Irish music
Irish folk music rightfully belongs to the status of one of the most ancient musical cultures on our planet. It has many faces and diverse, but thanks to the melodious, uncomplicated melodies, combined with a complex, whimsical rhythmic pattern, it is unmistakably recognized from the first bars in all corners of the globe. As for the Irish themselves, for them music is almost the main national treasure, and they are very proud that they managed to carry Celtic musical traditions through the centuries, carefully preserving to this day.
History tour
The art of composing poetry and composing songs originated in Ireland before the adoption of Christianity. The ancient Irish people called the first singers and poets to be Filiths and attributed to them the magical power of influencing a person and his fate. In the Middle Ages the musical and poetic traditions of the filids were picked up by bards who traveled around Europe with their songs and ballads, accompanying themselves mainly on the harp. These traditions were further developed in the work of the blind harper Torla O'Carolan - the most famous and talented musician in Ireland, who lived at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. He is the author of about 200 musical compositions. Many of them have survived, and today they can be heard in the performance of modern harpers.
Together with O 'Carolan, the era of the harp, the main instrument of the court bards and minstrels, ended in Irish music. At the end of the 17th century, it is replaced by bagpipes and a violin - the inalienable companions of the life of ordinary people on weekdays and holidays. The ancient Celtic ballads are gradually replaced by songs about life and everyday work, and they are sung not by roving singers, but by ordinary residents of towns and villages. This is how the famous Irish folk is born.
It is played not only on violins and bagpipes. Gradually, flutes, banjo, and borane play heavy tambourines made from goatskin. Thanks to the sailors, an accordion and a guitar hit the Emerald Isle and very quickly became popular with the local population. Under them, they danced with pleasure folk dances - reel and jig.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the music of the common people, who left their native villages in search of earnings, stepped into major cities. A new song genre is being born - the urban ballad, and many folk songs are translated from Irish into English. This explains the presence in the musical space of the Irish folk innumerable variants of the same song.
Second birth
Interest in Celtic folk around the world erupted in the mid 60s of the last century. At that time in Ireland professional music groups began to form en masse, performing on small stages of city clubs and pubs. They played music of different styles and trends, focusing mainly on its popularity with the public. But among the musicians there were those who had the idea to turn to folk music in their work, in other words, to play good old Irish folk in a modern way. Among the latter was the young composer Sean O 'Riad. In 1963, under his leadership, a group of Chieftains was formed, whose work determined the modern path of development of Celtic folk. During its long creative life, the group recorded 24 albums, each of which, despite the active use of folk melodies, sounds fresh and modern today.
The second group that turned to the national musical traditions was the group Dubliners. Her soloist Luke Kelly was distinguished by sincerity and sincere performance. This largely determines the success of the team in their native Ireland and on the world stage.
Most groups created in the 70s-80s inspired, to varying degrees, the successful example of their predecessors, but as everyone tried to bring something new to traditional folk music, new directions gradually emerged in world music culture — in particular, punk folk.
Thus, the music of the ancient Celts acquired a new face and sound, while retaining its inherent charm and magical power to influence listeners around the world.
Interesting Facts
- In 1601, the British authorities outlined the bagpipers, and began to massively destroy the bagpipes. Then the musicians began to use the corncob whistles. This tool has survived to the present day.
- Ireland is the leader in the number of victories in the international Eurovision song contest. Since 1965, residents of the Emerald Isle have won the contest seven times, including 3 times in a row.
- Ireland is the only country, one of the state symbols of which is a musical instrument. This is a harp. In the Middle Ages, a harp appears on the coat of arms and the national flag of Ireland. For several centuries until today, the image of the harp has been minted on coins. And even one of the main attractions of Dublin - the Samuel Beckett Bridge over the River Liffey - designed in the form of a harp.
- In Japan, one may be confronted with the statement that Irish music is healing, it cures the soul.
