DOCSLIB.ORG

Identity, Politics, and Ideology in Folk Music in Post-Brexit Scotland

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Identity, Politics, and Ideology in Folk Music in Post-Brexit Scotland 1 “Each of Us Is Just a Little Microcosm of Scotland:” Identity, Politics, and Ideology in Folk Music in Post-Brexit Scotland A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Sociology Colorado College In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Arts in Sociology Celia O’Brien November 2017 Emily Schneider 2 On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this thesis. Celia O’Brien 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to Emily Schneider for her guidance, knowledge, and encouragement throughout this process, and for her patience as I fumbled my way through, sometimes while still jet-lagged. A special thanks to the Keller Family Venture Grant Fund at Colorado College, whose financial support enabled me to carry out this research. Thank you to all of my wonderful, talented, thoughtful interviewees; thank you for your craft and for opening up to me. I'm deeply indebted to everyone at Black Medicine Coffee Co. for the love, laughter, fuel and office space. Thanks also to beautiful family and friends for their love and support, even (especially) when I only (barely) made sense to myself. I would also like to thank Kathy Giuffre for helping me nurture the seeds of ideas that eventually blossomed into this thesis, for the endless wisdom, and for understanding everything I mean about home. This paper is dedicated to the incredible musicians I interviewed and listened to—singing, talking, playing, sometimes all at once—and who welcomed me into their world. 4 ABSTRACT The research presented in this paper seeks to understand whether political attitudes about the failed Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014, and Brexit in 2015, are manifested in contemporary folk music in Scotland. Building upon social identity and field theories, I examined how music serves to foster and negotiate national and political identities in this time of political turmoil. By conducting interviews and focus groups with 16 respondents, and through six sessions of participant observations, I investigated how musicians define notions of Scottish identity and authenticity regarding their and others’ folk music. I found that in general, musicians are not overtly political in their music, but the practice of “doing” folk music allows them to establish and validate their widespread left-wing, socially liberal ideologies. 5 A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCOTTISH POLITICS Scottish history involves a long thread of wars over, declarations of, and struggles for independence and self-sovereignty. The Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320, during the First War of Scottish Independence, to declare Scotland as its own free nation (Goring 2014). In 1707, the Union of the Scottish and English Parliaments formed the United Kingdom. This marked a turning point in Scottish history, a “political twinning…[which] remains a painful subject in certain quarters, and some nationalists still gnaw over its bones” (Goring 2014:111). The 18th century saw a series of failed attempts, known as the Jacobite Uprisings, to restore a Catholic (and Scottish), rather than Protestant English, king to the British throne. Over 200 years after the last of these rebellions, in the 1960s, the discovery of oil resources within Scottish territory helped fuel rapid economic development (Symon 1997). In 1967, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won a second seat in the English Parliament, showing that the party “would be a force to be reckoned with” (Goring 2014:380), thus demonstrating a growth in political growth. These developments fostered a new sense of Scottish national identity that was separate from England, although not strongly enough to pass the first proposed devolution referendum in 1979 (Symon 1997). In 1999, though, a Scottish Parliament was established, giving the nation the autonomy to control certain (arguably small-scale) areas, such as the education and legal systems (McCracken 2014). All of these events have contributed to a growing sense of self-confidence within Scotland; the most recent demonstration of which was the vote for Scottish independence in 2014. Despite promising (from the pro-Independence side) reports from polls leading up to the vote, Scotland voted “No,” 55 to 45 percent, to the question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” The debate over independence was largely economical, but social and cultural issues 6 and differences also played a part. For example, McCracken (2014) mentions that David Cameron, the United Kingdom (U.K.) Prime Minister at the time, symbolized “the archetype of Imperialist privilege; something that is about as far removed from Scottish sensibilities as possible.” In this way, the effort to get out from under the Westminster government, so dominated by similar politicians, was an ideological concern as well as an economic one. In 2015, another dramatic vote took place, and Britain opted to leave the European Union. Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP, consequently demanded a new vote for Scottish independence because “Scotland must have a choice about [its] future. A choice between following the U.K. down the Brexit path, and becoming an independent country” (Cheyne 2017, quoting Sturgeon). However, in the past year, this call for another referendum has been put on hold until Brexit negotiations become clearer (Bews 2017). Thus, since the Union in 1707, Scotland has made several attempts to establish political autonomy, from restoring a Catholic king to the British throne, to aiming for full independence from the U.K. in 2014. Now, Scotland is at a liminal point in history, struggling with the Westminster government and the isolating economic, political and cultural ramifications Brexit will have. LITERATURE REVIEW National Identity and Scottish Nationalism As illustrated in the Introduction, Scotland’s political relationship to England has been contentious throughout history. As a result, its national identity has been partially constructed in relation (indeed opposition) to England. The history of this relationship has, for some, fuelled a desire to construct Scottish identity as distinct and separate from “the English,” because 7 “English” connotes domination and subjugation. Ian Telfer (1999), a Scottish musician from the British group Oysterband, for example, wrote that “you [can] define yourself in opposition to whatever bits you don’t like of the society you actually have to live in...We [Scots] are artists at this, past-masters. We like to define ourselves versus the English” (p. 75, emphasis added). Telfer’s statement demonstrates a phenomenon of social identity theory, whereby adopting and identifying with certain favorable qualities helps to paint oneself/one’s group as supposedly better than others (Tajfel and Turner 1979). This premise helps inform the research presented in this paper, which is concerned with the possible ways in which Scottish identity is being redefined and renegotiated in light of recent political struggles with England, specifically the Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014 and Brexit in 2015. Social Identity Theory and Belonging Social identity theory, developed by Tajfel and Turner (1979), seeks to explain how one’s membership in a group shapes one’s perception of self through the processes of social categorization, identification, and comparison (Tajfel and Turner 1979). They suggest that people’s sense of self-worth comes from their membership in groups; as a result, they ascribe positive definitions and qualities to their own group and negative ones to out-groups, to elevate their own group’s status. Michael Billig (1995) furthers this point by arguing that different identities become more or less salient in different contexts so that no individual is always consciously thinking about each identity all the time, a phenomenon he calls the “latency” of identity. In the research presented here, I seek to understand how folk music in Scotland helps to catalyze this salience. An “us and them” dichotomy ensues from people’s attempts to distinguish themselves and their group from non-members and out-groups. This relates to Bourdieu’s (1984) 8 field theory, because these attempts to distinguish oneself and one’s group is also a strategy to achieve dominance in a given field. Bourdieu theorizes that cultural fields involve a struggle among actors for legitimacy and power (Bourdieu 1984, Swartz 1997). Due to the nature of the constant struggle, all actors are positioned relationally to each other; when the position of one actor or group shifts, so do those of other actors. Thus, anyone’s position is never fixed or guaranteed, and all positions are interrelated. For some actors to be dominant in the field, there must be others with subordinate positions. Building on social identity and field theories, this study is concerned with how folk music, as a platform for expression of identity and politics, can also function as a platform for questions and discourses about Scottish identity and Scottish nationalism post-Referendum and post-Brexit. As Scotland struggles for political autonomy from the Westminster government, it is worth investigating if and how these political struggles and attitudes, and understandings of identity, are playing into Scottish folk music (the reason for choosing this lens will be discussed below). In other words, given the potential for homologies to exist between different fields, it is important to think of possible homologies between the political field and folk music field, whereby changes in one might reflect changes in the other (Bourdieu 1984, Swartz 1997, Symon 1997). One issue worth addressing, however, is the risk of essentializing what “Scottish” means, because it risks “[reproducing] notions of the ‘boundedness’ or ‘purity’ of territorial or national identities,” as Symon (1997) articulates. Posing questions about Scottish identity and “Scottishness” is contentious and problematic because it essentializes identity, and risks presuming a certain fixed, frozen definition. Rather, my research aims to understand and highlight whatever shifts in people’s definitions might be taking place, as consequences of 9 current political events, and through the lens of folk music.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A History of British Music Vol 1
