| Glassie: Ch. 4 “The Next Day” | · In this chapter Glassie introduces Ballymenone’s “great historian” Hugh Nolan and speaks at length about local concepts of “history”; how do those concepts or definition differ from those we might expect in the academic setting? This would include questions like: Who carries history? What is history’s function? How does history serve community? What sorts of events are valid topics for history? What is the historian’s responsibility to the history s/he conveys? What is the historian’s responsibility to the community? · Also in this chapter, we get extended examples of Glassie’s method for transcribing (e.g., capturing on the page) “oral history”—that is, history which is conveyed in speech and conversation. What specific orthographic (e.g., structure, grammar, and writing style) choices does Glassie make in these transcriptions? And why do you think he makes them? What are the advantages to the rather peculiar orthography which Glassie employs? | |
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| Carson: “Ask My Father” and “Pigtown” | · “AMF” is essentially about language: about dialog, and about the dialogs that the particularly evocative titles of instrumental tunes can create. He includes extensive quotations from several other authors in this chapter: in fact, as many words in the chapter are written by others as are written by Carson himself. Does this somehow relate to the theme of this chapter? What is the relationship between words that are borrowed from other authors and tunes that are learned by ear from other musicians? How might this concept of “ownership and sharing” relate to or differ from more formal or individual-oriented concepts of ownership? · “PT” is essentially Carson’s transcription of a joke in the “shaggy-dog story” format. Why would Carson make a whole chapter out of it? Is he perhaps saying something about Irish concepts of time versus “hurry”? Does this shaggy-dog story tell us about other aspects of Irish aesthetics? Who comes out on top in the story: the sophisticated “returned Yank” or the Irish pig farmer? Does this story remind you of some of the “bids” and “pants” which Glassie describes? If so, how? |
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| Ó hAllmhuráin: 25-46 “Music in Early and Mediaeval Ireland” and “Tudor and Stuart Ireland” | · These chapters pick up the history of music in Ireland from approximately the time of the Fianna (after 100AD), where our history lecture left off. What aspects of very early Celtic esthetics seem to have been maintained in later periods: about music’s power, about musician’s role, about the treatment of musicians, about music’s job in retaining cultural history and cultural identity? Note the dates and the protagonists of the various English invasions, note the response of the invaders to music and language, and ask yourself why invaders saw music and language as such severe potential threats. |
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| Linked: Smith, liner notes to Crossroads of the Celts | · Liner notes to the Altramar CDs Crossroads of the Celts (focusing on music of the insular Celtic languages: that is: Welsh, Scots Gaelic, and Irish Gaelic; in other words, primarily pre- and very early-Christian music) and From Galway to Galicia (focusing on music of the “Atlantic Celtic” coastal culture); these notes roughly parallel the time period covered by Ó hAllmhuráin, above. What was the role of sound in ancient Celtic society? What were music’s powers? To what categories did the Celts assign music? To what extent did these beliefs about the spoken word, the memory, and “music as sacred sound” carry on into the more recent folk-music tradition? |
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Readings: for 1/21/09 and after
Just a chance to move forward here. Find the pdf's (linked) on our WebCT site, but please do comment here. Keep reading, keep thinking, relate to classroom discussion.
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9 comments:
I really appreciate the O hAllmhurain factual history. I can say with confidence that I don't know too much about the history of Ireland so I liked reading objective factual information.
The genre (is this the correct terminology?) of sean nos is a descendent of the music from the ancient monastaries
The excerpt mentioned that the Crith Gabblach identifies a social and legal hierarchy among musicians. This tells me that the society placed value on certain musics or sounds of instruments over others. With this value system musicians at the top of the social pyramid enjoy more social freedoms and legal benefits. The sheer fact that this heirarchy was in place and that is in written histoy also indicates the value that the society placed on music in general.
Ask my Father - Carson
There is a communial sense of shared ownership that comes from the way traditional Irish players use language for titles. It seems as if music/song/dance is in a fluid state of ebb and flow - things are constantly changing. This short chapter is helping me wind my way from the outside of the spiral to the center. (to use our class sprial journey metaphor!)
Ask My Father – Carson
I really enjoyed this one! Learning tunes like this, I never really considered the fact that one tune having several different names is a reflection of the music. It is hard to know what the name of a particular tune is (partially because there are so many, and partially because so many tunes sound alike). Tunes change from one musician to the next, so there is never one final version. Carson aptly quotes Revd. Dr. Richard Henebry, “Who shall say what is the absolute version of a given tune, for such a thing clearly does not and never did exist.” (pg. 11) And this happens of course because every musician makes a tune unique. Henebry remembers trying to listen to the masters to make use of any “such changes of version or interpretation” (pg. 11) that he liked. And not only do the musicians like to make changes, but they are expected to if they are to be considered good! So, why shouldn’t one tune have many different names? Each tune has as many versions as there are musicians that play it. This is true with all traditional musics.
Kalli I agree fully with your comments. I felt that this concept of versions or interpretation was also addressed in "Boil the Breakfast Early." Who knew eggs would be such a great imagery for the way music is made, and "digested" !?
This is a test, but, only a test.
Boil the Breakfast Early-
So descriptive, I felt as though I was in right there experiencing every aroma of the fry and smoke, clanging of the dishes and chatter, hustle and bustle of people hurrying below the building, etc. Beautifully written to give attention to aspects that may desire more of our attention-much like music.
Ask My Father-
I agree with Anna that there is a shared ownership of the songs. There is a communal sense between the musicians sense words from one song are borrowed from the tune of another and vice versa. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and since their songs are transmitted aurally there is not a confirmed written composer or author for each song or variant of each song. They are all sharing from a large pool of tunes and airs.
Okay someone clue me in here- I am a bit confused with some of the language used in the Glassie in regards to location. District, townland, parish etc. Can someone relate it to our system of county/state/country? (p.19)
Ask My Father-
I loved this chapter too! I love how it expresses the true heart of music making. So often I think many musicians are obsessed with the score and making sure every marking is observed. But there is so much more to music that cannot be written down. It expresses parts of the soul that are beyond words and score. That is why I loved how there are so many versions of songs as mentioned in the text because the Irish culture seems to make everything so personal and unique.
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