- Emerald Isle is famous for its abundance of music festivals, many of which have international status. Among the most popular are the annual festival of Irish music and culture, Temple Bar Trad, the Dublin Dance Festival, the jazz festival, and the Rosa Tralee festival of national music, where members of the Irish diaspora from around the world are allowed.
- In Dublin there is a bridge, named after the famous Irish singer Luke Kelly.
- The debut of the Irish ensemble "Riverdance" during the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in 1994 was the high point of this band and the reason for the rapidly rising popularity of Irish dance throughout the world.
- The 50 Irish pounds note is decorated with the image of the legendary Irish composer and harper Turly O 'Carolan.
- You can tell the same story three times in different ways and sing the same song a thousand times in different ways - says the Irish proverb, confirming that in Irish folklore every song has countless options.
- The folk ballad "The Fields of Athenry", preserved in Irish folklore, is today a popular anthem among Irish football fans.
- Irish composer and pianist of the 19th century John Field was one of the teachers of the Russian composer Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka.
National musical instruments
Irish bagpipes
The bagpipe is one of the most ancient instruments, which, in addition to the Irish people, are traditionally considered by their Scots, Spaniards and other peoples. But the device of the Irish bagpipes is fundamentally different from all the other variants of this tool. For forcing air into the bag, it uses not a wind tube and the power of the light piper, but special furs, like an accordion, which pump air. This feature determines the technique of the game. Only one fact can be cited as proof - a musician can extract seven sounds from an Irish bagpipe at a time, which is why Irish bagpipers are justly called kings of folk music.
Tin whistle
Tin-whistle - a kind of recorder, which appeared in the middle of the 19th century thanks to the ingenuity of the Englishman Robert Clark. He was a simple farm worker and rather skillfully played a whistle - a wooden pipe. This tool was very popular among the people, but because of its high prices it was not enough for ordinary people. Realizing this very well, Robert Clark came up with the idea of making whistles from tin sheets covered with a layer of tin. Tin flutes began to be in demand, became widespread and, eventually, reached Ireland, where they became so fond of that they eventually became perceived by the Irish as a national instrument. The production of tin-whistles, organized by Clark, has survived to our days, and today The Clarke Tinwhistle Company manufactures whistles that anyone can purchase without much damage to the wallet.
Fiddle
Fiddle is an Irish analogue violin. Unlike most instruments, the exact time of occurrence of which is difficult to establish, the Irish violin has its own birthday - December 11, 1793. It was on this day that a ship arrived in the Irish harbor, the main cargo of which was violins. There was real excitement among the local population: an unknown instrument caused genuine curiosity, and since it was also cheap, they snapped it up in two accounts. True, how to play on it, no one knew, and the Irish began to experiment. Instead of rubbing the rosin of the bow, they began to rosin the bottom decks of the instrument, so that it was more convenient to press it to the shoulder. As a result, the Irish have developed a distinctive style of playing the violin, which has become an integral part of the national musical culture.
Irish Harp
About the ancient origin of the harp says its repeated mention in the Celtic myths. From time immemorial, the harp in Ireland was not just a favorite instrument, it was one of the symbols of the state, revered in the days of war and peace. The harp, which played the court bard, sounded at the royal balls and receptions, and when the Irish army acted in the way, it was the harper who rode at the head of the warriors, encouraging them with music.
Popular songs
"Molly Malone" In Dublin, there is a monument to Molly Malone - the main character of one of the most popular songs in Ireland, which deals with the difficult fate of the girl Molly who sold fish on the street and died as a result of her illness at a young age. She was included in her repertoire of the most famous Irish singers - Sinead O'Connor, Ronnie Drew, The Dubliners, Johnny Logan. This song sounds in the cult film directed by Stanley Kubrick "A Clockwork Orange."
"Molly Malone" (listen)
"Zombie" This composition is Irish group The cranberries belongs to the landmark songs of the nineties. It was written in 1994 in protest against the actions of terrorists, who are responsible for the innocent people dying.