    A History of Music in the British Isles Volume 1 A History of Music in the British Isles Other books from e Letterworth Press by Laurence Bristow-Smith e second volume of A History of Music in the British Isles: Volume 1 Empire and Aerwards and Harold Nicolson: Half-an-Eye on History From Monks to Merchants Laurence Bristow-Smith The Letterworth Press Published in Switzerland by the Letterworth Press http://www.eLetterworthPress.org Printed by Ingram Spark To © Laurence Bristow-Smith 2017 Peter Winnington editor and friend for forty years ISBN 978-2-9700654-6-3 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Contents Acknowledgements xi Preface xiii 1 Very Early Music 1 2 Romans, Druids, and Bards 6 3 Anglo-Saxons, Celts, and Harps 3 4 Augustine, Plainsong, and Vikings 16 5 Organum, Notation, and Organs 21 6 Normans, Cathedrals, and Giraldus Cambrensis 26 7 e Chapel Royal, Medieval Lyrics, and the Waits 31 8 Minstrels, Troubadours, and Courtly Love 37 9 e Morris, and the Ballad 44 10 Music, Science, and Politics 50 11 Dunstable, and la Contenance Angloise 53 12 e Eton Choirbook, and the Early Tudors 58 13 Pre-Reformation Ireland, Wales, and Scotland 66 14 Robert Carver, and the Scottish Reformation 70 15 e English Reformation, Merbecke, and Tye 75 16 John Taverner 82 17 John Sheppard 87 18 omas Tallis 91 19 Early Byrd 101 20 Catholic Byrd 108 21 Madrigals 114 22 e Waits, and the eatre 124 23 Folk Music, Ravenscro, and Ballads 130 24 e English Ayre, and omas Campion 136 25 John Dowland 143 26 King James, King Charles, and the Masque 153 27 Orlando Gibbons 162 28 omas
    [Show full text]
  • Dissertation Final Submission Andy Hillhouse
    TOURING AS SOCIAL PRACTICE: TRANSNATIONAL FESTIVALS, PERSONALIZED NETWORKS, AND NEW FOLK MUSIC SENSIBILITIES by Andrew Neil Hillhouse A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Music University of Toronto © Copyright by Andrew Neil Hillhouse (2013) ABSTRACT Touring as Social Practice: Transnational Festivals, Personalized Networks, and New Folk Music Sensibilities Andrew Neil Hillhouse Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Music University of Toronto 2013 The aim of this dissertation is to contribute to an understanding of the changing relationship between collectivist ideals and individualism within dispersed, transnational, and heterogeneous cultural spaces. I focus on musicians working in professional folk music, a field that has strong, historic associations with collectivism. This field consists of folk festivals, music camps, and other venues at which musicians from a range of countries, affiliated with broad labels such as ‘Celtic,’ ‘Nordic,’ ‘bluegrass,’ or ‘fiddle music,’ interact. Various collaborative connections emerge from such encounters, creating socio-musical networks that cross boundaries of genre, region, and nation. These interactions create a social space that has received little attention in ethnomusicology. While there is an emerging body of literature devoted to specific folk festivals in the context of globalization, few studies have examined the relationship between the transnational character of this circuit and the changing sensibilities, music, and social networks of particular musicians who make a living on it. To this end, I examine the career trajectories of three interrelated musicians who have worked in folk music: the late Canadian fiddler Oliver Schroer (1956-2008), the ii Irish flute player Nuala Kennedy, and the Italian organetto player Filippo Gambetta.
    [Show full text]
  • Medieval Music for Celtic Harp Pdf Free Download
    MEDIEVAL MUSIC FOR CELTIC HARP PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Star Edwards | 40 pages | 01 Jan 2010 | Mel Bay Publications | 9780786657339 | English | United States Medieval Music for Celtic Harp PDF Book Close X Learn about Digital Video. Unde et ibi quasi fontem artis jam requirunt. An elegy to Sir Donald MacDonald of Clanranald, attributed to his widow in , contains a very early reference to the bagpipe in a lairdly setting:. In light of the recent advice given by the government regarding COVID, please be aware of the following announcement from Royal Mail advising of changes to their services. The treble end had a tenon which fitted into the top of the com soundbox. Emer Mallon of Connla in action on the Celtic Harp. List of Medieval composers List of Medieval music theorists. Adam de la Halle. Detailed Description. Monophony was replaced from the fourteenth century by the Ars Nova , a movement that developed in France and then Italy, replacing the restrictive styles of Gregorian plainchant with complex polyphony. Allmand, T. Browse our Advice Topics. Location: optional. The urshnaim may refer to the wooden toggle to which a string was fastened once it had emerged from its hole in the soundboard. Password recovery. The early history of the triangular frame harp in Europe is contested. This word may originally have described a different stringed instrument, being etymologically related to the Welsh crwth. Also: Alasdair Ross discusses that all the Scottish harp figures were copied from foreign drawings and not from life, in 'Harps of Their Owne Sorte'? One wonderful resource is the Session Tunes.
