the choral music of irish composer michael mcglynn

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The Choral Music of Irish Composer MichaelMcGlynnStacie Lee RossowUniversity of Miami, [email protected]

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UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

THE CHORAL MUSIC OF IRISH COMPOSER MICHAEL MCGLYNN

By

Stacie Lee Rossow

A DOCTORAL ESSAY

Submitted to the Faculty of the University of Miami

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts

Coral Gables, Florida

June 2010

2010 Stacie Lee Rossow

All Rights Reserved

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

A doctoral essay submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Musical Arts

THE CHORAL MUSIC OF IRISH COMPOSER

MICHAEL MCGLYNN

Stacie Lee Rossow

Approved: ________________ _________________ Donald Oglesby, D.M. Terri A. Scandura, Ph.D. Professor Dean of the Graduate School Vocal Performance ________________ _________________ Joshua Habermann, D.M.A. Melissa de Graaf, Ph.D. Associate Professor Assistant Professor Vocal Performance Musicology ________________ Teresa Lesiuk, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Music Therapy

ROSSOW, STACIE LEE (D.M.A., Choral Conducting) The Choral Music of Irish Composer (June 2010) Michael McGlynn. Abstract of a doctoral essay at the University of Miami. Doctoral essay supervised by Professor Donald Oglesby. No. of pages in text (271)

Michael McGlynn is predominantly known around the world for his choral music that

reflects the traditional sounds of Ireland. The greater body of his compositions, however,

fit into the contemporary choral genre and represent a sizable contribution to the choral

music repertoire of Ireland. This essay begins with a discussion of McGlynns life and

work. Extensive interviews and rehearsal comments with the composer regarding

compositional process and performance practice were conducted and are included. The

musical history of Ireland and details regarding the harmonic and rhythmic language

specific to the vocal music of the country are included to provide background information

for the reader. Song comparisons from various sources detail the living nature of

Irelands traditional music. The Appendices contain a complete list of McGlynns works,

a discography, IPA pronunciation guides for McGlynns Irish language compositions,

reference scores for all compositions discussed, and programming details about Michael

McGlynns most frequently performed choral compositions.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Sincere gratitude to Michael McGlynn for his cooperation and invaluable assistance throughout this process.

Thank you to the staff of the Irish Traditional Music Archive for their patience and

guidance in securing research sources.

Thank you to my mother, Kris Niehaus, and my grandmother, Mary Arline Hohlt, to Sue, Dave, and Pamela Rossow, and to Patricia Fleitas for their support and dedication to my

education.

Lastly, thank you to my husband, David, and my children, David and Emma, for their love, patience, and encouragement throughout my doctoral education.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ............................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ......................................................................... xi Chapter 1 MICHAEL MCGLYNN ................................................................................. 1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 Personal History ............................................................................................ 3 Anna ............................................................................................................. 6 Compositional Output and Style .................................................................... 10 2 CULTURE AND MUSIC HISTORY OF IRELAND .................................. 12 Irish Historical Overview .............................................................................. 12 Music in Ireland ............................................................................................. 15 3 IRISH VOCAL MUSIC ................................................................................. 20 Language ......................................................................................................... 21 Sean-ns........................................................................................................... 25 Choral Music in Ireland ................................................................................... 29 4 TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSICAL ELEMENTS ......................................... 32 Harmonic Devices .......................................................................................... 33 Rhythmic Devices............................................................................................ 42 Instruments and Accompaniment ................................................................... 43 5 TRADITIONAL SONGS OF IRELAND ....................................................... 49 Collectors of Irish Music ................................................................................ 49 Song Comparisons .......................................................................................... 52 S do Mhaimeo ....................................................................................... 53 Ardaigh Cuan ............................................................................................ 58 Silent, OMoyle ......................................................................................... 60 Siil, a Rin ............................................................................................... 63 6 SELECTED CHORAL ARRANGEMENTS OF MICHAEL MCGLYNN ... 66 Traditional Repertoire ..................................................................................... 67

