Irish Traditional Singers FAQ'S
This page is the by-product of the interests of the author (formerly an active member of the Rochester (New York) chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, now a member of the Ull Mor chapter and resident in New Jersey). As such it reflects only his views and does not reflect the views of any chapter of Comhaltas (either here or in Ireland). That being said, it is hoped the page will serve as a useful introduction for those new to the genre and wishing to learn more. I gladly welcome any constructive suggestions to make the page more useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Irish about Traditional Irish Singing ?
For the purposes of this page, Irish songs are those that were written by persons living in Ireland (known or unknown), addressing issues arising out of Irish culture, and using traditional Irish musical conventions. Therefore it does not include songs written by Irish emigrants to other nations, their descendants, non-Irish popular songwriters, nor by Irish nationals using popular song conventions of the time.
The following is a distillation of information contained in the pamphlet What is Irish Traditional Music? published by the Irish Traditional Music Archive in Dublin. Those seeking more information are referred there:
1. It is a living tradition. While the repertoire is not static (new tunes or songs are added, older pieces shed for awhile and then revived), it is nevertheless music wh ich is conservative in tendency. Change only takes place slowly.
2. The bulk of it comes from the past, and is of some antiquity. Much of the repertoire goes back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Some pieces may be even earlier in origin, and it is likely that some very old melodies and lyrics survive adapted to modern forms.
3. Music and tunes are handed down from one generation to the next, or passed from one performer to another, more by example than by formal teaching. It is an oral tradition whereby the learner normally acquires repertory and style through imitation of more experienced performers.
4. Although group performance is not unknown, solo performance is at the heart of the tradition. Singing is normally unaccompanied.
5. Written words or music are only used as an aid to memory, if at all, and never in performance. Most singers cannot read music, but some players may make some use of staff or other kinds of notation.
6. It is played in the home, in the public house and at other social gatherings - parties, weddings, dances, and festivals. Only recently has it been featured at formal concerts, on radio, television and recordings.
Is Danny Boy, Galway Bay, or When Irish Eyes are Smiling a traditional Irish song?
In a word, No! Given the definitions above none of these songs would qualify. The melody of Danny Boy (commonly called the Derry Air, or the Londonderry Air) would qualify as a traditional Irish tune. It has been commonly attributed to Rory Dall O'Cahan (1660-1712), although that attribution is uncertain. Those wishing more information on the melody are referred to Michael Robinson's article, Danny Boy -- The Mystery Solved!
The words were written by an English songwriter named Frederick Edward Weatherly. Begun as a stand-alone poem in 1910, Weatherly fit the lyrics to the tune in 1912 when the melody was brought to his attention by his sister. The completed song was published in 1913. Properly speaking, Danny Boy is a popular song from pre-World War I England.
Galway Bay is another popular song, this time from the World War II era. The song (words and music) was composed by an Irish physician, Dr. Arthur Colahan, in 1942, but it did not become popular until recorded by Bing Crosby in late 1947. Colahan's composition used popular music conventions of the time and was initially seen by some people as a comic song. The Galway Advertiser reports that the first people to hear the song laughed at it and its author.
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling was composed by an American songsmith, Chauncy Olcott, 1858-1932. Born in Buffalo, New York to Irish emigrant parents, Olcott sang in minstrel shows and performed in American and British musical theater. His songs combined Irish themes with popular music conventions of the time to facilitate American acceptance of the Irish as fellow citizens. Olcott is also responsible for such other Irish-American standbys as Mother Machree and My Wild Irish Rose.
If they don't qualify as traditional Irish songs, what does?
According to John Moulden's scholarly article on Irish song in The Companion to Traditional Irish Music, Irish traditional songs generally fall into four categories: the Lay; the Come-All-Ye; the Ballad; and the Lyric song in Irish.
