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The harp is Ireland’s national emblem
It is also Ireland’s oldest instrument, with evidence for its presence going back to the 9th century
In many ways we can track the history of Ireland through the history of the harp
From the 15th to the 18th century the harp was especially popular in Ireland
It was an aristocratic instrument played by professional harpers
Harpers were patronised by wealthy Gaelic land owners to provide entertainment for special occasions
These harpers were highly trained and very important members of society (next only to the file in importance!)
They provided accompaniment for the poems recited by the file.
In the 17th century Irish society changed dramatically under English rule (penal laws)
Patronising of the arts began to die away as few could afford to keep harpers as they had once done
This forced the harpers to become itinerant
One such itinerant harper was Turlough O’Carolan
Turlough O’Carolan is Ireland’s most famous harper
He was born in 1670 in Nobber, Co. Meath
He was blind, like many other well-known harpers
O’Carolan was very famous throughout Ireland and even abroad
He composed hundreds of songs and solo harp pieces
Planxty Irwin and Fanny Power are amongst his most famous compositions
As O’Carolan travelled the country he tended to adopt and play popular music to suit his audiences
This resulted in O’Carolan using many of the features (sequences, scale passages, suspensions and strong cadences) found in Baroque music
Musical examples: Carolan’s Concerto and Captain O’Kane
O’Carolan played what we now call the Ancient Celtic Harp
What does it sound like?Does it remind you of another
instrument? Is it loud/soft?Does it echo?
The ancient Celtic harp had metal strings
Harpists plucked these strings with their fingernails
This gave this harp a rich bell-like tone
This type of harp began to die out in the 17th century
This type of harp was taller and thinner and had gut strings
Harpers plucked these strings with their finger pads
These changes resulted in a mellower tone
Brass levers were also introduced to raise strings by a semitone
Laoise Kelly
The Belfast Harp Festival was organised in 1792 to help revive the ancient harp music
10 Irish and 1 Welsh harper played in the 4-day event
At 96 Denis Hempson was the oldest participant and the only one to play with long fingernails
As well as promote Irish music, the festival served to preserve music of the ancient harp tradition for posterity
Edward Bunting, aged 19, was employed by the festival committee to notate the music that was played at the festival.
Though there are some flaws with his notations, they effectively saved the ancient Gaelic harp tunes from extinction.
Bunting is very important because he was the first collector to collect tunes in a systematic and informative way.
Other collectors include John and William Neal who printed the first collection of Irish music, A Collection of the Most Celebrated Irish Tunes, in 1724.
Neal’s tunes included Taimse im Chodladh and were arranged for violin, flute and oboe
The site of Neal’s Music Hall on Fishamble St (near Christchurch), where Handel’s Messiah was first performed in 1742
For many trad. musicians Francis O’Neill is considered to be the most important collector of dance music
In 1903 he published O'Neill's Music of Ireland containing 1,850 pieces of music
Then in 1907 he published The Dance Music of Ireland, sometimes called "O'Neill's 1001“ or simply “The Book”
The tunes he collected from Irish immigrants in Chicago include many reels, jigs, hornpipes, marches, airs and tunes by O’Carolan
Francis O’Neill was Chief of Police in Chicago from 1901 to 1905
Improvements in recording technology have meant that 20th century collectors have been able to make more accurate recordings of traditional music and have been able to bring the music to a wider audience
20th century collectors include Seamus Ennis, Breandan Breathnach and Ciaran MacMathuna