    [Show full text]
  • {Dоwnlоаd/Rеаd PDF Bооk} History and the Morris Dance: a Look
    HISTORY AND THE MORRIS DANCE: A LOOK AT MORRIS DANCING FROM ITS EARLIEST DAYS UNTIL 1850 PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Dr. John Cutting | 204 pages | 31 Jan 2010 | Dance Books Ltd | 9781852731083 | English | Hampshire, United Kingdom Modern dance | Britannica Cunningham, who would have turned this year, would sometimes flip a coin to decide the next move, giving his work a nonlinear, collagelike quality. These were ideas simultaneously being explored in visual art, which was engaged in a similar resetting of boundaries as Pop, Minimalism and conceptual art replaced Abstract Expressionism, with which modern dance was closely aligned; for one, both were preoccupied with working on the floor, as in the paintings of Jackson Pollock and the dances of Martha Graham. Postmodernists remained keen on gravity, however. Certain choreographers would come to treat the floor as a dance partner, just as multidisciplinary artists like Ana Mendieta and Bruce Nauman used it in their performance pieces as a site for symbolic regeneration or heady writhing. Forti considered her work as much dance as sculpture, its human performers art objects like any other — but it hardly mattered, since, for this brief and exceptional window, art, dance and music were almost synonymous. The s New York art scene was famously small, and disciplines blended together as a result. In time, though, the moment of equilibrium passed and the community collapsed, reality itself acting as a sort of score. After the last Judson dance concert in , Childs taught elementary school for five years to support herself before returning to the field. Forti lived for a time in Rome, crossing paths with the Arte Povera movement, and Deborah Hay eventually landed in Austin, where she hosted group workshops.
    [Show full text]
  • CARRY on STREAMIN from EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB Probably the Best Folk Club in the World! Dateline: Wednesday 11 November 2020 Volume 1.13
    CARRY ON STREAMIN from EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB Probably the best folk club in the world! Dateline: Wednesday 11 November 2020 Volume 1.13 Hovey when he came to Edinburgh CONTENTS CARRYING STREAM researching the original eighteenth-century Page 1 Lead story FESTIVAL – HAMISH tunes favoured by Burns, which he was to Page 2 Hot News 1 and Hot News 2 go on to arrange. Page 3 Fraser Bruce: The Folk River HENDERSON ANNUAL Hamish introduced Jean Redpath to Hovey Page 5 Scots Traditional Hall of Fame: LECTURE recommending her as the voice to record Mary MacInnes his arrangements. Thus began an unlikely Page 6-7 Scots Traditional Hall of Fame: working relationship between a classical Kevin Findlay composer and arranger from the USA with Page 7 Celtic Connections Festival 2021 a Scottish folk singer, used to singing Page 8 Blas Winter Festival 2021, unaccompanied or to her own guitar, and Turning (Byre Theatre), Winter unable to read music. Festival (Shropshire) Encouraged by Hamish, the two Page 9, 10, 11 CD Reviews exchanged cassettes across the Atlantic, as Page 10 Crossword (compiled by The Jean learned Hovey’s arrangements by ear. Bairn) By 1976, when Jean began recording the Page 11-12 Wee Bits and Pieces, complete songs of Robert Burns, Hovey Music Waves, Gigs Online had researched and arranged 324 songs for Page 12-13 Gigs Online, Cyber Print, the project but died before the project English / Welsh Folk Magazines could be completed, leaving only seven of Page 14 Reminders, Festivals, Hamish Henderson the planned 22 volumes. Crossword solutions THIS YEAR’S Edinburgh Folk Club Professor McCue illustrates her lecture annual Carrying Stream Festival (#19) is with performances of these versions of massively simplified.