v

S do Mhaimeo ....................................................................................... 67 Siil, a Rin ............................................................................................... 74 Medieval Chant Source .................................................................................. 75 Cormacus Scripsit...................................................................................... 75 7 SELECTED ORIGINAL CHORAL WORKS OF MICHAEL MCGLYNN . 81 Traditional Works ........................................................................................... 82 Dlamn .................................................................................................... 82 Natural Works ................................................................................................. 86 Wind on Sea............................................................................................... 87 Island ......... ............................................................................................... 92 Spiritual Works ............................................................................................... 95 Sanctus ....................................................................................................... 96 Incantations................................................................................................ 99 Agnus Dei (2008)....................................................................................... 105 GLOSSARY................................................................................................................. 116 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................... 118 APPENDIX A: Works List ........................................................................................ 125 Alphabetical Listing by Title ........................................................................... 125 Chronological Listing of Works ...................................................................... 129 List of Works by Commission......................................................................... 132 Works by Voicing............................................................................................ 133 Arrangements................................................................................................... 136 Original Compositions..................................................................................... 137 APPENDIX B: Discography ...................................................................................... 140 APPENDIX C: IPA Transcriptions ............................................................................. 145 Agnus Dei (2008)............................................................................................. 146 An Oche .......................................................................................................... 146 Cnnla ............................................................................................................ 147 Dlamn .......................................................................................................... 148 Incantations .................................................................................................... 149 Salve Rex ........................................................................................................ 150 S do Mhaimeo ............................................................................................. 150 APPENDIX D: Complete Musical Examples ............................................................. 152 S do Mhaimeo ............................................................................................. 152 Ardaigh Cuan .................................................................................................. 158 Silent, OMoyle ............................................................................................... 160 Siil, a Rin ..................................................................................................... 163

vi

APPENDIX E: Michael McGlynn Selected Scores .................................................... 167 Agnus Dei ........................................................................................................ 169 Cormacus Scripsit............................................................................................ 177 Dlamn .......................................................................................................... 181 Incantations...................................................................................................... 185 Invocation ........................................................................................................ 190 Island ............................................................................................................. 194 Sanctus ............................................................................................................. 203 S do Mhaimeo ............................................................................................. 209 Siil, a Rin ..................................................................................................... 218 Wind on Sea..................................................................................................... 224 APPENDIX F: Survey of Suggested Choral Works of Michael McGlynn................. 231

vii

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Example

3.1 Amhrnaocht meter in 9/8 ................................................................. 22

3.2 Amhrnaocht meter in 3/4 .................................................................. 23

4.1 Doh mode (F Doh) ............................................................................... 36

4.2 Doh Mode, Cailleacha Chige Uladh ................................................. 36

4.3 Re Mode (C Doh) ................................................................................ 36

4.4 Re Mode, Tiagharna Mhaighe-eo ....................................................... 37

4.5 Mi mode (F Doh) ................................................................................. 37

4.6 Mi Mode, The Campbells are Coming ............................................ 38

4.7 Fa Mode (C Doh) ................................................................................. 38

4.8 Fa Mode, The Last Time I Came Thro the Muire .......................... 39

4.9 Sol Mode (G Doh) ................................................................................ 39

4.10 Sol Mode, Bn-Chnoic ireann ...................................................... 39

4.11 La Mode (G Doh) ................................................................................ 40

4.12 La Mode, Ardaidh Cuain .................................................................... 40

4.13 Pentatonic Scale .................................................................................. 41

4.14 Hexatonic Scale................................................................................... 41

4.15 Uilleann Pipes, chanter range ............................................................. 47

4.16 Uilleann pipes, Drones ....................................................................... 47

viii

4.17 Uilleann Pipes, regulator chords ......................................................... 48

5.1 Cailleach an Airgid, Canainn, mm. 1-2 ......................................... 55

5.2 Cailleacha Chige Uladh, Petrie, mm. 1-2 ....................................... 55

5.3 Cailleacha Chige Uladh, Petrie .......................................................... 56

5.4 Cailleach an Airgid, Canainn ........................................................... 56

5.5 Cailleach an Airgid, Heaney, mm. 1-4 ................................................ 56

5.6 'S Do Mhaimeo , hEidhin, mm. 1-4 .............................................. 57

5.7 'S do Mhaimeo , McGlynn, mm. 1-4 ................................................. 57

5.8 S Do Mham , McLaughlin, mm. 1-5 ................................................. 58

5.9 'S Do Mhaimeo , hEidhin, mm. 9-12 ............................................. 58

5.10 'S do Mhaimeo - McGlynn, mm. 10-13 .............................................. 58

