Description

Is scoláire aitheanta é Breandán Ó Madagáin i réimse na Gaeilge agus na traidisiúin amhránaíochta agus filíochta a bhaineann léi. B’Ollamh le Gaeilge in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh é, agus ba nós aige an fhilíocht a chanadh sa rang dá chuid mac léinn, go dtuigfidís an tábhacht a bhain leis an gceol san fhilíocht. Sa saothar seo baineann sé feidhm as na réimsí éagsúla saineolais aige leis na seantraidisiúin cheoil seo a phlé. San áireamh sa dioscúrsa seo tá caointe, amhráin oibre, amhráin mhacarónacha, amhráin bheannaithe, marbhnaí agus amhráin pholaitiúla. Go heisceachtúil, sa saothar seo, cíortar an ceol a bhain leis na hamhráin seo, chomh maith leis an téacs, agus tá samplaí de le cloisteáil ar an dlúthdhiosca atá istigh leis an leabhar.

Pléitear an comhthéacs sóisialta ina gcloistí na seancheolta seo, agus san áireamh sa saothar tá traidisiúin na ngnáthdhaoine, chomh maith le traidisiúin na mbard agus an lucht léinn. Tugtar na focail sa leabhar de shamplaí stairiúla de na hamhráin seo, ina measc: máthair ag caoineadh a hiníne atá ag dul ar imirce go Meiriceá, sleachta as Caoineadh Art Uí Laoghaire, agus marbhnaí ar laochra stairiúla.

A bilingual publication that explores the old musical traditions of Ireland.

Breandán Ó Madagáin has long been a noted scholar in the field of the Irish language and the song and poetic traditions associated with it. He was Professor of Irish in NUI, Galway and used often sing the poems to his students during lectures, illustrating the integral function of music in Irish poetry. In this book he brings together the many strands of his knowledge to uncover the fascinating historical musical traditions of Ireland. Included in this analysis are keens, work songs, macaronic songs, religious songs, elegies and political songs. Uniquely, this work examines not only the texts but also the music associated with them, examples of which can be heard on the accompanying CD.

The book explores the contexts in which these various poetic and musical traditions were performed, their social function, and examines the traditions of the ordinary people and those of the learned poets. The book also contains the texts of many historically-documented instances of these: a mother keening her daughter who is going to America, excerpts from the famed Caoineadh Art Uí Laoghaire and elegies for historic figures.