MUH Notes Unit 3 Chapter 9 Irish Music Irish music in context pg 160 162 o Since 1920 the island of Ireland has been divided politically between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland o Northern Ireland is a province of the United Kingdom with capitol in Belfast Majority protestant minority Irish Catholic o Republic of Ireland is an independent nation with capitol in Dublin 3 6 million identify themselves as Catholic English and Irish are two official languages Achieved full independence in 1949 1921 1949 was the Irish free state and was a self governing dominion within the British Commonwealth o Irish potato famine began in 1840 s the famine and subsequent evictions led to the deaths of 1 5 million Irish people and massive attempts at emigration resulting in rapid reduction of the population from 8 million to 3 5 million o Irish diaspora millions of Irish people left Ireland for other lands during famine and other subsequent periods o Radio Eireann national radio station founded in 1926 o Irish traditional music became a powerful symbol of national identity and a tool of Irish nationalism and nationwide radio broadcasts of performances featuring musicians from different countries all over the island played a very important role o Post 1949 era was a period of massive urbanization o Irish music revival of the 1960 s a phenomenon that would have profound implications on the future course of Irish music both in Ireland and abroad o Irish performers and performers of other lands cross pollinated and made new blends of music that impacted music back home in Ireland o Session an informal gathering where musicians join together to play Irish tunes amidst socializing An introduction to Irish traditional music pg 162 164 o The core identity of Irish traditional music today as in the past is to be found in a musical repertoire that was established prior to the 20th century 5 categories The revered sean nos or old way songs which are sung in Irish Gaelic Slow instrumental melodies called airs which are often performed in free rhythm Songs sung in English The musical tradition of the Irish harp Instrumental dance tunes and medleys o Sean nos is regarded by Irish music connoisseurs as the heart of Irish traditional music o Cd 3 4 Ag an Phobal De Domhnaigh o Cd 3 5 song for Ireland by Noel McLoughlin Traditional Irish Dance Tunes and Medleys pg 164 172 o Irish dance tune melodies are set to common dance rhythms such as the jig the hornpipe and most popular of all the reel o Many different types of ornaments are used They embellish the basic melody o Playing of Irish dance tunes occupied a rather different social milieu before urbanization and modernization began to transform social life of dance around 1920 o Musicians played fiddle tinwhistle small endblown flute with 6 finger holes and the uilleann pipes a form of Irish bagpipe o Cd 3 6 The life and legacy of Seamus Ennis o Was one of the most important figures in the preservation cultivation and dissemination of Irish traditional music o One of the greatest uilleann pipers of the 20th century Began playing when he was a child and was a master by 21 Featured in radio eireann broadcasts in 1940 Neo traditional Irish music and the Irish music revival o 1950 s Irish society had profound socioeconomic changes o Large scale industrialization led to massive urbanization and ultimately an economy based on manufacturing rather than agriculture due to this there was a fear of cultural loss so the revival began music transformed into pub and dance musicc o Irish music revival of 1960 s was key to movement o Music was recorded produced and played on the radio nationwide o Music competitions were revived o As music was revived and revitalized it was also transformed commodification Sean O Riada and the transformation of Irish traditional music o He was key to transformation and was a Seminole figure o In 1960 formed group Ceoltoiri Cualann and invented the neo traditional fresh Irish musical idiom o Core instrument lineup was uilleann pipes two fiddles tinwhistle button boy accordion and bodhran hand held frame drum with a goat skin head o Uilleann pipes had declined in use but he brought them back Eileen Ivers cd3 11 plays contemporary pan irish music and many other styles of music She grew up in new York and travels playing irish music great fiddle player Substitute Teacher Notes 11 17 11 Vocal music less vigorous then instrumental music development of technology o Transfer of traditional music to middle and lower class patronage Irish language songs love songs predominant national songs popular narrative songs rare heroic lay keen work songs lullaby English language songs narrative and lyrical British Ballard Macaronic songs alternate between languages Portaireacht bheil mouth music of dydeling 1960 s ballad groups developed 1970 s electronic instruments were introduced into traditional music playing Chapter 13 a musicultural history of the Chinese Zheng Musical guided tour of the Zheng on page 325 o 21 string chordophone Qin ancient Chinese zither type chordophone with seven strings no bridges quintessential instrument of the Chinese gentleman scholar during the dynastic era Mandarin official Chinese language Han Chinese is the majority of the population with ethnic minorities taking up only 8 PRC peoples republic of china china today most populous nation on earth The solo zheng tradition may have developed in association with Confucian practices of using music for purposes of self cultivation Three periods of PRC o The initial communist era of mao zedong s regime which saw the profound reformation of Chinese society and culture under communist rule o The cultural revolution era which witnessed unprecedented levels of intolerance for deviation from state ideology and a concomitant movement toward extreme restrictions on cultural artistic expression both for han and minority populations o The period of openness which took shape in the turbulent years of the late 1970 s following mao Zedong death Brought about major economic reforms Confucianism and the Qin Zither o Confucianism insisted on the need for social control and direction at every level o Hierarchical social stratification deference to authority codification of behavior across the full ranges of social classes and fulfilling ones duty to society o Fundamental goal the establishment preservation and perpetuation of a morally virtuous social order o At the top of the Confucian social
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