    [Show full text]
  • CARRY on STREAMIN from EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB Probably the Best Folk Club in the World! Dateline: Wednesday 28 October 2020 Volume 1.11
    CARRY ON STREAMIN from EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB Probably the best folk club in the world! Dateline: Wednesday 28 October 2020 Volume 1.11 Wouldn’t it be just fantastic if we were able to C’MON EVERYBODY! achieve that by ourselves with your continued CARRY ON STREAMIN NOW IS THEIR TIME support? Of course it would. You may recognise in our banner a We are fully aware that many normally ‘reworking’ of the of the Carrying OF NEED generous folk will be experiencing their own Stream festival which EFC’s late chair, Paddy Bort, created shortly after the IN OUR LAST EDITION Pamela King “cash flow” problems now as furloughs end death of Hamish Henderson. wrote about Edinburgh FC’s attempts to help and lockdowns prevent normal working. all, “… the fiddlers, the guitarists, banjo- With the Scottish winter just around the corner After Paddy died in February 2017, players, cellists, accordionists, mandolin now and Christmas only about eight weeks EFC created the Paddy Bort Fund players, singers, flautists, whistlers, and away, some folk are going to experience way (PBF) to give financial assistance to players of the uillean and small pipes” by more than average difficulty in managing their folk performers who, through no fault using your brilliant donations to our Paddy of their own, fall on hard times. existence. There has been a lot in the press and Bort Fund (PBF). media about mental health problems arising No-one contemplated anything like the Indeed it would be wonderful to say that we from COVID19. Musicians will be just as coronavirus.
    [Show full text]
  • What's in a Name Cover√
    What's In A Name? From Set & Link 2005 ~ 2018 © 2005-2020, RSCDS Toronto Excerpts from these stories may be freely used, with attribution to the author and RSCDS Toronto WHAT’S IN A NAME? The Barry Pipes Canon • 2005 - 2018 From Set&Link, newsletter of RSCDS Toronto Barry Pipes: Resident Contributor by Marie Anne Millar Barry’s first article was about the Mountain of Schiehallion, based on the Schiehallion reels that appear in several dances As a boy in Britain, Barry Pipes was keenly interested in history and and that are named alter the prominent mountain in Perth and geography. He currently uses these interests when writing “WHAT’S IN A Kinross. He writes an article each month for Set & Link; his NAME?” for Set & Link. Inverneill House began with a “For Sale” notice on the house, His intent is simple — write a light, whimsical column explaining the found during his research. names, places, and backgrounds of some Scottish country dances we He says, “One piece I enjoyed writing was about Cutty Sark, know and love. “I start with a particular dance, often from the and I even learned something new and a bit risqué from my programme for a forthcoming SCD event, such as the monthly dance.” Marie Anne Millar research”. He knew the Cutty Sark was a famous clipper ship. He He generates the articles using his own resources on history and Barry Pipes knew it was a Scotch. But he didn’t know it was an undergarment mentioned in the geography, assisted by Google. He has other sources, too.
    [Show full text]
  • 9972508.PDF (6.393Mb)
    INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter ^ce, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy subm itted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographicaily in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. Bell & Howell Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 UMI UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE JEAN RITCHIE’S FIELD TRIP - SCOTLAND: AN EXAMINATION OF UNPUBLISHED FIELD RECORDINGS COLLECTED IN SCOTLAND, 1952-53 A Dissertation SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By SUSAN HENDRIX BRUMFIELD Norman, Oklahoma 2000 UMI Number 9972508 UMI UMI Microform9972508 Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company.
    [Show full text]
  • Back to Burns Fred Freeman University of Edinburgh
    Studies in Scottish Literature Volume 37 Article 9 Issue 1 Robert Burns & Friends 8-2012 Back to Burns Fred Freeman University of Edinburgh Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/ssl Part of the Ethnomusicology Commons, and the Literature in English, British Isles Commons Recommended Citation Freeman, Fred (2012) "Back to Burns," Studies in Scottish Literature: Vol. 37: Iss. 1, 83–94. Available at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/ssl/vol37/iss1/9 This Article is brought to you by the Scottish Literature Collections at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Studies in Scottish Literature by an authorized editor of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Back to Burns Cover Page Footnote First published in ,em>Robert Burns & Friends, Essays by W. Ormiston Roy Fellows (2012), a festschrift presented to G. Ross Roy on his 88th birthday. This article is available in Studies in Scottish Literature: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/ssl/vol37/iss1/9 Back to Burns Fred Freeman Perhaps there is no country in the world, where the prejudice in favour of national music is carried to so great a height as in Scotland. This is the more surprising at first view, because the Scots are, in many other respects, a people singularly liberal and enlightened…Many of the Scottish melodies, having in themselves very little intrinsic merit, are yet fixed in the hearts and affections of Scotsmen. The above quotation is from a little-known, but far-reaching, manifesto of taste, An Account of the First Edinburgh Musical Festival held between the 30th October and 5th November, 1815.