5.11 Airdi Cuan, Baoill, mm. 16-22 .......................................................... 59

5.12 Airde Cuan, MacEoin, mm. 16-22 ........................................................ 59

5.13 Ardaigh Cuan, McGlynn, mm. 1-4 ....................................................... 60

5.14 The Song of Fionnuala- Moore, m. 1-2 ................................................. 61

5.15 Arah My Dear Ev'Leen- Fleischmann (4521), m. 1-2 ............................ 61

5.16 Silent O Moyle, be the Roar of the Water, Page, mm. 1-2 ...................... 62

5.17 Silent, O Moyle- McGlynn, m. 13-16 ..................................................... 62

5.18 Song of Fionnaula- Moore, mm. 13-16 .................................................. 62

5.19 Alone in Crowds: Shule Aroon, Moore, mm. 9-13 ................................. 64

6.1 Cailleach an Airgid, Heaney .................................................................. 68

6.2 S do Mhaimeo , McGlynn ................................................................... 69

6.3 S do Mhaimeo , McGlynn, mm. 1-5 .................................................... 70

ix

6.4 S do Mhaimeo , McGlynn, mm.11-12 .................................................. 71

6.5 S do Mhaimeo , McGlynn, mm. 16-19 ................................................. 72

6.6 S do Mhaimeo , McGlynn, mm. 9-12 .................................................. 74

6.7 Cormacus Scripsit, mm. 2-5, Theme A ................................................... 78

6.8 Cormacus Scripsit, mm. 10-13, Theme B ............................................... 78

6.9 Cormacus Scripsit, m. 18, Theme C ....................................................... 78

6.10 Cormacus Scripsit, mm. 23, Theme A doubled ..................................... 79

6.11 Cormacus Scripsit, mm. 28-30, Themes B and C variations ................... 79

6.12 Cormacus Scripsit, mm. 28-30, Sliding between notes ........................... 80

7.1 Dlamn, Amhrin Chige Uladh, traditional tune ................................ 83

7.2 Dlamn, mm. 1-5, solo ......................................................................... 83

7.3 Dlamn, mm. 6-9, refrain .................................................................... 84

7.4 Dlamn, mm. 26-27, chorus ................................................................. 86

7.5 Wind on Sea, mm. 9-12, choral passage ................................................. 89

7.6 Wind on Sea, mm. 17-20, violin and solo .............................................. 90

7.7 Wind on Sea, mm. 17-20, part b ............................................................. 91

7.8 Island, mm. 1-4, chorus and harp contrast ............................................. 92

7.9 Island, mm. 29-32, choral stasis ............................................................. 93

7.10 Sanctus, mm. 2-5, Theme A .................................................................. 98

7.11 Sanctus, mm. 9-12, Theme B ................................................................. 98

7.12 Sanctus, mm. 51- 57, final section ......................................................... 99

7.13 Incantations, mm. 1-4, ostinato ............................................................ 101

7.14 Incantations, mm. 8-11, Theme A ......................................................... 102

x

7.15 Incantations, mm. 20-25, Theme B ....................................................... 102

7.16 Incantations, mm. 33-36, Theme C ....................................................... 103

7.17 Incantations, mm. 37-40, Theme C ....................................................... 103

7.18 Incantations, mm. 50-54, ostinato and hemiola ..................................... 103

7.19 Incantations, mm. 13-16, ostinato ......................................................... 104

7.20 Incantations, mm. 33-36, parallel motion .............................................. 105

7.21 Incantations, mm. 43-48, chromatic alternation .................................... 105

7.22 Agnus Dei, McGlynn, mm.1-5, solo ...................................................... 107

7.23 Agnus Dei, Riada, mm. 1-6, solo ....................................................... 108

7.24 Agnus Dei, McGlynn, m. 6, choral harmony ......................................... 109

7.25 Agnus Dei, mm. 15-19, tenor entry Theme A ........................................ 110

7.26 Agnus Dei, mm. 19-23, baritone entry Theme A .................................. 110

7.27 Agnus Dei, mm. 23-24, parallel and inverted statements ..................... 111

7.28 Agnus Dei, mm. 28-31, solo................................................................... 112

7.29 Agnus Dei, mm. 28-31, harmonic superimposition .............................. 112

7.30 Agnus Dei, mm. 42-44, Themes A and B ............................................. 113

7.31 Agnus Dei, m. 79, final chords ............................................................. 114

xi

LIST OF FIGURES & TABLES

Figure

3.1 Map of Gaeltacht areas of Ireland ........................................................ 26

3. 2. Cross of Muireadach, Monasterboice, County Louth, Ireland ............ 30