The Lay (from the Irish laoi) is arguably the oldest genre of Irish song, consisting of a narrative praising the deeds and virtues of traditional heroes, most notably Finn McCool and Cuchulainn. Modern collections of lays date from the 18th century, but the genre is probably older. Sung in Irish, the last recorded example of a lay was made in 1985; otherwise the genre has been extinct since the mid-twentieth century.
The three other song types are more common.
The Come All Ye songs are characterized by the opening line Come All Ye [something or other]
For example: Come all ye loyal sailors,
Come all ye fellow Irishmen,
Come all ye lads and lassies, etc.
The opening expression draws in the listener, details for whom the song is of interest, and sets the scene. Unlike other songs, they tend to concern real people, places and events, and as such may be considered documentary songs.
Ballads are rare in the Irish language, but in English they have been common in Ireland since the 17th century. In structure they are narrative songs, telling a story of people or events. However unlike Come All Ye's, the stories generally are fictional. There are many varieties of ballads (e.g., rebel songs, emigration songs, sporting ballads, etc.).
Finally, there is the lyric song in Irish. The latter is generally sung in the old style of Irish singing (commonly referred to as sean nos. See next section). These songs generally tend not to tell a story, but tend to be descriptive, extolling a person or place in great detail. They commonly tend to songs of great love and great loss, sung unaccompanied and with greater or lesser amount of vocal ornamentation. The great Irish language singers (e.g., Joe Heaney, Darach O'Cathain, etc.) tend to draw much of their material from this genre.
What about the Clancy Brothers or the Irish Rovers? Do they or their repertoire qualify as traditional?
This is getting closer to the mark, but they don't qualify either. Many
of the songs they sing are traditional Irish songs, but their repertoire
also includes English, Scottish, even modern songs by non-Irish authors
like Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot or Shel Silverstein. More importantly,
they don't sing in a traditional style, and they chose not to do so for
commercial reasons. In an interview for a BBC documentary a few years back, Liam Clancy was quoted as follows [a quote that equally applies to other commercially successful Irish singers]:
“We realized that folk music as it was sung by the old timers could not
be popular.” Speaking of one of their more popular songs, Brennan on the
Moor, Clancy said “There were about 58 verses. We whittled it down to 4.
We were rehearsing it with Peter Seeger on the banjo. I was sitting on a
couch, and it was a bouncy couch, and I said ‘Why don't we try to get
the feel of a galloping horse into this? Brennan is a highway man, you
know. He gallops away.” Thus a traditional song was transformed into an
up tempo pop hit.
What is sean nos singing?
Sean nos is an Irish phrase that means old style. Although the techniques to which it refers are quite old, the phrase itself is 20th century in origin, used to describe older methods as distinct from more modern stylings. Originally a term of derision, it is an appellation now worn with pride by many within the tradition.
As the most traditional style of singing, no exploration of traditional Irish singing would be complete without some discussion of sean nos. Those introduced to the style for the first time often find it an alien sound, as the musical traditions of American popular song and European classical music are outside the purview of this genre. While the space available is not adequate for a full treatment of the subject, Anthony McCann provides an excellent summary of the genre in his article Sean Nos Singing: A Bluffer's Guide (see the bibliography below for the full citation). Among the traits of sean nos noted by McCann are:
1. Unaccompanied singing, with a certain natural fierceness.
2. No vibrato or variations in volume (i.e., loud/soft)
3. Free rhythm used by the singer.
4. Occasional nasalisation and the use of dramatic pauses (e.g., known as glottal stops).
5. Emotion is expressed through the use of vocal ornamentation (such as a single syllable sung over several notes) .
6. Often extra meaningless syllables are introduced, e.g., Thug (a) me.
7. The melody varies from one verse to the next, and from one performance to the next. This is often referred to as the 'variation principle'.
