Edward Bunting Flashcards
Intro Irish traditional music- why were collectors needed?
Irish traditional music was an oral and aural tradition and so tunes were preserved by listening and engaging. Collectors ensured that we kept this musical heritage alive for generations to come and that tunes didn’t die out with our ancestors
Intro collectors and who was most notable
Collectors- George Petrie, Captain Francis O’Neill and Brendan Breathnach.
Edward Bunting was the most notable collector of Irish music in the Eighteenth century
What type of music did Bunting excel in
Bunting was never educated in Irish music but was classically trained and a talented organist.
Explain Bunting involvement with harpists in 1792.
He had a terrific ear and was employed by the Belfast Harp festival to take down the tunes played. Collecting different Irish tunes became Bunting’s aim and he travelled to the harper’s of the festival houses to record their melodies.
What was his favoured instrument
Bunting favoured the ‘perfect harp’ , because it was a classical instrument similar to the pianoforte.
What was his first publication and what were the effects of it.
His first publication was in 1796 ‘The General Collection of Ancient Irish Music’. He included titles in english and Irish and it was mostly arranged for piano so the aristocratic people could play Irish music. This took the tradition away from those who owned it.
What was his first publication and when
His first publication was in 1796 ‘The General Collection of Ancient Irish Music’.
Explain the importance of 1802 and the change in bunting’s collecting
Important year for preservation of Irish folk - 1802. Bunting collected Irish words of the songs and noted them in his collections Employed others to help him with the language. Bunting’s collections also give us an insight into past generations and society Because of his notes but his manuscripts were very disorganised.
Explain Bunting’s process for recording melodies
Bunting had a process when recording melodies. He would dictate the melody during a live performance and then make it into a fair copy. This was then prepared for publication, however if Bunting missed part of a performance he made it up.
Why do we have to question how genuine the music is?
Evidence is his collections of changing time signatures, modes or notes to make the music stricter. And so true authenticity of arrangements must be questioned. Bunting did not dictate any ornamentation because of his own transcription and not wanting to learn it.
What sort of music did he collect?
He collected mainly harp music but also airs, dance tunes and Carolan pieces from the likes of Denis Hempson. Ex: ‘Sí beag sí mór’
Where can his manuscripts be viewed?
Buntings manuscripts are currently In Queen’s University Belfast. I also saw his manuscripts in the Irish Traditional Music Archives, Dublin.
Why was his work so important
Bunting’s work and those such as George Petri who continued on his work means that ,music is here today when it would have been lost.
Quote Edward Bunting for collectors importance
“ It is a debt which every man owes his country…to render permanent the fleeting products of every species of genius”
