Star of the County Down

Here I want to share with you a song, ment for the County Down, the hometown of our interviewee Emma Cairns, to whom we are so grateful.

Bain sult as!

   

David Holmes

     Today, I'll write about something different, as a matter of fact, about someone: David Holmes.

     He is a very well considered Nothern Irish composser and dj. He started at the age of 15 behind the turntables and nowadays he has made re-mixes for groups like U2, Primal Scream, Saint Etienne; and some singers like Steven Soderbergh and Danny Ocean.
     Have you seen the films 'Ocean's Eleven' 'Ocean's Twelve' and 'Ocean's Thirteen'? Well, he compossed the soundtracks for these films, but also for many others like Out of Sight, Buffalo Soldiers, Analyze that, The Shore, or Haywire.
     But maybe you are still wondering why am I writing about him. The reason is that from 2 to 10 of this past November, here in Seville was settled the 'Sevilla IX Festival de Cine Europeo' (European Film Festival). He came to give a concert for the festival and also because he colaborated in the soundtrack for one of the films, 'Good Vibrations' by Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn, which depicts the development of punk music in Belfast during the seventies.
     I get the chance to go to that concert and to see the movie, which I powerfully recommend you to listen to and see.
     Here there is an interview and one of his songs. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

 

Sources:
Sevilla IX Festival de Cine Europeo 2012's Catalogue.
http://festivalcinesevilla.eu/es/conciertos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Holmes_(musician)

U2

     Dia duit to everyone!

     Today I'm writing about one of the most famous alternative rock band all over the world, and it is an Irish one: U2. I'm sure that you have heard at least one of their songs or maybe you will recognize them because of how do they look like since they are also a really mediatic band:

(From left to right: Larry Mullen Jr., Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton)    

     But actually, they are not just marketing because what made them famous is their live performers. The group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboard and vocals), Larry Mullen (drums and percussion) and Adam Clayton (bass guitar). It was formed in 1976 and since a few years after their begining from now, they have been on the edge of the wave. They went through different styles (punk, rock, dance, industrial, pop, etc.) but always maintaining their essence.

     They have released 12 album studios, they have sold more than 150 millions records worldwide. They have also won 22 Grammy Awards (more than any other band). But the most important thing about them is what do they express with their music.

     They are known for having written about politics, human rights and they are involved in philantropic causes. Besides their Christian and spiritual imagery, social issues and critics to consumerism stand out among other themes.

     As for the influences, they cite The Who, The Beatles, Elvis Presley or Van Morrison. And they have work with many other groups and singers like Green Day, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Luciano Pavarotti, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, or R.E.M.

     Their most recognizable song from my point of view is: With or without you, here you can see this live performance. I had already posted before another song from them Pride (in the Name of Love) and finally Bloody Sunday another of their numerous masterpieces.

 

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U2
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/U2

     I hope you enjoyed the post and as Christmas time is to come I wish you all happy holidays and Merry Christmas, or as we would say in Irish: Nollaig Shona!

Celtic Music in Spain

     We already know that 'Celtic Music' is a wide concept, so much so that there are many different theories about if we can define all this kind of music as celtic. There are some authors as Geoff Wallis and Sue Wilson in 'The Rough guide to Irish Music' who think that the differences between celtic music from Scotland and Ireland and the music produced in the rest of Europe or US has almost nothing to do one with each other. Alan Stivell takes into account older researches and he thinks that the base or origin is the same with variants.
     Here in Spain, the regions of Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias were in the past celtic areas, to such a degree that the only intact celtic town remaining of all Europe is Castro (Galicia). But particularly in music, Spanish Celtic music does not shows the same patterns as the Irish one, yet, they share origins. 
     Although unfortunately it hasn't got a higher level of importance within the music in Spain, there are several festivals of celtic music such as:

• 'Festival Internacional del Mundo Celta de Ortigueira' in Ortigueira (La Coruña).
• 'Festival Intercéltico de Avilés' in Avilés.
• 'Folixa na Primavera' in Mieres.
• 'Folkomillas Festival' in Comillas.
• 'Festival Internacional de Música Celta de Collado Villalba' in Collado Villalba.
• 'Sauga Folk' in Colindres.
• 'Festival Intercéltico de Orejo' in Marina de Cudeyo.
• 'Festa da Carballeira' in Zas (La Coruña).