8. And last but not least, the singing is in the Irish language. Not surprisingly, there are exceptions to many of these rules. For example, traditional singer Hiudai O'Duibheannaigh argues that there is an English language sean nos singing tradition. Also, the extent of vocal ornamentation varies from singer to singer and from region to region. Connemara singers (such as Joe Heaney) use a great deal of ornamentation; Ulster singers (such as Paddy Tunney) use comparatively less. Still, enough of these traits can be found among sean nos singers to say that they are generally characteristic of the genre.
Do you have any examples of traditional singing you can share, to clarify what we are discussing?
Two additional song samples of traditional Irish songs are provided below. The first, “Sally from Co. Armagh,” by traditional singer Len Graham is taken from his recording /The One Tradition: Traditional Ulster Songs for All the Family/ (Cranagh Music, c2004).
The second, “Seamus MacMurfaidh,” (Seamus MacMurphy) is a traditional
song in Irish as sung by Padraigin Ni Uallachain from the recording /A
Hidden //Ulster//: Gaelic Songs of Oriel CD 1/ (Ceoltai Eireann, c2007).
Both songs are provided with the permission of the artists.
*The above files require REAL PLAYER which can be download for free at Real Player
Where can I hear traditional Irish singing?
We will explore several traditional singers elsewhere on this page. For now it will suffice to note that major American and European recording companies do not support traditional Irish singers; therefore those wishing to investigate the genre must find it on smaller labels. The following brief list may be useful for the novice:
Celtic Grooves Imports
Email: [email protected] [OR] [email protected]
Web site: http://celticgrooves. homestead.com/CGhome.html
Clo Iar-Chonnachta
Indreabhan
Conamara,
Co. na Gaillimhe, Eire
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.cic.ie
A well-known publisher of books and recordings in the Irish language, it is an excellent source for recordings of sean nos singing. For those who don't read Irish, there is a link atop the page where one can change the text to English. Clicking on the Music link will take you to a page where you can search music by Categories.
Compass Records
916 19th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 800-757.2277
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.compassrecords.com
Compass has taken over the inventory of Green Linnet Records, long one of the primary vendors for Irish music in the United States. Look under "Genres" and then Irish/Celtic.
Folk-Trax
US Distributor:
Camsco Music
1308 Brittany Pointe
Lansdale, Pennsylvania 19446
Phone: (800) 548-FOLK
Email: [email protected]
http://www.folktrax-archive. org
Gael Linn
35 Dame Street
Dublin 2
Ireland
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.gael-linn.ie
Musical Traditions
1 Castle Street
Stroud, Gloustershire
GL5 2HP
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01453 759475
Web site: http://mustrad.org.uk/records. htm
Musical Traditions produces CDs of important traditional singers that are not commercially viable. All are accompanied by a substantial booklet giving as much information as possible about the performers, their lives and their music. Wherever possible, the complete recorded repertoire is made available, so many of are actually double CDs. Great for hard core purists. A link in the upper right corner of the webpage allows one to search by genre.
Ossian USA
118 Beck Road
Loudon, New Hampshire 03307
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.ossianusa.com
Originally the American distributor for Irish publisher Ossian Publications, Mary Lou Philbin and her husband Charlie Clarke continue to provide the best of Irish traditional instrumental and vocal music out of their home in New Hampshire. For those travelling in the state, they frequently host house concerts.
Shanachie Entertainment Corp.
37 East Clinton Street
Newton, New Jersey 07840
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://shanachie.com
Founded by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins in the Bronx in 1975 as a vehicle to release traditional Irish music to the United States, Shanachie was one of the first modern American distributors of Irish Music. Today, while still distributing Irish music, it has broader interests in reggae and world music. From the Shanachie web page, click on “Music” at the top of the screen and click on Irish/Celtic.
Topic Records
US Distributor
City Hall Records
101 Glacier Point
Suite C
San Rafael, California 94901
Phone: (415) 457-9080
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.topicrecords.co.uk
In addition, traditional singing may be available at various festivals and singers' sessions.
Comments: If you have questions, comments or constructive suggestions to improve the page, send me an email.
HOME
©2014 Christopher Brennan. All rights reserved.