4.1 Drawing of Brian Boru Harp ................................................................ 34

4.2 Maedoc book cover from Ireland (circa 1000 A.D.) ............................ 45

4.3 Uilleann pipes ........................................................................................ 46

6.1 Facsimile of Psalter, final page ............................................................. 76

Table

3.1 Siil, a Rin, mixed English and Irish text and translation .................. 24

4.1 Modes found in Irish Traditional Music ............................................... 35

4.2 Dance Forms and Structure .................................................................. 43

6. 1 S do Mhaimeo , Text and Translation ............................................... 73

6. 2 Siil a Rin, form .................................................................................. 75

6. 3 Cormacus Scripsit, Text and Translation ............................................. 77

6. 4 Cormacus Scripsit, form ....................................................................... 78

7. 1 Dlamn, text and translation .............................................................. 85

7. 2 Wind on Sea, form ............................................................................... 88

7. 3 Wind on Sea, translation ...................................................................... 91

7. 4 Island, text and translation ................................................................... 94

7. 5 Island, Form .......................................................................................... 95

7. 6 Sanctus, formal structure ...................................................................... 97

xii

7. 7 Incantations, text and translation .......................................................... 100

7. 8 Incantations, form ................................................................................. 101

7. 9 Agnus Dei, text and translation ........................................................... 105

7.10 Agnus Dei, form .................................................................................. 106

1

CHAPTER 1

MICHAEL MCGLYNN

Introduction

Since 1987, Michael McGlynn has been trying to create a choral sound native to his

country. Ireland was long controlled by Great Britain and was only released from British

domination in the last century. A Dublin-born composer, Michael McGlynn has fought to

capture in his compositions something that is uniquely Irish. Through this process

McGlynn has become a highly successful composer and choral director in Ireland.

Through the recordings, performances, and arrangements for Anna, a professional

ensemble directed by the composer, his music has reached millions of people and has

been performed by hundreds of choruses worldwide.

It is important to understand the context in which McGlynns music was written.

The traditional music of Ireland has a long history influenced by the cultural and social

heritage of its people, the language of the songs, and the instruments used for

accompaniments and companion music. Although he does not claim these musical

elements as primary influences, there are commonalities between his choral compositions

and Irish traditional music. These are his use of modal harmonies, drones, and texts from

the traditional Irish repertoire. McGlynn cannot separate his music from his cultural

heritage; it is part of the world in which his music exists.

2

In addition to traditional Irish music, McGlynn is also influenced by Western

European Medieval styles, reflected in his use of parallel motion and chant. It was during

the Medieval period that the music of Ireland was last free from foreign influence.

Therefore it is logical that McGlynn would turn to this music to discover a compositional

voice that is truly Irish. Because of foreign domination after the eleventh century, choral

music with an Irish identity was not permitted to develop. All aspects of cultural life

came under control of England, and native musical ideas were stifled. The only forms of

Irish music that survived this oppression were solo songs and a limited selection of

instrumental music. Since these forms did not require large numbers of performers and

could exist within individual homes, they succeeded in evading the ruling entities.

McGlynns compositional style combines the sounds and forms of Irish traditional

and Medieval music. Craig Harris writes that McGlynns music ...combines songs in

middle English, Scots Gaelic, Irish, Breton, Medieval Irish, Latin, and Greek in [the]

examination of ancient and contemporary Irish music.1 He has gone beyond the mere

creation of choral arrangements from existing solo songs; he has combined the musical

elements of his country to create a choral compositional voice that has assimilated past

traditions into a new style worthy of Irelands musical heritage. It is for these reasons that

Michael McGlynns music is deserving of study as representing the choral music of

Ireland.

1 Craig Harris, All-Music Guide, Craig Harris, All-Music Guide: Anna, 1995,

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll (accessed November 28, 2009).