     Something interesting is that in most of the cases, the bands of celtic music sing in gallego:

• Luar na Lubre, Milladoiro, Os Cempés, Carlos Núñez, Berrogüetto, Susana Seivane, Cristina Pato, Xosé Manuel Budiño, Mercedes Peón, Anxo Lorenzo (fusion of celtic and electronic music).

     From Asturias:

• José Ángel Hevia (precursor of the electronic bag-pipe), Tejedor, Felpeyu, Llan de Cubel, Corquiéu.

     In some other regions:

• Luétiga, Garma, Gatu Malu, Cahórnega, Naheba, Atlántica, Cambera'l Cierzu, Antubel, Gandalf, Tsuniegu, Olwen, Medulia, L'Arcu la vieya, O'Carolan, Hibai Deiedra, Kepa Junkera, Zamburiel.

     More recently, groups like Triquel, Celtas Cortos, Aquelarre AgroCelta, Ñu, El Sueño de Morfeo (more pop), Lándevir or Saurom, experiment with the fusion of the celtic with variations of pop, rock, heavy metal, etc. But the most famous one is Mago de Öz (rock heavy and celtic sounds).

     Here you can listen to the songs of some of the groups/singers before mentioned that are the ones that I like most: Hevia, Celtas Cortos, El Sueño de Morfeo (before called Xemá) and Mago de Öz.

 

 

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_music
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BAsica_celta#M.C3.BAsica_celta_en_Espa.C3.B1a

Riverdance- The Irish Dancing Phenomenon

    After having won the Eurovision Competition in 1993, it was Ireland's time to organize the next years contest. Producer Moya Doherty was given the hard task of producing the show and of preparing an act for the 20-minute interval while the national juries voted. Doherty came up with an idea of putting together Irish traditional dancers with the choir Anuna to make a traditional Irish dance number. This number, called Riverdance, was composed by Bill Whelan and  was so successful that it was decided to expand into a full stage show. Riverdance changed from being only a brief interval entertainment for being a world wide known dancing phenomenon.

                                            The Eurovision Competition 1994, Riverdance

What is Riverdance?

    "Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdance known for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. Riverdance is, in summary form, the story of the Irish culture and of the Irish immigration to America."

Why is the show called Riverdance?

    The show is called Riverdance because it is based on the life of a river. Beginning quietly with the cloudsong it grows flowing as a stream represented by the soft shoe dance of the Riverwoman, meeting and awakening the land represented  by the hard shoe solo of Earthrise and finally growing and growing until throwing it self into the sea.

Riverdance song and dance numbers

Riverdance: The Show (1995)	Riverdance: Live From New York (1996)	Riverdance: Live From Geneva (2002)
Reel Around The Sun The Heart’s Cry Countess Cathleen – Women of Ireland Caoineadh Chú Chulainn Distant Thunder Firedance Riverdance Lift The Wings Freedom Harlem to Hollywood * Andalucia * Macedonia Morning * Marta's Dance – The Russian Dervish Hope to the Suffering * Michael Flatley Flute Solo – Whispering Winds * Home And The Heartland * Heartland Riverdance International	Reel Around The Sun The Heart's Cry Countess Cathleen – Women of the Sidhe Caoineadh Chú Chulainn Thunderstorm Firedance Slip Into Spring – The Harvest Cloudsong Riverdance American Wake (The Nova Scotia Set) Lift The Wings Heal Their Hearts – Freedom Trading Taps Marta's Dance – The Russian Dervish Oscail An Doras Heartbeat Of The world Homecoming Home And The Heartland Heartland Riverdance International	Reel Around the Sun The Heart's Cry Countess Cathleen – Women of the Sidhe Caoineadh Chú Chulainn Thunderstorm Shivna Firedance Slip into Spring – The Harvest Cloudsong Riverdance American Wake (The Nova Scotia Set) Lift the Wings Harbor of the New World Slow Air / The Tunes Home and the Heartland Heartland Finale / Riverdance International

Sources:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverdance
 http://www.amazon.com/Riverdance-Music-From-The-Show/dp/B000005B2O
 http://www.celticcafe.com/archive/Shows/riverdance/Rdfaq.htm

The Irish National Anthem

Dia duit to everyone!

     Today I want to show you a piece of music really significant for the Irish: the National Anthem, or as we would say in Irish: an Amhrán Náisiúnta. 

