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Focus: Music of Ireland

By Sean Williams

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About the Book

Focus: Celtic Music of Ireland, Scotland, and Beyond is intended for undergraduate and graduate area studies courses in music, ethnomusicology, anthropology, literature, and Celtic (particularly Irish) Studies. It unfolds as a general study of the Celtic regions (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Bretagne, and the semi-Celtic region of Galicia), then builds a comparative study of the instrumental music traditions of both Ireland and Scotland, and – as the central piece of the text – focuses specifically on Irish song in both Gaelic and English. The two main nations–Ireland and Scotland–share a significant history as colonies of England and as important sources of immigrants to the United States and Canada; in addition, they have much in common in terms of performance practice and instrumental traditions (fiddles, pipes, harps, etc.). The book concludes with a discussion of Irish and Scottish traditions in North America.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Ireland, Scotland and Beyond as a Musical Area A. Contextualizing the Regions in History and Geography B. Cultural Commonalities and Differences Across the Regions of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Bretagne, and Galicia C. Minority Languages, Minority Musics: the Impact of Colonization I. Irish and Scottish Instrumental Music Traditions A. Gendered Features of Bardic Traditions B. Fiddles, Accordions, and Musical Conservatism C. The Seisiún as a Contemporary Determinant of Style II. Ireland and Irish Song A. Sean-nós Singing in the Gaeltacht B. The Impact of Language on Performance Practice C. Song Competitions and the Recording Industry III. Irish, Scottish, and "Scotch-Irish" Musical Culture in North America A. Stories of Musical Migration B. Irish-American Music C. Scottish-American Music D. The Question of the "Scotch-Irish" E. Claiming Heritage and Marketing Identity F. Beyond Riverdance and Enya: what is "Celtic Music"? IV. End Matter A. Glossary B. Bibliography C. Discography D. Filmography E. Notes on the Audio Examples F. Index

About the Author(s)

Sean Williams is Professor of Ethnomusicology at the Evergreen State College.