3

A Personal History

Michael McGlynn was born in Dublin, Ireland, in May 1964. His mother, Clare,

and father, Andrew, worked in the hotel industry, though his father later turned to

photography. Michael has two brothers: Tom, the youngest, and a twin, John. All three

boys were musically inclined. When they were young they enjoyed singing in three-part

harmonies. Clare and Andrew, while not classically trained musicians themselves, saw

the value of music in their familys life.

McGlynns first musical training was through piano lessons, but much of his early

musical influence was from rock musicians such as the Beatles and David Bowie. He was

introduced to large-scale orchestral and choral classical music in secondary school and

was particularly attracted to the works of Debussy and Britten. During his teen years,

Ligetis contribution to the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey made a significant

impression on him.2

Clare and Andrew sought to instill within their children a sense of pride in their

heritage. Though the family were not native Irish speakers, at the age of nine and ten

John, Tom, and Michael lived as boarders for a year at the Irish-speaking college of

Coliste na Rinne in Dn Garbhn (Dungarvan), County Waterford. This Gaeltacht

(Irish-speaking community) is where McGlynn gained fluency in the Irish language.

More importantly, it provided his first exposure to traditional Irish song.3

When the time came to enter college in 1982, McGlynn elected to study music

and English literature at University College, Dublin (UCD). It was at UCD that he first

2 Michael McGlynn, interview by author, Dublin, Ireland, October 2009.

3 Michael McGlynn, interview by author, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, February 2010

4

received an introduction to early Western Medieval music. He began studies in both

English and music, and after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in English (1985) he

continued and completed his Bachelor of Music degree (1986). Musical forms and the

structure of music were most intriguing him. During his time at UCD, at age nineteen, he

first sang in a choir. He entered the field of music from a non-classical perspective, and

this choral ensemble introduced him to the choral music of the great master composers.

McGlynn stated in a 2010 interview:

One of the things that has put me in a unique position among professional choral directors is that I took up choral music quite late. I had never sung in a choir before the age of nineteen. I first sang in college in a chamber choir, the UCD Chamber Choir, which I went on to conduct. I later went on to conduct the Trinity College Singers as well. This has allowed me to look at choral music as a completely fresh and new form.4

Soon after graduation from UCD he composed his earliest formal work, a setting of four

Rimbaud poems for soprano and piano. After completing this composition he felt

compelled to make his living as a composer.5

By the completion of his collegiate choral experiences, he was completely

captured with the choral medium. In 1987 McGlynn founded the small Irish choral

ensemble An Uaithne, renamed Anna in 1991. In the twenty-two years that McGlynn

has been the director of Anna, he has become an advocate for change within the choral

infrastructure of Ireland. In 2006, McGlynn wrote for The Irish Times:

On the surface choral music in Ireland appears to be healthy, but the reality is very different. I dread auditioning new singers for Anna. Virtually none of them can read music adequately, or have more than the basic musical skills or even general [musical] knowledge. Even those that do have vocal training have come

4 Michael McGlynn, interview by author, Ft. Lauderdale, February 2010

5 Michael McGlynn, interview by author, Dublin, Ireland, October 2009.

5

through music schools and colleges that appear to believe that there is only one form of classical singing, and that is opera. Choral music transmits the poetry and the language of a nation through song in a unique manner, something that should be of particular interest and importance in a country that prides itself in its literary heroes.6

He further explains that promoting a unique identity for Irish choral music is difficult, as

much of the repertoire performed is related to schools and traditions of other nations, in

particular the United Kingdom.

While McGlynn has gained prominence in the choral community as the director

of Anna, he has also become an internationally recognized composer. His compositions

have been commissioned, performed, and recorded by some of the worlds best choral

ensembles including The Dale Warland Singers, Rajaton, The BBC (British Broadcasting

Corporation) Singers, The National Youth Choir of Great Britain, Conspirare, the

Phoenix Chorale, and Chanticleer. In 2007, the RT (Radio Telefs ireann) Concert

Orchestra, one of the national orchestras of Ireland, commissioned a large-scale work for

SSAA chorus and symphony orchestra, which resulted in the four-movement cantata St.

Francis. Also in 2007, the award-winning choral ensemble Chanticleer commissioned

McGlynn to compose the Agnus Dei for the multi-composer work And On Earth Peace:

A Chanticleer Mass. In July 2009, the RT National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland

programmed a retrospective of McGlynns compositions for a major concert in Dublins

National Concert Hall that also featured Anna.7 This program resulted in a large number

of new adaptations and original works scored for symphony orchestra and chorus.