"Zombie" (listen)
"Galway Girl " A song about a girl from Galway is called the most popular Irish song in the last 20 years. She has been used repeatedly in Hollywood films. But today she is experiencing a rebirth and a new round of popularity thanks to the British singer Ed Sheeran, who sang it in English and released a video for her.
"Galway Girl" (listen)
"The Irish Rover " The song, whose name sounds like "Irish tramp", is a classic example of Irish folklore that has come down to our days. She was reworked hundreds of times - depending on who took it up to sing. One of the most famous versions of performance belongs to the group "The Dubliners". This composition gave the name to the Canadian musical group of the same name, which plays Irish music.
"The Irish Rover" (listen)
Famous Irish musicians
Legendary rock band opens popularity rating of Irish performers and musicians U 2. At the root of the creation of the group, formed in 1976, stood a 16-year-old teen Paul David Hewson, who invented his stage name Bono. Together with his friends, who studied with him in one of the Dublin schools, Bono was determined to break through to the very top of the musical Olympus and loudly declare himself in the world of rock culture. Young people succeeded. Two years later, they became winners of a music contest, and their first debut album, recorded in 1980, gained popularity not only in their native Ireland, but also abroad. Today, the U 2 group and its undisputed leader are laureates of 22 Grammy awards, Golden Globe awards and fans of a multi-million army all over the world who do not tire of creating fan groups of their idols.
Singer Eniyu called the female face of Irish music and the most distinctive artist of the Emerald Isle. Enya Brennan was born in a small village in northwestern Ireland, where people still speak the old Gaelic dialect and keep ancient Celtic melodies in memory. This circumstance in many respects predetermined the creative way of Eniya. The singer and composer works in the style of New-Enge - the musical traditions of the ancient Celts are clearly seen in the basis of the compositions that she performs. Enya is not the only representative of her family who has connected life with music. Her siblings, sister, and uncles created a family music project called The Family from Donegal. The group that popularizes Celtic ethnic music successfully performs in the local pubs of Donegal, where the Brennans family lives, and at various festivals.
Dublin-born Sinead O'Connor It turned out to be at the peak of world popularity in 1980, when she performed the song "Nothing Compares 2 U", which firmly settled on the top line of the world charts and received the honorary title "Song of the Year." For several decades, Sinead is considered one of the most powerful Irish vocalists, whose powerful talent is in demand not only on stage. The song "I Want Your Hands On Me" in its performance was chosen as the soundtrack to the film "A Nightmare on Elm Street-4: Sleep Lord". In one of the latest albums released by the singer, she turns to Irish folk songs, which speaks of her proximity to national roots.
The cradle of the popular Irish rock band The cranberries became the city of Limerick. The group was created in 1989, but it only found two years later with the arrival of Dolores O'Riordan, who became not only a soloist, but also the author of many songs of the group. Lyric songs in her performance put The Cranberries on par with key representatives of world rock music. In 2012, the group performed the sixth album, enthusiastically accepted by their fans around the world.
Irish folk rock band The corrs - Another successful example of family creativity. Three sisters - Andrea, Caroline, Sharon - and their brother Jim, who were born in the Corr family, are performers in whose work harmoniously combines Celtic folk tunes with melodic pop music. It was this combination that ensured the success of their first album "Talk on Corners", which was released in 1998 and became platinum in Ireland. Charming four travels around the world. They are especially warmly and enthusiastically received in Australia and New Zealand, where many immigrants from Ireland live.
New time is the world of new performers, but they all have one thing in common - a strong spiritual connection with the musical heritage of distant ancestors, which every Irishman since his birth feels in his soul. Due to this, Irish music, despite the difference in currents, is perceived as a kind of monolithic layer of culture. Its phenomenon is in wholeness, it is even played, as a rule, not alone, but together, and, as before, unites people in grief and joy, accompanies them at all stages of life, because it is - life itself.
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