Chapter 7 Irish Music in the Global Marketplace ______(1) AA Pages 122-124 the Chieftains

Chapter 7 Irish Music in the Global Marketplace ______(1) AA Pages 122-124 The Chieftains

Carry out a class study of The Chieftains, the great musical ambassadors of Irish traditional music in the last four decades. There are several Internet sources that provide detailed information on the group; for example, , ,

1. The Chieftains adage is “Let the music speak for itself.” Listen to a selection of recordings that include their performance of dance music, slow airs, planxties, collaborations with musicians from other traditions, and film music. Let the music speak to you. What characterizes the Chieftains sound? If you were to meet them, what questions would you ask them?

2. Divide the class into groups of 4-5. Each group will focus on one of the following aspects to create a profile of the Chieftains:

a. Biographies of the Chieftain members (2 groups) b. Name and year of recordings that the group made (1962-1982) c. Name and year of recordings that the group made (1983-present) d. Name and year of movies for which they provided music e. Cover art on recordings f. Artists with whom they collaborated g. Awards they received h. Special appearances that honoured their contributions ______(2) S, C/U Page 123 CD track 27, “The Old Grey Goose”

Listening Chart: Worksheet 7.1

1. Follow the timeline in the left hand column and note the different sections of the tune in the next column. 2. Follow the column on instruments, observing the use of the piano registers and the addition of the bodhrán. 3. Listen a third time for texture, how instrumentation, playing technique, and ornamentation thicken the texture as the jig proceeds. 4. Fill out the fifth column to the right titled “effect” with comments of your own regarding the effect of the instrumentation, playing technique, and ornamentation on the performance. 5. What techniques does the pianist, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, use to vary the tune? What aspects of the performance would not be found in conservative renditions of this tune? ______(3) S, C/U Pages 125-127 Riverdance the Show

No 1. Reel Around the Sun

A. Listen to the recording of this selection or view the videotape. As you listen, consider these ideas.

1. Aspects of the performance that are associated with traditional music: dance music; a set of tunes (“Corona,” a slow air, followed by the “Chronos Reel” and “Reel Around the Sun”); instruments such as fiddle, accordion, bodhrán, layered with instruments added as the tune progresses; tempo of dance music; lilting of tune at the beginning of the “Chronos Reel”; music accompanied by dance.

2. Aspects of performance that are not found in traditional performances: instruments such as tom-toms, soprano saxophone, orchestral accompaniment, synthesizers; irregular meters; dynamic variation; sound effects; programmatic music, elements of the dance movements.

B. Choose another cut from Riverdance the Show. Using the same approach, listen to the selection and identify the aspects that are steeped in the tradition and those that are new to the tradition. Discuss observations of class members. ______(4) S, C/U Pages 41 and 132-34 Doctor Gilbert (reel) CD track 9 played by Michael Coleman, and track 28, played by Lúnasa

See Worksheet 7.2 for Listening Chart ______(5) AA Encountering the Tradition

If you were to visit Ireland, what aspects of traditional music would you want to experience? Write a brief paragraph on the topic, using the following headings: a. places to visit b. events to attend c. people to meet d. music to listen to/play e. recordings to purchase f. books to read ______

(6) S, C/U Tradition and Innovation

On pages 128-134, the authors described innovations in traditional music – new instruments, styles, practices and contexts. Such developments are not unique to Ireland or to Irish musicians. For example, cellist Yo-Yo-Ma collaborates with musicians from other genres and cultures, performs music outside the classical tradition, and creates projects that bring the music of many cultures together. One example is the Silk Road Ensemble.

Identify a musician or musical group who stretch the boundaries of tradition in their music making through innovative practices, collaboration with musicians outside the tradition, introduce new instruments or sound sources into the practice, or perform in non traditional venues. Write a report on the musician/group to support your choice. ______(7) C/U Chapter 7

In this chapter the authors describe developments in Irish traditional music in recent years. Choose either a topic or a performer/group that you were introduced to in this book, and through that lens, describe developments in the tradition.

Topics Performers/Groups Access and dissemination Altan Commercialization Anúna Educational opportunities Kevin Crawford and Lúnasa Instrumentation The Chieftains Performance venues and contexts Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin Integration with other art forms Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin Gender roles and music-making Len Graham ______Worksheet 7.1

The Old Grey Goose

Time counter Form Instruments Texture Effect ROUND ONE 0:00 a (each part is piano announces the tune, repeated) piano - treble monophonic, texture sparse, linear, basic ornamentation 0:16 b more ornamentation, fills in runs between notes, shifts in meter; percussive 0:30 c unrelenting triplets; some doubling at end of phrases

0:44 d piano and thicker; bodhrán adds rhythmic bodhrán counterpoint

0:59 e piano in higher register; bodhrán adds depth and resonance; 1:13 f bodhrán more active; more accentuation of melody at cadences ROUND TWO 1:27 a piano – treble bodhrán and bass piano act as and bass, counterpoint to tune; thicker bodhrán texture 1:42 b chords in bass piano punctuate melody 1:56 c staccato in piano; percussive 2:09 f downward chords in bass; pause, ends on chord Worksheet 7.2

Dr. Gilbert

1. Read about the two performances on pages 132-134. 2. Fill in the relevant sections of the chart with information you get from the reading. 3. Then listen to the performance and fill in the rest of the chart. 4. Write a short paragraph on which performance do you prefer and why.