This page is the by-product of the interests of the author (formerly an active member of the Rochester (New York) chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, now a member of the Ull Mor chapter and resident in New Jersey). As such it reflects only his views and does not reflect the views of any chapter of Comhaltas (either here or in Ireland). That being said, it is hoped the page will serve as a useful introduction for those new to the genre and wishing to learn more. I gladly welcome any constructive suggestions to make the page more useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Irish about Traditional Irish Singing ?
For the purposes of this page, Irish songs are those that were written by persons living in Ireland (known or unknown), addressing issues arising out of Irish culture, and using traditional Irish musical conventions. Therefore it does not include songs written by Irish emigrants to other nations, their descendants, non-Irish popular songwriters, nor by Irish nationals using popular song conventions of the time.
The following is a distillation of information contained in the pamphlet What is Irish Traditional Music? published by the Irish Traditional Music Archive in Dublin. Those seeking more information are referred there:
1. It is a living tradition. While the repertoire is not static (new tunes or songs are added, older pieces shed for awhile and then revived), it is nevertheless music wh ich is conservative in tendency. Change only takes place slowly.
2. The bulk of it comes from the past, and is of some antiquity. Much of the repertoire goes back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Some pieces may be even earlier in origin, and it is likely that some very old melodies and lyrics survive adapted to modern forms.
3. Music and tunes are handed down from one generation to the next, or passed from one performer to another, more by example than by formal teaching. It is an oral tradition whereby the learner normally acquires repertory and style through imitation of more experienced performers.
4. Although group performance is not unknown, solo performance is at the heart of the tradition. Singing is normally unaccompanied.
5. Written words or music are only used as an aid to memory, if at all, and never in performance. Most singers cannot read music, but some players may make some use of staff or other kinds of notation.
6. It is played in the home, in the public house and at other social gatherings - parties, weddings, dances, and festivals. Only recently has it been featured at formal concerts, on radio, television and recordings.
Is Danny Boy, Galway Bay, or When Irish Eyes are Smiling a traditional Irish song?
In a word, No! Given the definitions above none of these songs would qualify. The melody of Danny Boy (commonly called the Derry Air, or the Londonderry Air) would qualify as a traditional Irish tune. It has been commonly attributed to Rory Dall O'Cahan (1660-1712), although that attribution is uncertain. Those wishing more information on the melody are referred to Michael Robinson's article, Danny Boy -- The Mystery Solved!
The words were written by an English songwriter named Frederick Edward Weatherly. Begun as a stand-alone poem in 1910, Weatherly fit the lyrics to the tune in 1912 when the melody was brought to his attention by his sister. The completed song was published in 1913. Properly speaking, Danny Boy is a popular song from pre-World War I England.
Galway Bay is another popular song, this time from the World War II era. The song (words and music) was composed by an Irish physician, Dr. Arthur Colahan, in 1942, but it did not become popular until recorded by Bing Crosby in late 1947. Colahan's composition used popular music conventions of the time and was initially seen by some people as a comic song. The Galway Advertiser reports that the first people to hear the song laughed at it and its author.
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling was composed by an American songsmith, Chauncy Olcott, 1858-1932. Born in Buffalo, New York to Irish emigrant parents, Olcott sang in minstrel shows and performed in American and British musical theater. His songs combined Irish themes with popular music conventions of the time to facilitate American acceptance of the Irish as fellow citizens. Olcott is also responsible for such other Irish-American standbys as Mother Machree and My Wild Irish Rose.
If they don't qualify as traditional Irish songs, what does?
According to John Moulden's scholarly article on Irish song in The Companion to Traditional Irish Music, Irish traditional songs generally fall into four categories: the Lay; the Come-All-Ye; the Ballad; and the Lyric song in Irish.
