Fanny Power” and other close variants, reflecting how Carolan tunes often circulate through different spellings and regional traditions.

Musically, this is the kind of Irish “Baroque-folk” air that works beautifully as a singing instrumental: the melody is clear, memorable, and naturally expressive, with phrase shapes that reward good breath planning and a smooth, vocal tone. In A major, the tune sits in a bright, resonant space that feels very natural on Tin Whistle and blends well with accompaniment.

Because this edition includes chord symbols, it becomes an easy, practical framework for performance:

• play it as a solo whistle feature with simple accompaniment,
• turn it into a duet with guitar/keyboard/bouzouki,
• or use it as a teaching piece for phrasing, tone, and musical direction (the harmony helps you “hear” where phrases want to go).

Why “Tin Whistle & Chords” works so well

• Instant accompaniment: chord symbols let guitar/keyboard/bouzouki join immediately.
• Better phrasing: harmony cues help shape tension and release across long melodic arcs.
• Flexible instrumentation: keep the chords and swap the melody to recorder/flute/violin if needed.

Performance tips

Treat it like a sung melody: keep articulation gentle, avoid heavy tonguing, and think in long phrase arcs. On repeats, create contrast with dynamics (lighter first time, warmer second time) or a more spacious accompaniment texture (drones/open fifths vs. fuller chords).

What you receive

• 2 PDF files (2.1MB) as listed on the product page.