Irish Traditional

Fueled by the nation's present-day prosperity, Ireland's traditional music scene is buzzing as never before. Musicians from immigrant communities are exchanging influences with native-born Irish and Irish music is increasingly popular on the world stage. The present fascination with traditional music and songs sung in the Irish language dates primarily from the mid-1960s, when the composer-arranger-musicologist Sean Ó'Raida (1931–'71) began a Celtic revival. His influence, which led directly to the founding of the Chieftains, Ireland's multi-Grammy-winning musical ambassadors, also sparked a '70s folk revival.

Much of Irish traditional music is meant for dancing. The tunes range from four-to-the-bar reels to various types of jigs, which can be either sprightly or stately. Most jigs are in 6/8, but there is an older style known as a slip jig that trips along in 9/8. Styles from abroad, such as hornpipes, mazurkas, waltzes and polkas, have been gradually transformed into recognizably Irish versions as have assorted Scottish and Scandinavian influences. Most dance tunes, wherever they originated, favor modal tuning and a circular construction in which two different strains of eight bars are each played through twice, then the resulting thirty-two bars are repeated from the top. This allows for endless repetitions and smooth transitions between selections, which is very important as each dance set generally consists of two or more tunes performed sequentially. There is also a sizable repertoire of instrumental "slow airs," which give dancers a chance to catch their breath,

The instruments vary relatively little from ensemble to ensemble, and they may be either electric or acoustic, but an astonishing array of sounds is drawn from them. Fiddles, wood flutes, tin whistles and squeezeboxes are commonly used, augmented by guitars and by the bouzouki, a Greek lute that has become very popular with Irish musicians. The bodhrán, a hand-held goatskin wooden frame drum, marks the time. The whole is sometimes embellished by the plaintively reedy sound of the uilleann (elbow) pipes, a small bagpipe peculiar to Ireland. The pipes are an important solo instrument, especially for slow airs, which are among the oldest surviving types of Irish music. The clarseach (Irish harp) has made a strong come-back from near-obscurity and is once again a living symbol of Ireland.

As young musicians began to explore their heritages, they unearthed a rich family of iconic forebears. Fiddlers sought out archival recordings by County Sligo's Michael Coleman (1891–'45) or, if they were lucky, got to study with County Clare's Frank Custy. Tin-whistle aficionados sat at the feet of Micho Russell while fans of the wooden flute learned from the works of John McKenna and Paddy Taylor. Aspiring pipers could draw upon the examples of Leo Rowsome (1903–'70) and Willie Clancy (1918–'73), a multi-instrumentalist and a fine singer, as well as that of his teacher, the traveling piper Johnny Doran (1907–'50). Seamus Ennis (1919–'82) was another piper of note as well as a producer, broadcaster and linguistics expert.

The accordion and other free reeds were relative late-comers to Irish music, but John Kimmel, Joe Cooley and Joe Burke were three widely emulated players. Harpists were inspired by the legacy of Turlough O'Carolan (1670–1738), a blind virtuoso-composer whose surviving works make up much of that instrument's repertoire and who is often described as the last bard. Grainne Yeats, daughter of poet W.B. Yeats, was a more modern but early champion of the harp, as were Mary O'Hara, a trailblazing former nun, and Antoinette McKenna. Vocalists thrilled to albums by Seosamh Ó hÉanaí (Joe Heaney) the legendary dean of the a cappella and very demanding sean-nós style, but also sought out material by Joe Holmes, Len Graham, Packie Byrne, Sarah Makem (mother of longtime Clancy Brothers collaborator Tommy Makem), Margaret Barry and Paddy Tunney.

An examination of the contemporary traditional music scene reveals that younger performers have learned their lessons well. Some of today's superstar fiddlers include Sean Keane (the Chieftains,) Kevin Burke, Paddy Glackin, Tommy Peoples, Frankie Gavin, Martin Hayes, Eileen Ivers, Liz Carroll, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Nollaig Casey and Márie Breathnach. The posterity of the tin whistle is in capable hands with Mary Bergin and her American-born disciple, Joanie Madden of Cherish the Ladies. While flutists like the Chieftains' Matt Molloy, the late Frankie Kennedy, Cathal McConnell and Kevin Crawford are crucial role models. Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains and Davy Spillane of Riverdance fame are unquestionably the world's most famous modern uillean pipers, but Liam O'Flynn, Finbar Furey, Paddy Keenan and Jerry O'Sullivan have also achieved strong followings. Ireland is also full of brilliant accordionists these days, with James Keane, Martin O'Connor (formerly of De Dannan), Joe Derrane, Jackie Daly and especially the very inventive bandleader Sharon Shannon leading the pack. The harp, once almost a lost instrument is, happily, once more a vital part of Irish music. The foremost latter-day exponent was the late Derek Bell, who played with the Chieftains almost from their inception. Among old-style Irish-language singers Triona Ní Domhnaill, Dolores Keane, Tríona Ní Dhomnaill, Niamh Parsons, Maighread Ní Dhomnaill hold pride of place, while Susan McKeown, Liam Ó Maonlai and Iarla Ó Lionáird are steeped in all that came before but routinely travel between yesterday and tomorrow. Andy Irvine, Christy Moore, Mary Black and Dolores Keane are known for performing old songs written in English and often interpret traditionally based, newly composed material.

Any list of celebrated groups would of course have to begin with Seán Ó Riada's Ceoltoiri Chualann and its celebrated offshoot, the Chieftains, before moving on to mid-to-late 20th-century folk-revival pioneers like the Bothy Band, Planxty, De Dannan, Dordan (Mary Bergin's delightful "ascendancy Baroque" consort) and Clannad. Among the pick of their more recent descendants are Altan, Lunasa, Danu and Flook. Irish-American hybrids include the Clancy Brothers, a '50s-era phenomenon known for their hearty sing-alongs and Republican tendencies, and more recent and folklore-based acts like Solas and Cherish the Ladies. —Christiana Roden