An Illustrated History of Irish Songs and Music

By Megan O. Suilleabhain

The purpose of this book is to shed light on the social history of Irish Traditional music and its musicians, for despite its exposure and popularity, it still remains obscure. The book traces this history from the Neolithic and Bronze Age, through the myths and legends of the ancient Celts. The early Gaelic-speaking people adopted Christianity and grafted it into their archaic pagan world. Before this, the tradition was strictly oral and it was only with the coming of Christianity that the stories and songs became written down through the monastic tradition, although during Medieval times, Irish music was prohibited. The book also traces the jigs and ballads brought over by the Ulster Scots and the exportation of musicians to the New World during Cromwell's brutal resettlement. During the Williamite wars a huge repertoire of Protestant marching tunes evolved, which are ill enjoyed in modern-day Ulster.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1840674709
• ISBN13: 9781840674705
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Caxton
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.95 lbs.