Overview

Since World War I, the self-contained communities of Gaelic-speaking Scotland, characterised by collaborative effort and a robust sense of communal identity, have been transformed. Improved transport and communications have brought today’s Gaelic speakers into the culture of mainstream Western society. Once an integral part of daily life, Gaelic singing has become an art form heard less at home than on concert platforms, at the Mòd, and on commercial recordings, where a «good voice» and emotive style – neither part of the traditional aesthetic – help singers differentiate themselves in the traditional music marketplace. Written in an accessible style and providing guidance for those wishing to access audible examples, this book will help both scholars and general readers grasp the magnitude of change as it has transformed an important aspect of Scottish Gaelic culture.

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9781788745529

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Reviews

Dr Blankenhorn's publications are essential reading for any scholar of Scottish or Irish musicology or ethnology. They are distinguished by their empiricism, coherence, analytical precision and thought-provoking nature. In this age of vapid `pop-trad' recordings and commercialisation of heritage, Dr Blankenhorn implores us to consider the aesthetics, emotional contexts and Weltanschauung that informed Gaelic song in the past and which continue to do so in Gaelic-speaking communities today. She strips away ephemeral, gauche varnish and celebrates what is enduring, real and good in Gaelic song. (William Lamb, Senior Lecturer in Scottish Ethnology, University of Edinburgh) This volume, by an outstanding scholar on her field, fills a major gap in Gaelic academic literature to date. It will appeal widely to other scholars of music, song, orality and literary creativity. Peter Lang is to be congratulated on publishing it. (Professor Emeritus Donald E. Meek)

Dr Blankenhorn's publications are essential reading for any scholar of Scottish or Irish musicology or ethnology. They are distinguished by their empiricism, coherence, analytical precision and thought-provoking nature. In this age of vapid 'pop-trad' recordings and commercialisation of heritage, Dr Blankenhorn implores us to consider the aesthetics, emotional contexts and Weltanschauung that informed Gaelic song in the past and which continue to do so in Gaelic-speaking communities today. She strips away ephemeral, gauche varnish and celebrates what is enduring, real and good in Gaelic song. (William Lamb, Senior Lecturer in Scottish Ethnology, University of Edinburgh) This volume, by an outstanding scholar on her field, fills a major gap in Gaelic academic literature to date. It will appeal widely to other scholars of music, song, orality and literary creativity. Peter Lang is to be congratulated on publishing it. (Professor Emeritus Donald E. Meek)

Author Information

Virginia Blankenhorn is an Honorary Fellow in Celtic and Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University. She received a B.A. degree in music from Wellesley College, pursued post-graduate study in Celtic Studies at Harvard University, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Edinburgh. She has held lectureships at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Ulster. Publications include works on modern Irish poetic metre, paralinguistic features in spoken Irish, and the repertoire of Connemara singer Seosamh ÓhÉanaí (Joe Heaney). She has published many articles on the song traditions of Ireland and Gaelic Scotland.

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