6 Michael McGlynn, A Way to Find Different Voices in this Multi-Ethnic Age, The Irish Times.

June 5, 2006, http://www.anuna.ie/IT2006.htm (accessed 10 October 2009).

7 Michael McGlynn, Biography, www.anuna.ie/MichaelBiography.html (accessed 11 August 2009).

6

McGlynn uses a unique and highly successful method of publication and

distribution of his compositions which has contributed to his success. While mechanical

and performance rights are held by Warner Chappell, he self-publishes his sheet music

through his website, www.michaelmcglynn.com. This method of distribution makes his

music both accessible and affordable for choral directors worldwide. When directors

purchase a composition to perform they are also sent an audio recording of the text, a

translation, and in some cases, a sound approximation pronunciation guide. Unlike

standard means of music distribution, the music is received normally within forty-eight

hours via email with a certificate for the number of copies purchased. Nearly all of his

choral compositions have been recorded by Anna, which also gives directors an audio

reference. A complete list of his works is found in Appendix A of this document. The list

has been cross-referenced by title, date of composition, commission, and voicing.

Appendix B is a discography to assist in locating recordings of specific compositions.

Anna

Anna, the current name of the group that McGlynn formed in 1987, has become

one of the leading professional choral ensembles in the world. The ensemble is known for

its interpretations of traditional Irish songs, reconstructions of medieval Irish music,

McGlynns own original music, and for its unique staging. As McGlynns music and

compositional output is directly related to Anna, it is essential to view it as an aspect of

his work as a composer, as well as a tool he uses in the compositional process.

The original name of the ensemble, An Uaithne, is the collective term that

describes the three ancient kinds of Irish music, Suantra (lullaby), Geantra (happy

7

song), and Goltra (lament). An Uaithne was shortened to Anna, a name that has no

meaning but uses portions of the original words; it was simply easier for non-Irish

speakers to pronounce and recognize. When asked about the reason for creating an

ensemble of this kind McGlynn stated, Anna developed from that idea [of bringing

choral music to more people]. It developed from the need to reinterpret the choral

canvas.8 Under McGlynns direction the ensemble has released fourteen albums which

feature primarily his own compositions and arrangements. Three of the albums have

placed in the United States Billboard charts, and Deep Dead Blue reached the top five in

the United Kingdom Classical Chart and was nominated for a Classical Brit Award in

2000.9

When McGlynn was asked why he chose to form a new ensemble instead of work

within the framework of the existing choral infrastructure in Ireland he stated that he

created Anna because he felt that there was a need to find a choral voice that was

distinctly Irish.10 All of the ensembles that were in existence were founded from non-

Irish sources and rarely performed music influenced by their country. As he perceived it,

there was no indigenous form of choral singing in Ireland. McGlynn felt a ...need to

define Ireland in a choral fashion in some way.11 He also wanted to make certain that

choral music was accessible to the people, not just to the lucky few who could understand

8 Michael McGlynn, interview with Contemporary Music Center, Dublin, Ireland, July 2009

www.anuna.ie/JML (accessed 16 August 2009).

9 Craig Harris, Anna, http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wxfwxqlgldte~T1 (accessed 28 November 2010).

10 Michael McGlynn, interview with author, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, February 2010. 11 Ibid.

8

it. In his opinion, much of classical music in Ireland, has only been accessible to a

minority of people.12 He has succeeded with Anna in bringing choral music, and

specifically that which he feels expressed a sound native to Ireland to a large number of

people.

In a 2009 interview McGlynn discussed the fragility of the human voice that first

intrigued him. McGlynn uses this term to describe the natural and beautiful flaws heard

in untrained singers. The fragility of Annas sound, in his opinion, is one of the primary

reasons it is successful.