The Lay (from the Irish laoi) is arguably the oldest genre of Irish song, consisting of a narrative praising the deeds and virtues of traditional heroes, most notably Finn McCool and Cuchulainn. Modern collections of lays date from the 18th century, but the genre is probably older. Sung in Irish, the last recorded example of a lay was made in 1985; otherwise the genre has been extinct since the mid-twentieth century.
The three other song types are more common.
The Come All Ye songs are characterized by the opening line Come All Ye [something or other]
For example: Come all ye loyal sailors,
Come all ye fellow Irishmen,
Come all ye lads and lassies, etc.
The opening expression draws in the listener, details for whom the song is of interest, and sets the scene. Unlike other songs, they tend to concern real people, places and events, and as such may be considered documentary songs.
Ballads are rare in the Irish language, but in English they have been common in Ireland since the 17th century. In structure they are narrative songs, telling a story of people or events. However unlike Come All Ye's, the stories generally are fictional. There are many varieties of ballads (e.g., rebel songs, emigration songs, sporting ballads, etc.).
Finally, there is the lyric song in Irish. The latter is generally sung in the old style of Irish singing (commonly referred to as sean nos. See next section). These songs generally tend not to tell a story, but tend to be descriptive, extolling a person or place in great detail. They commonly tend to songs of great love and great loss, sung unaccompanied and with greater or lesser amount of vocal ornamentation. The great Irish language singers (e.g., Joe Heaney, Darach O'Cathain, etc.) tend to draw much of their material from this genre.
What about the Clancy Brothers or the Irish Rovers? Do they or their repertoire qualify as traditional?
This is getting closer to the mark, but they don't qualify either. Many
of the songs they sing are traditional Irish songs, but their repertoire
also includes English, Scottish, even modern songs by non-Irish authors
like Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot or Shel Silverstein. More importantly,
they don't sing in a traditional style, and they chose not to do so for
commercial reasons. In an interview for a BBC documentary a few years back, Liam Clancy was quoted as follows [a quote that equally applies to other commercially successful Irish singers]:
“We realized that folk music as it was sung by the old timers could not
be popular.” Speaking of one of their more popular songs, Brennan on the
Moor, Clancy said “There were about 58 verses. We whittled it down to 4.
We were rehearsing it with Peter Seeger on the banjo. I was sitting on a
couch, and it was a bouncy couch, and I said ‘Why don't we try to get
the feel of a galloping horse into this? Brennan is a highway man, you
know. He gallops away.” Thus a traditional song was transformed into an
up tempo pop hit.
What is sean nos singing?
Sean nos is an Irish phrase that means old style. Although the techniques to which it refers are quite old, the phrase itself is 20th century in origin, used to describe older methods as distinct from more modern stylings. Originally a term of derision, it is an appellation now worn with pride by many within the tradition.
As the most traditional style of singing, no exploration of traditional Irish singing would be complete without some discussion of sean nos. Those introduced to the style for the first time often find it an alien sound, as the musical traditions of American popular song and European classical music are outside the purview of this genre. While the space available is not adequate for a full treatment of the subject, Anthony McCann provides an excellent summary of the genre in his article Sean Nos Singing: A Bluffer's Guide (see the bibliography below for the full citation). Among the traits of sean nos noted by McCann are:
1. Unaccompanied singing, with a certain natural fierceness.
2. No vibrato or variations in volume (i.e., loud/soft)
3. Free rhythm used by the singer.
4. Occasional nasalisation and the use of dramatic pauses (e.g., known as glottal stops).
5. Emotion is expressed through the use of vocal ornamentation (such as a single syllable sung over several notes) .
6. Often extra meaningless syllables are introduced, e.g., Thug (a) me.
7. The melody varies from one verse to the next, and from one performance to the next. This is often referred to as the 'variation principle'.
8. And last but not least, the singing is in the Irish language. Not surprisingly, there are exceptions to many of these rules. For example, traditional singer Hiudai O'Duibheannaigh argues that there is an English language sean nos singing tradition. Also, the extent of vocal ornamentation varies from singer to singer and from region to region. Connemara singers (such as Joe Heaney) use a great deal of ornamentation; Ulster singers (such as Paddy Tunney) use comparatively less. Still, enough of these traits can be found among sean nos singers to say that they are generally characteristic of the genre.