    [Show full text]
  • Some Perspectives on Scottish Fiddling Some Perspectives on Scottish Fiddling
    SSoommee PPeerrssppeeccttiivveess oonn SSccoottttiisshh FFiiddddlliinngg Scottish Fiddle Club of Colorado Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3 About the Volume and Development of Scottish Fiddle and Folk Music ........................................... 3 Some General Observations ................................................................................................................. 4 Regional Styles .................................................................................................................................... 5 The Shetland Islands Style ................................................................................................................... 5 Some of the players who exemplify this style include ................................................................ 5 The North East Region Styles .............................................................................................................. 5 Some of the players who exemplify this style include ................................................................ 5 More About the Fiddling Traditions of North East Scotland .......................................................... 6 Banchory ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Fochabers ....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: FOLKLORISTIC and ETHNIC INFLUENCES in SELECTED VIOLIN REPERTOIRE: a STUDY of MUSIC INSPIRED by S
    ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: FOLKLORISTIC AND ETHNIC INFLUENCES IN SELECTED VIOLIN REPERTOIRE: A STUDY OF MUSIC INSPIRED BY SCOTTISH, JEWISH, AND LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES Emmanuel A Borowsky, Doctor of Musical Arts 2018 Dissertation directed by: Dr. James Stern, Department of Music This dissertation examines and discusses folk and ethnic elements in selected violin compositions of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, including works by living composers. In examining compositions from several centuries, the aim is to establish a lineage between the past and the present in regards to the usage of traditional folk and ethnic musical elements. Additionally, the analyses will help to identify any differences in the implementation of folk music idioms in works by composers native to the given culture, as compared with works by composers of another origin who sought to emulate these musical characteristics. The focus is on compositions inspired by Scottish fiddling; Jewish spiritual, folk and klezmer music; and Latin-American dances. To show the link between the original sources of inspiration and the presented works, I have considered such musical elements as melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, timbre, and scales, as well as extra-musical subject matter when applicable. By expanding my knowledge of the authentic music that inspired these composers, I deepened my understanding of these works and created a more compelling interpretation. It is my desire to bring to light lesser-known composers who deserve their compositions to be heard. These works were featured in three recitals at the University of Maryland College Park. The first and third recitals were performed in Smith Lecture Hall and the second in Ulrich Recital Hall.
    [Show full text]
  • Capercaillie – Skye Waulking Song
    GCSE EDEXCEL MUSIC – SET WORK SUMMARIES SWRA1 SET WORK SUMMARY Skye Waulking Song from the album Nàdurra - Capercaillie PART 1 - Placing the Set Work in its Musical, Social and Historical Context “Waulking” is an ancient Scottish process used for making tweed fabric more flexible and windproof. A “Waulking” song refers to a song used to make this process into a more sociable occasion. To keep everyone IN TIME, the work was accompanied by song. There would be one person leading with lyrics, based on a well-known story and others would join in after each line with some NONSENSE SYLLABLES, called VOCABLES. It was considered unlucky to repeat a whole verse, so the songs often had many verses. Technology has now replaced the need of manual “Waulking” by the hands or feet, but the tradition still continues in some parts of Scotland and “Walking songs” are still sung by these societies and collections of “Waulking” songs have been produced in notation and recordings. About the Set Work – Placing the Set Work in a Musical Context Capercaillie were formed in the early 1980’s by Donald Shaw and a few friends. Singer, Karen Matheson joined the band in 1984. The band preserve Scottish Folk Music often singing in SCOTS GAELIC dialect. “Skye Waulking Song” - taken from the album “Nadurra” released in September 2000. The band is made of up 7 members, each with their INDIVIDUAL VIRTUOSITY on their own instruments and their ability to blend together so well in an ensemble The song lyrics tell the tale of Seathan, son of the King of Ireland.
    [Show full text]