Aspect of performance Michael Coleman Lúnasa

Names of tunes in the set

Year of performance

Location of performance

Instrumentation

Tempo

Ornamentation

Form

Texture

Other points Sample Assessments

A. Listening Assessment

Instrument Identification

Instructor prepares a recording which includes 30-second excerpts from the following selections on the Music in Ireland CD. Students listen and write down the name of the instrument(s) they hear.

Track 5 harp Track 1 fiddle Track 15 flute Track 10 concertina Track 27 piano and bodhrán Track 13 mandolin and tin whistle

Tune Recognition

Instructor prepares a recording which includes 30-second excerpts from the following selections on the Music in Ireland CD. Students listen and write down the name of the tune type they hear.

Track 3 jig Track 18 jig Track 4 hornpipes Track 1 fiddle Track 9 reels Track 16 polka

B. True-false

Indicate whether the following statements are true or false by placing a T or F in the space preceding the statement.

1. _____ Ireland is located in the continent of Europe. 2. _____ The concertina was traditionally played by men in County Clare. 3. _____ The word seisiún means season. 4. _____ A reel is a dance tune in duple meter. 5. _____ Planxty is the name of the instrument associated with Turlough Carolan. 6. _____ Joe Heaney was a renowned performer of sean-nós singing. 7. _____ Connemara is a region that is located in the west of Ireland. 8. _____ Francis O’Neill was an Irish immigrant who was well known as a bodhrán player in the Chicago area. 9. _____ The cran is an ornament that originated with the uilleann pipes. 10. ____ A macaronic song is sung as a lament as a funeral wake.

C. Matching

Match the word in the left column with its description in the right column by placing the letter of the description in the blank space.

1. _____ harp A. a renowned piper from County Clare

2. _____ bodhrán B. a frame drum

3. _____ Clare C. an old style of singing in the Irish language

4. _____ Michael Coleman D. festival

5. _____ Ulster E. the national musical instrument of Ireland

6. _____ Willie Clancy F. a dance tune

7. _____ sean-nós G. a county in the west of Ireland

8. _____ roll H. a renowned fiddler from County Sligo

9. _____ feis I. one of the four provinces of Ireland

10. _____ slide J. form of melodic ornamentation

D. Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the missing words or phrases in the sentences below.

1. Irish musicians use the word “traditional” to describe several categories of music and dance: ______in Irish, songs in ______, slow ______, dance music, ______step dances, and ______set dances.

2. The set dance belongs to a genre of ______dances performed in ______formation that were first brought to Ireland by ______in the mid- to-late nineteenth century.

3. Performances of Irish traditional music today take place in a wide range of contexts: ______, ______, or ______. 4. The tradition is flexible. Throughout its history it has allowed the incorporation of ______, ______, and ______from other parts of the world.

5. The Celts came to Ireland between ______and ______. Although they did not document their rich store of legends, sagas and myths, later they were written down by ______.

6. Irish ballads were often published on ballad sheets or ______. Many of them provided social commentary on the Irish struggle for ______and ______freedom. The ballad tradition was rejuvenated in the 1960s by the group ______who toured the United States, appeared on the ______show, and inspired a host of singing groups such as the ______and the ______.

7. The majority of dance tunes are in ______form, with an ______measure A section and an ______measure B section. The melodic range of the B section is usually ______the A section. Dance tunes were collected, beginning in the 18th century. Some of the most famous collectors were ______in the 18th century, ______in the 19th century, and ______in the 20th century.

8. Four variants of the jig currently exist in the Irish music and dance repertory: the double jig which is in ______time with ____ groups of three eighth notes per measure; the single jig in 6/8 time with its predominant rhythmic pattern of a ______note followed by a an ______note; the slip jig in ______time, and the slide.

9. The major instruments dating back to the 18th century include ______, ______, ______, flutes, and ______. Other instruments were introduced in the late 19th century: ______, ______, and______. In more recent times, still more instruments were incorporated from other traditions. They include guitar, ______, and ______.

10. The sean-nós singing tradition has many unique features. Unlike art song where the composer is known, the sean-nós song is ______. These songs were probably composed between ______and ______. The tradition developed in areas of Ireland where the ______language was the native language of the people. Gaelic poetry had a profound effect on the form of the songs, especially the length of ______, and the dominance of ______and ______. Vocal style can vary according to the individual ______and the ______. Answers

True-false

1. T 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. F 6. T 7. T 8. F 9. T 10. F

Matching

1. ___E__

2. ___B__

3. ___G__

4. ___H__

5. ___I__

6. ___A__

7. ___C__

8. ___J__

9. ___D__

10. ___F__

Fill in the Blanks

1. songs, English, airs, solo, group

2. social, square, dancing masters

3. pubs, concert halls, private homes 4. techniques, styles, instruments

5. 500 BC, 300 BC, Christian monks

6. broadsides, political, religious, Clancy Brothers, Ed Sullivan, Dubliners, Wolfe Tones

7. binary, eight, eight, higher, e.g. Edward Bunting, e.g. George Petrie, e.g. Francis O’Neill or Brendán Breathnach

8. 6/8, two, quarter, eighth, 9/8

9. fiddles, harps, whistles, pipes; accordions, melodeons, concertinas; e.g. bouzouki, synthesizer.

10. anonymous, 1600, 1850, Irish, the poetic line, assonance, internal rhyming, singer, region.