PROGRAM NOTES by the Composer:

The Myth of Cu Chulainn tells the story of an Irish hero from the Ulster Cycle, an old collection of Irish folklore.

The violins open the prologue with a folk tune in traditional Irish style, setting the scene in Ulster, Ireland.

At the beginning of the second movement, Cu Chulainn (Koo KULL-en), the trumpet introduces the hero -- then known as Sétanta -- with a motive that will reappear throughout the piece. Then the violins play a raging theme: his war theme, where he defensively faces and overcomes a large hound dog (featured by the low strings and piano). Legend goes that after defeating the dog, Sétanta offers himself to Culann, the dog’s owner, in replacement for the guard dog until Culann gets a new hound. Hence he is renamed Cu Chulainn, "Culann's Hound."

Emer, a Celtic princess, enters the scene with the melody played by the oboe in the next movement, "Tochmarc Emire" (TAWCH-mark EE-mer), "The Wooing of Emer." Emer's father tells Cu Chulainn that he must train with a warrior famed for her lethal powers, Scáthach, to win his daughter, hoping that Cu would die in the ordeal. Instead, Cu comes back fully trained. Emer's father still refuses to wed them, so in the end Cu Chulainn storms their castle and abducts Emer.

In Táin Bó Cúailnge (Tawn Bow Koo-al-nya), "the Cattle Raid at Cooley," a goddess curses the warrior men of Ulster, then sends her army to steal a special stud bull. No one can defend Ulster -- except for Cu Chulainn. He invokes the right of single combat and defeats champion after champion in a stand-off that lasts for months. At one point, his father visits him and puts him to sleep, healing his wounds. While he's asleep, the youth corps of Ulster comes to help him, but they are slaughtered. After Cu wakes up, he sees this and has his greatest ríastrad, a heroic distortion in which one has so much rage they have no knowledge of friend or foe (Cu Chulainn's rage theme is heard again here). He defeats hundreds in the army during this ríastrad.

In the next movement, Serglige Con Chulainn (SHAIR-gli-gah Kuhn KOO-lann), "the wasting sickness of Cu Chulainn," Cu Chulainn is hunting with his men. He sees two beautiful large birds who sing a mesmerizing lullaby, featured by the woodwinds. Emer, Cu's wife, recognizes these birds are from the Other World and warns him, but Cu attempts to kill them anyway. As a result, he falls ill and lies unconscious, slipping into the Other World. There, he falls in love with a woman called Fand, who appears in the piccolo. Emer discovers their affair and comes in with a band of armed women. Emer and Fand argue vehemently, and soon recognize they both love Cu unselfishly. In the end, druids give a potion to Cu Chulainn and his wife so they forget about the affair, and the two return home.

The story of Cu Chulainn's death (Aided Con Chulainn) unfolds in the next movement. Over his lifetime, he made many enemies, primarily the sons of the men he slayed. They conspire to end his life and have three magic spears made; each spear will kill a king. Lugaid, his primary enemy, throws the three spears. The first kills Cu Chulainn's charioteer, Láeg, who is the king of charioteers (the snare drum disappears). The second kills Cu's horse, Liath Macha, king of horses (bassoon and violins disappear). The third hits Cu Chulainn, mortally wounding him. He is said to have tied himself to a standing stone so he would die upright. A light emanates from his head, and at the last minute, his sword drops from his hand and chops off Lugaid’s hand.

Legend goes that St. Patrick once tried to convert an old Irish king, who said he would only convert if St. Patrick brought Cu Chulainn up from the dead. St. Patrick brought Cu up from the dead, and Cu speaks with the king, convincing him to convert to Christianity. Afterwards, Cu turns to St. Patrick and asks for admittance into Heaven, which is granted to him. The melody of the old Irish hymn Be Thou My Vision, featured in the epilogue, is said to be inspired by St. Patrick.