Do you have any examples of traditional singing you can share, to clarify what we are discussing?
Two additional song samples of traditional Irish songs are provided below. The first, “Sally from Co. Armagh,” by traditional singer Len Graham is taken from his recording /The One Tradition: Traditional Ulster Songs for All the Family/ (Cranagh Music, c2004).
The second, “Seamus MacMurfaidh,” (Seamus MacMurphy) is a traditional
song in Irish as sung by Padraigin Ni Uallachain from the recording /A
Hidden //Ulster//: Gaelic Songs of Oriel CD 1/ (Ceoltai Eireann, c2007).
Both songs are provided with the permission of the artists.
*The above files require REAL PLAYER which can be download for free at Real Player
Where can I hear traditional Irish singing?
We will explore several traditional singers elsewhere on this page. For now it will suffice to note that major American and European recording companies do not support traditional Irish singers; therefore those wishing to investigate the genre must find it on smaller labels. The following brief list may be useful for the novice:
Celtic Grooves Imports
Email: [email protected] [OR] [email protected]
Web site: http://celticgrooves. homestead.com/CGhome.html
Clo Iar-Chonnachta
Indreabhan
Conamara,
Co. na Gaillimhe, Eire
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.cic.ie
A well-known publisher of books and recordings in the Irish language, it is an excellent source for recordings of sean nos singing. For those who don't read Irish, there is a link atop the page where one can change the text to English. Clicking on the Music link will take you to a page where you can search music by Categories.
Compass Records
916 19th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 800-757.2277
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.compassrecords.com
Compass has taken over the inventory of Green Linnet Records, long one of the primary vendors for Irish music in the United States. Look under "Genres" and then Irish/Celtic.
Folk-Trax
US Distributor:
Camsco Music
1308 Brittany Pointe
Lansdale, Pennsylvania 19446
Phone: (800) 548-FOLK
Email: [email protected]
http://www.folktrax-archive. org
Gael Linn
35 Dame Street
Dublin 2
Ireland
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.gael-linn.ie
Musical Traditions
1 Castle Street
Stroud, Gloustershire
GL5 2HP
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01453 759475
Web site: http://mustrad.org.uk/records. htm
Musical Traditions produces CDs of important traditional singers that are not commercially viable. All are accompanied by a substantial booklet giving as much information as possible about the performers, their lives and their music. Wherever possible, the complete recorded repertoire is made available, so many of are actually double CDs. Great for hard core purists. A link in the upper right corner of the webpage allows one to search by genre.
Ossian USA
118 Beck Road
Loudon, New Hampshire 03307
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.ossianusa.com
Originally the American distributor for Irish publisher Ossian Publications, Mary Lou Philbin and her husband Charlie Clarke continue to provide the best of Irish traditional instrumental and vocal music out of their home in New Hampshire. For those travelling in the state, they frequently host house concerts.
Shanachie Entertainment Corp.
37 East Clinton Street
Newton, New Jersey 07840
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://shanachie.com
Founded by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins in the Bronx in 1975 as a vehicle to release traditional Irish music to the United States, Shanachie was one of the first modern American distributors of Irish Music. Today, while still distributing Irish music, it has broader interests in reggae and world music. From the Shanachie web page, click on “Music” at the top of the screen and click on Irish/Celtic.
Topic Records
US Distributor
City Hall Records
101 Glacier Point
Suite C
San Rafael, California 94901
Phone: (415) 457-9080
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.topicrecords.co.uk
In addition, traditional singing may be available at various festivals and singers' sessions.
Comments: If you have questions, comments or constructive suggestions to improve the page, send me an email.
HOME
©2014 Christopher Brennan. All rights reserved.