Listen to the Sixteen or the Tallis Scholars [singing chorally] and it will sound beautiful, but it doesnt allow the human element to come out. These people are brilliant singers, with fantastic technique. All of us in Anna are flawed. And thats conscious. What I have done is to try to always create an accessibility using the concept of fragility in the voice to allow the audience to access music that otherwise they might find overtly and harmonically complex or technically demanding to listen to. In a recent recording of the Allegri Misereri Mei Deus the first soprano soloist, unusually for us, was a trained English singer. She had the ability to sing all of the lines in one breath, but she was instructed to sound more fragile.13 With Anna McGlynn serves as composer, artistic director, vocal coach,

conductor, singer, producer, and business manager. In his desire to produce a better

sounding ensemble with a group of non-trained singers he has developed an approach to

producing better singers. He has found over his twenty years as a choral director that

awareness of singers posture, technique, and attitude during the rehearsal process

contributes to the overall success or failure of an ensemble. If an individual singer is not

standing with the correct posture or appears to have brought the stress of daily life into

12 Ibid. 13 Ibid.

9

the rehearsal, he will address that singer and insist on an immediate change of demeanor

or posture. His manner of rehearsing is focused on empowering and requiring each

individual to concentrate on his or her own performance within the choral ensemble. In a

February 2010 interview with this author, McGlynn spoke about his rehearsal and

audition process:

I can spend hours over six months on only a few notes if I am not happy with the sound they are making. I try to bring musical persons into the ensemble, but quite often that is not possible. Many people I bring in I bring in based on personality; they need to be able to take criticism.14

While an awareness of singers physical well-being and attitude is not new to choral

conductors, his instence and attention to detail has proven to make a distinct difference in

the sound quality of Anna.

Instead of conducting in front of the ensemble, which McGlynn chose to forego

after only a few seasons, he leads from within the tenor section. He believes that the

essential connection that should occur between performer and audience is often impeded

rather than helped by the presence of a conductor. His rehearsal and performance

techniques have been developed to aid in the elimination of the physical obstruction of a

body between the chorus members and the audience. While he does believe that a

conductor can be an asset to an ensemble, in his opinion optimal music making is only

possible when the ensemble members have the responsibility of creating the musical

impulse of a performance.15 To him, the role of the conductor is to shape and form the

music during the rehearsal process, not in the moment of performance. Although his

14 Ibid. 15 Ibid.

10

standard expectation for Anna is high, and perhaps challenging for the mostly non-

professional singers he encounters, he considers the ensembles amateur nature among its

greatest attributes and one of its sustaining factors. Through his role as a member of the

ensemble he is able to aid in tuning, energize, and focus the performance.16

Compositional Output and Style

McGlynns compositional output is indelibly linked with Anna. Fundamentally,

the ensemble is a compositional tool for him; he uses Anna as many composers would

use a piano in the creation of new works. He generally will make changes or adjustments

to a new work only after hearing it in a performance. Prior to publication, new

compositions will sometimes go through several revisions before he feels the singers and

the audience gauge the piece in the way he intended.

The complexity of McGlynns compositions is limited by what Anna is able to

achieve vocally and musically without a conductor. Contrary to what many believe, the

vast majority of the singers in Anna are not trained musicians. Few of them have had

any formal theory or musicianship classes, and even fewer have had traditional vocal

training. Occasionally one or two classically trained singers will audition, but most often

the core of the ensemble is simply people who love to sing and share the same passion

and desire to communicate through music that McGlynn has. For this reason he has

created a unique manner of quickly training his members to sing as part of the chorus. It

is also why he leads the ensemble from within.

16 Ibid.

11

As a choir that is known the world over as an Irish choral ensemble, Anna must

maintain several traditional or traditional sounding compositions in its repertoire at any

given time. Instead of solely producing arrangements of traditional songs for the

ensemble, McGlynn also composes completely original songs that use many of the

elements found in the traditional song repertoire. His use of familiar texts and original

melodies that incorporate elements of traditional music leads the listener to identify these

choral compositions as part of the ever-changing corpus of Irish music.

The use of compositional elements that have existed in the Irish music tradition

has closely identified McGlynns compositions with Ireland. It is also for this reason that

an understanding of the history, culture, and music of Ireland is important to the study of

his music. This understanding allows the choral conductor to identify those aspects in his

compositions that are traditional. While McGlynns music draws influence from various

idioms, it is considered by many to be the genuine sound of Irish choral music.