     The first Irish Anthem was called God Save Ireland, the Fenian anthem. But it was replaced later on, in 1907, when Peadar Karney and Patrick Heeney composed 'Amhrán na bhFiann' (The Soldier's Song), although it was not published until 1912 in the newspaper 'Irish Freedom'. And still, it did not become popular until it was sung during the Easter Rising of 1916. Something curious about the anthem is that a part of it is also used for the Presidential Salute.

     I leave you the lyrics for the second one here, both in irish and translated into english. I hope you enjoy the videos, bain sult as!

Amhrán na bhFiann

The Soldier’s Song

Seo dhibh a cháirde duan Óglaigh, Cathréimeach briomhar ceolmhar, Ár dtinte cnámh go buacach táid, 'S an spéir go min réaltogach Is fonnmhar faobhrach sinn chun gleo 'S go tiúnmhar glé roimh thíocht do'n ló Fé chiúnas chaomh na hoiche ar seol: Seo libh canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann. Sinne Fianna Fáil A tá fé gheall ag Éirinn, buion dár slua Thar toinn do ráinig chugainn, Fé mhóid bheith saor. Sean tír ár sinsir feasta Ní fhagfar fé'n tiorán ná fé'n tráil Anocht a théam sa bhearna bhaoil, Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil Le guna screach fé lámhach na bpiléar Seo libh canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann. Cois bánta réidhe, ar árdaibh sléibhe, Ba bhuachach ár sinsir romhainn, Ag lámhach go tréan fé'n sár-bhrat séin Tá thuas sa ghaoith go seolta Ba dhúchas riamh d'ár gcine cháidh Gan iompáil siar ó imirt áir, 'S ag siúl mar iad i gcoinne námhad Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann. Sinne Fianna Fáil A tá fé gheall ag Éirinn, buion dár slua Thar toinn do ráinig chugainn, Fé mhóid bheith saor. Sean tír ár sinsir feasta Ní fhagfar fé'n tiorán ná fé'n tráil Anocht a théam sa bhearna bhaoil, Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil Le guna screach fé lámhach na bpiléar Seo libh canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann. A bhuíon nách fann d'fhuil Ghaeil is Gall, Sin breacadh lae na saoirse, Ta scéimhle 's scanradh i gcroíthe namhad, Roimh ranna laochra ár dtire. Ár dtinte is tréith gan spréach anois, Sin luisne ghlé san spéir anoir, 'S an bíobha i raon na bpiléar agaibh: Seo libh, canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann. Sinne Fianna Fáil A tá fé gheall ag Éirinn, buion dár slua Thar toinn do ráinig chugainn, Fé mhóid bheith saor. Sean tír ár sinsir feasta Ní fhagfar fé'n tiorán ná fé'n tráil Anocht a théam sa bhearna bhaoil, Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil Le guna screach fé lámhach na bpiléar Seo libh canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann.

We'll sing a song, a soldier's song, With cheering rousing chorus, As round our blazing fires we throng, The starry heavens o'er us; Impatient for the coming fight, And as we wait the morning's light, Here in the silence of the night, We'll chant a soldier's song. Soldiers are we whose lives are pledged to Ireland; Some have come from a land beyond the wave. Sworn to be free, No more our ancient sire land Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the gap of danger In Erin's cause, come woe or weal 'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal, We'll chant a soldier's song. In valley green, on towering crag, Our fathers fought before us, And conquered 'neath the same old flag That's proudly floating o'er us. We're children of a fighting race, That never yet has known disgrace, And as we march, the foe to face, We'll chant a soldier's song. Soldiers are we whose lives are pledged to Ireland; Some have come from a land beyond the wave. Sworn to be free, No more our ancient sire land Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the gap of danger In Erin's cause, come woe or weal 'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal, We'll chant a soldier's song. Sons of the Gael! Men of the Pale! The long watched day is breaking; The serried ranks of Inisfail Shall set the Tyrant quaking. Our camp fires now are burning low; See in the east a silv'ry glow, Out yonder waits the Saxon foe, So chant a soldier's song. Soldiers are we whose lives are pledged to Ireland; Some have come from a land beyond the wave. Sworn to be free, No more our ancient sire land Shall shelter the despot or the slave. Tonight we man the gap of danger In Erin's cause, come woe or weal 'Mid cannons' roar and rifles peal, We'll chant a soldier's song.

