Irish Songs by Stephen McBride
Traditional Irish music can date back to the pagan songs from the Celts. The earliest Irish songs that are still around today, come, at the earliest, from the 18th century. Many Irish tunes are ballads that tell of life and the happenings within them. Some have instrumental accompaniment, while others simply are vocal songs. The traditional Irish songs were written in the Irish language, but newer Irish music has been seen to include English. Sean-nos are unaccompanied vocals.
These Irish songs have a simple harmony. They are solos and were once considered the major part of traditional Irish tunes. A lot of the Irish music does not have complex melodies in their tunes, but strives for a simple but deep melody that captures one's attention. Irish tunes have found their way into folklore many times. One example of Irish music in myths is Dagda's harp. It was an enchanted harp that would lull men to sleep, or simply kill them just from listening to the song. Irish tunes have a deep rooted history in the folklore.
The caoineadh tunes is sadder music that can date back to as early as the 18th century. The word caoineadh literally translates as crying or weeping, and expresses deep emotions and feelings. They include lyrics of hardship, pain, and sorrow in the tunes. The traditional caoineadh songs expressed longing for the homeland of Ireland by the singer. The lyrics would show the sense of distress for the forced emigration due to a variety of reasons. Through this, the singer would show the hardships through song and free themselves in some way from the sorrow they felt in their heart.
Irish songs provided an outlet to show their pride for Ireland. It also allowed for the expression of deep seated emotions through music. It brought communities together, and bound them together through their love of music. It has been a tradition for many centuries for song to bring people together, and Irish tunes are no different. It is traditional Irish music that preserve the history of Ireland.
Irish song in the traditional sense, mainly used ten instruments. They customarily used the cruit which is similar to a small harp. It is a feminine word and was formerly called a crott in 600-900 century. The timpan was another traditional instrument. It was small and played with a bow. The feadan was a fife, and a buinne was similar to a modern day flute. The guthbuinne was a type of horn that played deeper tones. The bennbuabhai was a type of horn pipe. The cuislenna was the term for the traditional bagpipes. The stoc and sturgan were a type of trumpet. The last type of instrument was the cnamha or a castanets. These instruments were typically used in Irish music. The only music that didn't require accompaniment was the sean-nos.
It is interesting the amount of history tied up in both the traditional Irish instruments as well as traditional Irish music.
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