Music in Ireland: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (Global Music Series)

By: Dorothea E. Hast and Stanley Scott

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Synopsis: Music in Ireland provides an engaging and focused introduction to Irish traditional music--types of singing, instrumental music, and dance that reflect the social values and political messages central to Irish identity. This music thrives today not only in Ireland but also in areas throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Vividly evoking Irish sounds, instruments, and dance steps, Music in Ireland provides a springboard for the discussion of cultural and historical issues of identity, community, nationalism, emigration, transmission, and gender. Using the informal instrumental and singing session as a focal point, Dorothea E. Hast and Stanley Scott take readers into contemporary performance environments and explore many facets of the tradition, from the "craic" (good-natured fun) to performance style, repertoire, and instrumentation. Incorporating first-person accounts of performances and interviews with performers and folklorists, the authors emphasize the significant roles that people play in music-making and illuminate national and international musical trends. They also address commercialism, globalization, and cross-cultural collaboration, issues that have become increasingly important as more Irish artists enter the global marketplace through recordings, tours, and large-scale productions like Riverdance.