  

Sources:

http://www.irishroots.org/aoh/anthem.htm

Popular Music

     

     Through the 1950s and 1960s popular music in Ireland was represented by the showbands, whose fusion of genres as rock-and-roll, country, etc., filled all the dance halls. Even in the 1970s but only some of them like Joe Dolan¹, continued being on the crest of the wave. I chose these two videos because they are very different one from each other but representative of his style:

  

     From the 1960s ballad singers and groups prospered because of the growing interest in traditional Irish music and the general proliferation of folk singers in occidental society. The Chieftains traveled widely with their instrument-based renditions of traditional music, and The Dubliners enjoyed similar success with a more ballad-based approach. Christy Moore², played irreverent, socially aware narratives, and was one of the preeminent musicians who began playing traditional music before popular music. The group Enya³ was also very popular.

  

     In the late 1960s the arrival of Van Morrison⁴ with the album “Astral Weeks” recognized as a classic among classics, Rory Gallagher⁵, and Phil Lynnott⁶ place Ireland on the top of the rock scene. U2⁷ is known all around the world as one of the bests rock bands from the 1980s. (I will dedicate a new entry for them to see it in detail). Shane MacGowan, is the singer of the group The Pogues⁸, a London-Irish rock band with celtic influences from The Horslips to The Corrs and also cultivating genres like punk or ballad. In the 1990s there were stage shows (Riverdance; Lord of the Dance), but also boybands such as Boyzone⁹ and Westlife¹⁰, with a great success among children and teenagers.

  

  

  

     Note: As in my previous entries I have already mentioned some of the bands of this very entry, I am not posting videos for the following groups: The Chieftains, The Dubliners, The Horslips, The Corrs, Riverdance, Lord of the Dance.

     Source: Encyclopedia of Irish History and Culture, vol. 1./ James S. Donnelly, Jr. (editor in chief) Macmillan Reference USA. Thomson Gale.

Modern Music

     As it is said in the 'Encyclopedia of Irish History and Culture', “Irish traditional music, at the beginning of the twentieth century, was generally played, sung and danced in the domestic setting.” Singing was an important occupation while working or simply as entertainment. Although most musicians and dancers were not professionally dedicated to music, they spend their free time singing, dancing and playing instruments in groups. Usually, those groups were make up by the members of the same family, and so the songs were orally transmitted from one generation to the next.

     But by the end of the century, this background suffers a complete change. On the one hand, instead of the performances in rural areas, there were music festivals, and radio/television studios; and instrumental music was most commonly played for listening to rather than for dancing. The intention of becoming widely known and being understandable for more people is the cause, little by little, of the decrease of spoken Irish.

     On the other hand, instruments were more easily purchased and the foundation of organizations for the promotion of Irish music (as Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in 1951; or Cáirde na Cruite in 1960; Na Píobairí Uilleann in 1968), made possible the increase of listeners and also new musicians who were taught in this kind of music. Also the growth of three different varieties of dancing: set dancing, céilí dancing and step dancing. The Set dance derives from the French dance 'quadrille'; Céilí dancing and céilí bands, were groups which used Irish dances composed for its promotion; and Step dancing, was taught by dancing masters and controlled by the Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (Irish Dancing Commission), which organized dancing competitions known as feiseanna throughout Ireland and overseas.

     In the U. S. these bands started using drums and pianos, and soon after, the same happened in Ireland thanks to the development of the means of communication. In the 1920s and 1930s some famous musicians from the U. S. were for example Michael Coleman¹ and James Morrison. Another significant change in the 1960s: the voice (and not only the instruments) was given importance, as it is shown in New York with the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem², and both in the U. S. and Ireland, The Dubliners³ and The Wolfe Tones⁴ were significant.

     I powerfully recommend you to see these videos so that you can have an idea of what am I talking about:

     Unfortunately, after this decade Irish traditional music became a minority because of the diversity in the music available. But musicians like Seán Ó Riada introduced a fussion of Irish traditional music with many other genres and innovations (like the bodhrán). He was particularly known for being the first person to introduce Irish music to the concert stage; some of his compositions like Mise Éire⁵ became really popular, so much so that nowadays it is possible to find multiple versions of the song; (I chose this video because it also shows some beautiful irish landscapes).

The Chieftains^{I; 6-7} and Ceoltóirí Laighean developed from Ceoltóirí Cualann. And Míchéal Ó Súilleabháin, combined plenty of genres.

