Tom McElvogue's (jig) and New Irish Barndance (reel) - Niall Keegan.

Question 1

What is the context/background of the New Irish Barndance?

Answer 1

1984.
Niall Keegan - performer.
Oral performance based tradition.
Pubs.
Live audience.

Question 2

What is the instrumentation of the New Irish Barndance?

Answer 2

Irish flute - predecessor to the Boehm modern flute.
Wooden, fewer keys, conical bore.
Darky timbre, breathy tone.
Little vibrato.
Articulation controlled by breathing techniques - glottal stop.
Idiomatic effects - pulsing of long notes and guttural distortions.
Foot tapping/shouting.
Virtuosic.

Question 3

What is the tonality of the New Irish Barndance?

Answer 3

G major - doesn’t modulate.
Jig - F naturals give a Mixolydian Mode flavour.
Limited flute ability limits the tonality.

Question 4

What is the harmony of the New Irish Barndance?

Answer 4

Chords implied in triads.
Outlining of chords I IV and V7.
Regular cadential points.
Modal influences - triad build on the flattened 7th - 15.
Persistent Ab at end.
A - outline V-I.
B - outline VII-I.

Question 5

What is the melody of the New Irish Barndance? 12

Answer 5

1. Mostly diatonic.
2. Jig - 13th range.
3. Reel - 2 octaves.
4. Jig A - starts with upward 5th from tonic, B - starts on the upper G tonic.
5. Reel A - upward 6th leap, B - triadic descent from G.
6. Slide - 9.
7. Mordent - 34.
8. Acciaccatura - 66.
9. Treble - 66.
10. Trill - 81.
11. 8 bar phrases - jig.
12. 4 bar phrases - reel.

Question 6

What is the rhythm/metre of the New Irish Barndance?

Answer 6

Jig - compound duple.
Reel - simple quadruple.
Changing time signatures.
Jig - mainly quavers, with dotted rhythms.
Two groups of 3 quavers - 'double jig'.
Reel - rhythm varied, demisemiquavers.
Triplets.
Syncopation - 70.
Tempo speeds up later on.

Question 7

What is the texture of the New Irish Barndance?

Answer 7

Monophonic throughout - solo flute.

Foot-tapping on main beats - rhythmic accompaniment.

Question 8

What is the structure of the New Irish Barndance?

Answer 8

AABB overall.
Jig: 8 bar phrases - ABAC grouping.
Reel: 4 bar phrases.
Persistent high G later on.
Improvisation feel.
Binary feel.

Question 9

What are the traditional aspects of the reel?

Answer 9

Reel.
Double jig - mainly constant quavers.
8 bar sections - jig.
4 bar sections - reel.
AABB scheme.
Treble ornamentation - 66.
Feature slide - 9.
Mordent - 34.
Acciaccatura - 60.
Trill - 81.
Constant melodic variations - rhythmic outline.
Irish wooden flute.
Foot taps.
Finger vibrato in place of breath vibrato.
G major.
Mixolydian - caused by F naturals.
Key frequently used by keyless flutes.
Glottle.
Flutter tongue - bar 10.

Question 10

What are modern aspects of the reel?

Answer 10

Marked increase in tempo.
Pronounced virtuosity.
Breaking down and re-ordering of melodic elements - 99.
Irregular rhythmic subdivisions in reel - 121.
Changes in metre.
Chromaticism - Ab: 57.
Flattened/natural thirds - 124.
Triple tonguing - 66.