Nomenclature

[Stephen Mills]

"Oh, you have a concertina", they say. "What do you play on it?" Ignoring my small set of "inappropriate/unexpected" tunes, I might (but wouldn't) say something like "I play Celtic music in the Irish style."

 

This raises several questions. What is the Irish style? Mostly single lines with a significant amount of ornamentation and maybe occasional brief harmonies? What if I add runs in the bass or a full bass line? Am I then disowned by those playing in the Irish style?

 

Almost half of my folk tunes originate in Scotland, England, or Wales, and I’m claiming “Lakes of Pontchartrain” for America. Is there playing “in the Scottish style”? Even if, recalling another thread, the concertina is not widespread in Scottish music, what are the hallmarks of that tradition on other instruments that differ from “Irish”?

 

What do you call the music as a whole? To call it all Irish seems wrong to me. Celtic certainly suggests itself, and seemed fine to me 20 years ago when Alan Stivell was popularizing the Celtic harp. Today, though, it’s getting a New Age tinge to it that I don’t entirely like. “Folk music of the British Isles?” A little unwieldy.

 

To anticipate one type of response, yes, of course, it’s the music the matters, not the terminology, but I enjoy hearing the learned and experienced among who know the fine distinctions among morrises and so on share your collective wisdom.

Edited February 18, 2004 by Stephen Mills

[JimLucas]

"Oh, you have a concertina", they say.  "What do you play on it?"  Ignoring my small set of "inappropriate/unexpected" tunes, I might (but wouldn't) say something like "I play Celtic music in the Irish style."

 

This raises several questions.

It sure does. Like, "Which airlines fly to Celtland?"

Or the more serious question: If you said that, would they be able to picture what you mean? Saying "Irish and Scottish tunes", on the other hand, might leave them with a much clearer idea.

 

What is the Irish style?

Like so many things, it depends on who you ask. To most folks discussing anglo concertina, it means playing full melody, probably with some melodic ornamentation, possibly with occasional isolated harmony notes, maybe short phrases with octave doubling, but almost certainly no significant harmonizing or chording.

 

Of course, by this standard Niall Vallely -- one of the premier Irish anglo players -- does a lot of great stuff that isn't "Irish style".

 

Mostly single lines with a significant amount of ornamentation and maybe occasional brief harmonies?

Sort of what I said, but I guess you said it first.

 

What if I add runs in the bass or a full bass line?  Am I then disowned by those playing in the Irish style?

By some of them, yes. But that's the first thing I noticed the first time I heard Niall: bass runs... chromatic, even.

 

Almost half of my folk tunes originate in Scotland, England,...

I'm sure you realize that none of the Angles, Saxons, or Normans were/are Celts.

...or Wales, and I’m claiming “Lakes of Pontchartrain” for America.

No problem there. Lots of English, Irish, Scots, Welsh -- and others, of course, -- settled in America.

 

Is there playing “in the Scottish style”?  Even if, recalling another thread, the concertina is not widespread in Scottish music, what are the hallmarks of that tradition on other instruments that differ from “Irish”?

Fiddle would probably be the main instrument for making comparisons. In my experience, Irish music on the whole is smoother both melodically and rhythmically than Scottish. The "Scottish snap" of strathspeys is an extreme example of the more abrupt and bouncy Scottish tendency, and is idiomatic to Scottish music.

 

What do you call the music as a whole?

"Music"! Sometimes "traditional music" or even "folk music", but then I usally add some qualifiying/descriptive explanation unless I'm quite sure my audience already knows exactly what I mean.

 

To call it all Irish seems wrong to me.  Celtic certainly suggests itself, and seemed fine to me 20 years ago when Alan Stivell was popularizing the Celtic harp.  Today, though, it’s getting a New Age tinge to it that I don’t entirely like.  “Folk music of the British Isles?”  A little unwieldy.

 

To anticipate one type of response, yes, of course, it’s the music the matters, not the terminology,...

I would go further than that and say that it's the understanding that matters. If the terminology promotes misconceptions, don't use it. (I repeat, English is not Celtic.) A symbol, whether word, phrase, or graphic can greatly enhance understanding if its meaning is precise, well known, and universally agreed upon. "3x(1+7)" is much easier to read or write (for those who know standard math notation) than "three times the quantity one plus seven", and "11" is far simpler than "||||||||||||" (especially since the latter actually has 12 strokes... did you notice?).

 

But simple sound bites which convey little or even inaccurate information, but are used to give people the feeling they understand when they really don't, are the enemy of both real understanding and real appreciation. I suggest that if you're explaining what you do, you take your time about it, use plenty of words, observe your listener, and insure that they get the enlightenment you are both seeking. If you're performing, on the other hand, why not start out with, "I'd like to play some music for you." Then introduce each number ("a Scottish reel"; "a slip jig, which is a wonderfully graceful Irish dance, and I wish you could see it"; "a contemporary song with a timeless subject";...) without any attempt to cram them all into a single mold.

 

...but I enjoy hearing the learned and experienced among who know the fine distinctions among morrises and so on share your collective wisdom.

But listen to yourself: You're praising our ("our"? how presumptuous of me ) appreciation of fine distinctions, not our talent for inaccurate overgeneralization.

 

...........Cheers.