^II already posted some of their videos in my previous entries, but as it is one of my favourite bands of Irish music, I will post two more of them just in case you want to listen to them, but they have lots of really good songs and collaborations with another musicians and bands:

     As you may see, nowadays it is performed professionally and not only in Ireland or with Irish emigrants abroad but also among non-Irish people. By the 1970s there were groups as Planxty⁸, Horslips⁹, De Danann¹⁰, The Bothy Band, and Moving Hearts, who played fussions of genres and instruments. Stage shows of step dancing as “Riverdance¹¹,” “Lord of the Dance,” began in the 1990s but there is still versions of them this years.

Relevant Studies and Organizations:

-Captain Francis O'Neill published his volumes on Irish music in the United States.

-The Irish Folk Song Society (1904 – 1920s in London) collection, publication, and study of Irish traditional music.

-In 1935 the Irish Folklore Commission collection and preservation of traditional culture.

-The Folk Music Society of Ireland (1971).

-Breandán Breathnach's collections Folk Music and Dances of Ireland (1971).

-Irish Traditional Music Archive in 1987.

Source:

Encyclopedia of Irish History and Culture, vol. 1./ James S. Donnelly, Jr. (editor in chief) Macmillan Reference USA. Thomson Gale.

Early Modern Music (From 1500 to 1800)

      The most remarkable characteristic of this period is the origin of Irish traditional music and the consideration of harp music as obsolete. This could be because both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I prohibited music: the píobare (piper), bard (figure which I will explain in detail later), and aois ealaíon (artistic class) were frequently outlawed. Only some Tudors allowed Irish music in the court or to the Gaelic kerne (professional soldiers) of the Fiach MacAodha Ó Broin being led into battle by pipers. Native musicians also registered their impressions of the Tudor conquest. From now onwards, the differentiations of the figures of the file (poet), reacaire (reciter), and cruitire (harper) are no longer valid.

     Music has seemed to be a good way of transmitting news and also a good report of political and war issues, (i.e., “Seán Ó Duibhir A'Ghleanna”¹ (lauding the exploits of John O'Dwyer during the Cromwellian Wars);“Clare's Dragoons”² (extolling Wild Geese valor in the French army at Fontenoy in 1745)). The theme of love keeps being recurrent (i.e., “Dónal Óg”³ by anonymous poet and a vernacular song (in gaelic amhráin)). Other kinds of love songs are: caoineadh (laments), amhrán bheannaithe (sacred songs), keening songs, and the formal and semilearned marbhna (bardic elegies), the aisling (“vision poem/ song”, in which the poet meets an echanted lady, symbolically Ireland) increased notably in number. “Úr Chill an Chreagáin”⁴ by the Ulster poet Art Mac Cumhaigh (1715-1774) is among the best known.

     Here there are the videos for the songs before mentioned. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. (In some of them, the lyrics are also included but only on youtube's webpage).

THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

     By 1730 folk music became community oriented by dealing with religious, legal, and economic issues. Jacobite songs, which reflected a common Gaelic culture that linked Ireland with Scotland, emerged in the 1700s with songs like “Mo Ghile Mear”⁵ and “Rosc Catha na Mumhan”⁶ which are still very popular. And the last one helps perfectly to introduce the next coming topic: Dancing.

DANCING

     Throughout the 18^th century, traffic in and out of Ireland had a direct impact on music (i.e., the adoption of the modern violin (fidil in Irish)), song and dance, and helped to disperse Irish music. Some popular forms by the 1600s were: “hay”, “fading”, “trenchmore”, and “rince fada” (long dance).In 1780, there is a very interesting quotation by Arthur Young (English geographer) who noted that “dancing is general among the poor people, almost universal in every cabin. Dancing masters of their own rank travel through the country from cabin to cabin, with a piper or blind fiddler; and the pay is sixpence a quarter. It is an absolute system of education.” He cited jigs, minuets, and cotillions as the most common dances. Reels and hornpipes were not that common until the 1790s. By then, the printed collections of some Scottish composers were gaining new audiences in Ireland and that is why it is possible to find reels like “Miss MacLeod” in Irish repertories.

