Irish Traditional Music

Question 1

Types of Irish songs

Answer 1

Work: working, rhythm matches action of work eg. Amhran na gCuiginne
Love: emotional, describe beauty of loved one eg. Una Bhán
Laments: Songs of loss eg. Anach Cuain
Drinking: lively, upbeat eg. Whiskey in the jar
Lullabies: rocking, gentle rhythms eg. Deirin De
Dandling: for small children eg. An bhfaca tu mo sheimisin?
Religious: slow, solemn eg. Don Oiche Ud i mBeithil
Patriotic: nationalistic eg. Foggy Dew
Humorous: lively, fun eg. The jolly tinker
Macaronic songs: lines alternate between eng and Irish eg. Siúil a Rún

Question 2

Non-Traditional Irish music features

Answer 2

Polyphonic / homophonic texture / harmony
Non-traditional instruments (piano, orchestra, drums)
Dynamics
Chromatic
Syncopation

Question 3

Sean Nós Singing features

Answer 3

Unaccompanied solo singing
Solo- singing style, free rhythm
Irish languages - passed from generation to generation
Ornamentation - notes lengthened and shortened
Elongation on M and Ns noises
Glottal stop/nasal interrupts flow of air in wind pipe
Conamara- narrower range
Munster- wide range, vibrato
Donegal- lots of ornamentation

Question 4

Influence of Irish Traditional music In North America and fashions of Irish music

Answer 4

• Emigration from Ireland 1740s onwards to America (famine)
• US melting pot of cultures - Appalachian mountain regions, Newfoundland (w/ Waterford surnames and accents
• ‘Rose Connolly’ travelled (noted by Edward bunting from a NI singer) of immigrant experiences
• Variations: eg folk song ‘Siuil a Ruin’ (dates to 17thC) collected in Wisconsin as ‘I’ll sell my rod’
• French/Canadian piece ‘St Anne’s Reel’ resembles Irish tunes
• 1920 gramophone = tunes in Ireland could travel
• Michael Coleman’s regional style (Sligo) influences generations of US/Irish fiddle plages

Jazz fusions: Moving Hearts “Category”
Rock fusions: Drop kick Murphy’s “Moving to Boston”
Modern fusion: Afro Celt sound system

Question 5

Famous players of:
Fiddle
Flute
Tin whistle 
Accordion 
Body ran 
Concertina 
Bones and Spoons

Answer 5

Fiddle: Zoe Conway
Flute: Matt Malloy
Tin whistle: Mary Bergin 
Accordion: Sharon Shannon
Bodhran: Bobby Clancy
Concertina: Noel Hill
Bones and Spoons: Johnny Horgan

Question 6

Irish dancing

Answer 6

Part A - tune
Part B - turn (higher range)
Reel- from Scotland - 4|4 quavers - binary form AABB - soft shoes eg. Drowsy Maggie
Jig- single, double, slip - from Italy - 6|8, 9|8 (slip jig) - binary AABB - soft shoes eg. Cliffs of Moher
Horn pipe - from England - 4|4 - slow - dotted rhythm - hard shoes - eg. Harvest Home

Question 7

Seán O Riada

Answer 7

• 20th century: important figure in Irish harp sound/interest revival
• Not neo harp, 18thC harp
• Ceolteoiri Chulann: folk orchestra w/added harpsichord

Early life: studies classic and music in UCC learning piano and violin at a young age
Student: played piano with jazz groups and bodhran

Mise Eire: commission by Gael Linn to write music for film about founding of ROI - conducted and inspired by trad airs

Radio series: ‘Our Musical Heritage’ on radio eireann

Influenced: Dubliners acknowledged impact and fushion

Death: 1971, influence felt today

Question 8

Michael O Shuilleabhan

Answer 8

Early Life: Tipp, studied music at UCC, career as pianist and composer began

Fushions: trad and classic or jazz in arrangement of dance tunes, harp tunes, air (trad on piano and improves like jazz) eg The Fox Chase

Idir Eartharthu: ft. Classical orchestra with harp fiddle piano flute bodhran

Christmas Eve: intro (classical) on piano and bodhran, piano chords and improvises (jazz) leeds into reel

Oilean: classical orchestra and trad instruments ft. Chamber orchestra and trad flute

Lumen: composed 1995 Eurovision interval piece ft. Trad singers w orchestra and trad instruments included Ethenic percussion