"The Companion to Irish Traditional Music is not just the ideal reference for the interested enthusiast and session player, it also provides a unique resource for every library, school and home with an interest in the distinctive rituals, qualities and history of Irish traditional music and song."--BOOK JACKET.

Fintan Vallely''s survey of Irish traditional music examines a wide range of topics relating to the histo ry of the genre, the characters, past and present who engage with the music and an analysis of the way the media represe nts it. '

This is a book of outstandingly warm, quirky and personality-laden pictures by the photographer Nutan. The moods and themes of these images are developed in the texts by Fintan Vallely and Charlie Piggott into personalities, lives, community and nation through biography, interview, comment, poetry and song. The voices are those of musicians and singers who have helped shape the revival of traditional music since the 1950s, along with today's generation of talented, articulate and highly educated players. Nostalgia, nationalism, romanticism, virtuosity and communitas here meet art and quiet confidence in cultural meaning.

Focus: Irish Traditional Music is an introduction to the instrumental and vocal traditions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as Irish music in the context of the Irish diaspora. Ireland's size relative to Britain or to the mainland of Europe is small, yet its impact on musical traditions beyond its shores has been significant, from the performance of jigs and reels in pub sessions as far-flung as Japan and Cape Town, to the worldwide phenomenon of Riverdance. Focus: Irish Traditional Music interweaves dance, film, language, history, and other interdisciplinary features of Ireland and its diaspora. The accompanying CD presents both traditional and contemporary sounds of Irish music at home and abroad.

In The Globalization of Irish Traditional Song Performance Susan Motherway examines the ways in which performers mediate the divide between local and global markets by negotiating this dichotomy in performance practice. In so doing, she discusses the globalizing processes that exert transformative influences upon traditional musics and examines the response to these influences by Irish traditional song performers. In developing this thesis the book provides an overview of the genre and its subgenres, illustrates patterns of musical change extant within the tradition as a result of globalization, and acknowledges music as a medium for re-negotiating an Irish cultural identity within the global. Given Ireland’s long history of emigration and colonisation, globalization is recognised as both a synchronic and a diachronic phenomenon. Motherway thus examines Anglo-Irish song and songs of the Irish Diaspora. Her analysis reaches beyond essentialist definitions of the tradition to examine evolving sub-genres such as Country & Irish, Celtic and World Music. She also recognizes the singing traditions of other ethnic groups on the island of Ireland including Orange-Order, Ulster-Scots and Traveller song. In so doing, she shows the disparity between native conceptions and native realities in respect to Irish cultural Identity.

BOOK ONLY (Audio CD available to buy on author's website). Learn to play Irish traditional music on the whistle with this tutor book from Tradschool 104 tunes (28 children's & folk songs + 76 traditional Irish tunes) This book gives a complete introduction to playing Irish music in the traditional style on the tin whistle; it covers all from the very first notes on the instrument to the most advanced ornamentation. The course is broadly divided into two parts, with the shorter first part covering the basics of the whistle while the longer second part (pages 49-296) covers the playing of Irish traditional music on the instrument. It is intended for anybody who wants to play traditional music in the Irish style, from complete beginners to confirmed or advanced players who wish to work on their style or ornamentation. Tablature as well as sheet music is used throughout the book, so it is accessible to the complete beginner; while more advanced players will appreciate the attention to detail in style and ornamentation in the later parts of the book. Contents Introduction Part One Unit 1: Beginning the Whistle Unit 2: Right Hand Notes Unit 3: The Second Octave Unit 4 - Scales Unit 5 - Rhythm, Articulation & Breathing Unit 6 - Putting it together 1 Part Two Unit 7 - Irish Traditional Music Unit 8 - Listening to Irish Music Unit 9 - The Jig Unit 10 - The Hornpipe Unit 11 - The Reel Unit 12 - Ornamentation Ornamentation 1 - The Cut Ornamentation 2 - The Tap Ornamentation 3 - The Slide Ornamentation 4 - The Roll Ornamentation 5 - The Short Roll Ornamentation 6 - The Triplet Ornamentation 7 - The Bounce Ornamentation 8 - The Cran Ornamentation 9 - Combining Ornaments Ornamentation 10 - Staccato Triplets Ornamentation 11 - Summary Unit 13 - Other tunes Unit 14 - Playing in different keys Unit 15 - Playing Irish Music Unit 16 - Putting It Together 2 Unit 17 - Tunes Appendix 1 - Troubleshooting Appendix 2 - Reading Music Appendix 3 - Bibliography Appendix 4 - Tracklist

While the wooden simple-system flute is traditionally used in playing Irish music, a growing number of folk players have adopted the silver flute as a viable alternative. Here for the first time, The Complete Irish Flute Book presents the silver or Boehm flutist with a method for learning authentic Irish ornamentation! This thorough guide provides detailed fingering charts, exercises, and technical essays for learning to execute ornaments in the in the Irish style. Through a wealth of hornpipes, reels, jigs, set dances, and slow airs and songs. This book focuses not only on musical accuracy, but stylistic authenticity as well. The companion CD contains 26 of the 101 tunes from the book.