BARDS

     First of all, and as I have mentioned before in my previous post “History of Irish Music” I want to clarify again the fact that Bards were basically Poets and not Musicians. Once this is clear, we can look at the dramatic change of social status that bards suffered by this time. From being an important figure in the history of music, to almost become extinct. Most of the composers turned to be itinerant harpers becoming also musicians because of necessity. Only those who were patronized by important landlords or wealthy Gaelic families could do it for a living. The most prominent was Turlough Carolan (1670- 1738) whose work was published during his own lifetime because of his wade repertoire. It is needed to say that efforts were made to preserve the oral art of the harper that was facing extinction, for example at the Belfast Harpers' Festival in 1792 or collections of Irish Music.

THE END OF THE EARLY MODEN ERA

     The work of previous songwriters of the 1790s (Raiftearaí, Ó Súilleabháin) is now marginalized by macaronic songs (bilingual lyrics) and English language ballads. But all of them shared the topics of love, work, recreation, death and the supernatural. There were also political songs but not as important as they were the centuries before. As for the instruments, pipe makers perfected the unique multireed uilleann pipes. By 1742 Irish traditional music had spread worldwide.

     An interesting detail is that in the rural clacháns⁷ of the west of Ireland, music making followed the cyclical calendar of the agricultural year. Dance music and set dancing experienced dynamic growth in the late 1700s, until they were erased by famine and diaspora.

⁷ A group of houses clustered together with no apparent order or pattern.

     Source: Encyclopedia of Irish History and Culture, vol. 1./ James S. Donnelly, Jr. (editor in chief) Macmillan Reference USA. Thomson Gale.

History of Irish Music

   Ireland is well known as “the land of song”, but actually, there is no serious standard work of Irish music. As O'Curry has said in one of his main works 'Lectures on the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish': “Much has been confidently written on the ancient Irish music and musical instruments” but still, it is difficult to obtain a general agreement about Irish music.

     We all know that Music is a universal language. So is it, that in the ancient Ireland, the systems of law, medicine, poetry and music, according to Keating, “were set to music, being poetical compositions”. The bards (in irish, Ollamh) play one of the most important roles, because although they were not musicians, they were employees of noblemen, and they were paid for create stories in the shape of poems so they can be learned and transmited easily. And the word “Ogham” is related to musical significance, being Irish the earliest form of musical tablature. As Constantine Nigra writes – “The first certain examples of rhyme are found on Celtic soil and amongst Celtic nations, in songs made by poets, who are either of Celtic origin themselves or had long resided among the Celtic races... Final assonances, or rhyme, can have been derived solely from the laws of Celtic philology”. Obviously, music has also had a great importance in religion, being the perfect background for ceremonies and cults, and later, becoming the psalm tunes in church.

     There are solid proves that the Celts (about 500 years before Christ) have already musical instruments and composed melodies, using letters, the ogham scale and the ogham music tablature. It is not St. Patrick who introduced or taught music to the Irish people because they already have their own alphabet centuries previously. St. Patrick may have introduced the Roman letters to somehow translate the pre-Patrician Irish alphabet. With the Christian culture, the broadest work of music is compiled and composed in manuscripts mainly by monks.

     As for the instruments, Zeuss's Grammatica Celtica (1853) was the first book to give a clue to the nature of many old Irish instruments, but it is O'Curry again who give a list of ten instruments: 

Instrument	Translation	Performers	Instrument	Translation	Performers
Cruit and Clairseach1	Harp or Lyre	Cruitire	Stoc and Sturgan	Trumpets	Stocaire and Sturganaidhe
Psalterium, Nabla, Timpan, Kinnor, Trigonor and Ocht-tedach.	Stringed Instruments	Timpanach	Guthbuinne	Another kind of horns.	Graice
Buinne	Oboe or Flute	Buinnire	Pipai	Pipes	Pipaire
Bennbuabhal and Corn	Horns.	Graice	Feadan	Flute or Fife	Fedanach
Cuislenna	Bag-pipes.	Cuisleannach	Fidil	Fidil	--

¹The Cruit was smaller than the Clairseach and it was also played with the fingers or a bow. The commonest Clairseach is bigger and it has 30 strings.

     Much has been said for the old Irish scale, but in general, there is an agreement on its pentatonic pattern. And the apparent use of the minor mode by the ancient Irish that serves for the liviest dances and on the contrary the use of the major scale for the caoines. But in both, there is a melancholy mood in the tunes.

     And finally, here it is a song by the Chieftains called "O'Sullivan's march" that is a perfect example of Irish music; I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:

Sources: W. H. Grattan Flood, University of Ireland, Fourth Edition “A History of Irish Music” (First edition, 1904).