12

CHAPTER 2

CULTURE AND MUSIC HISTORY OF IRELAND

In ancient times Ireland was renowned for skilled musicians, many of whose tales

are recounted in mythology and lore. It was the turbulent history of conquest and rule

from around AD 1100 that both stifled the performance and transmission of this music

and kept Ireland from following the same path of musical creation that other European

countries enjoyed. The void was created by an absence of native composers and music

indigenous to Ireland. The only choral music found on the island was that of the church,

which originated in other areas of Europe. The study of Michael McGlynns musical

influences must begin with an understanding of both Irish culture and the music history

of Ireland, as it is from this tradition and culture that his music is created.

Irish Historical Overview

The people who began settling Ireland as long ago as 500 BC belonged to a now

extinct race of people called the Celts. The Celts settled in clan groups in areas

throughout much of Europe, including parts of modern-day Ireland, Scotland, Wales,

Brittany, and Cornwall. Celtic influence can also be found in the regions of Galicia and

Asturias, in Spain, and in areas of Portugal.17 In Ireland these clans or tribes were well

17 Dorthea E Hast and Stanley Scott, Music in Ireland: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture

(Oxford: Oxford University Pres, 2004), 20.

13

established by 100 BC. The descendents of these groups, the Gaelic chieftains, are those

commonly associated with the creation and proliferation of the Gaelic-Irish language and

culture. Legends of the kings and chieftains who ruled the four provinces (Ulster,

Munster, Leinster, and Connaught) evolved into sagas and have since been passed down

through story and song.

First conquered in the fifth century AD by the Norse (Vikings), Irelands first

peaceful visitors came from its nearest neighbor, Britain. These missionaries began the

rapid spread of Christianity through the pagan Celtic land. This influx of people from

England also began almost 1500 years of British involvement in Ireland.

When the British first occupied Ireland they were fascinated by the cultural

differences they found on an island so close to their own. However, as time passed the

British governing body became less and less tolerant of Irish culture. The Irish people

came to be considered degenerate and barbaric, and the British government, through a

series of laws and acts beginning around 1350, outlawed the language, music, religion,

and culture of the Irish people. Subsequent to the original missionary settlements, Ireland

had become a strong Catholic region, wholly embracing the religion the British had

spread only years earlier. King Henry VIII, through his disaffiliation with the Catholic

Church in 1532, further complicated Irish life. Following the English Reformation, a

series of laws prohibited Catholics from participation in public life, voting, and

ownership of land.18

18 Ibid., 27.

14

During the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries under Queen Elizabeth,

life for the Irish became worse. The Queen felt that the wandering bards and harpers, who

had enjoyed a high status in earlier years, were political spies and that their music and

lyrics stirred up political unrest. By 1571 the Earl of Kildare was commissioned to punish

all harpers, poets, and bards by death. A 1603 proclamation, to hang the harpers

wherever found and destroy their instruments, effectively halted the public playing of

Irish music.19 While records do not indicate a mass extermination of harpers and bards,

the threat served to seriously diminish the tradition and its oral transmission to

subsequent generations. The Act of Settlement in 1652 allowed Cromwell to confiscate

property from Irish-Catholic landowners, thereby displacing seventy-five percent of the

population, all Catholic, to less than fifteen percent of land. The land to which they were

displaced was an area in the province of Connaught deemed quite infertile.20 Although it

appeared the heritage and livelihood of the Irish people had been broken, many families

continued to pass on the language and music of their ancestors in the privacy of their

homes. In 1695 the British Parliament, after a few small uprisings, removed the authority

of the Irish Parliament to create laws for itself.

There were many attempts to remove the British government from power in

Ireland. After the American and French Revolutions, the people of Ireland felt that they

would be able to retake their parliament. In 1782 an effective campaign for legislative

independence was initiated with the Constitution of 1782. This document did

acknowledge the sole right of the Irish Parliament to create laws for Ireland, but it was a

19 San O'Boyle, The Irish Song Tradition (Toronto: Macmilian of Canada, 1976), 10. 20 J.C. Beckett, Introduction: Eighteenth Century Ireland, Vol. IV, in A New History of Ireland,

ed. T.W. Moody and W.E Vaughan, xliii (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986), xliii.

15

Parliament still under the authority of the British government. Many who led the

movement were not satisfied. The outbreak of the French Revolution rekindled their

desire to unite Irishmen of all denominations in an attempt to break connection [with

Great Britain] and establish in Ireland a republic on the French model.21 It was this

disagreement between countrymen that led to civil unrest and instability and kept the

people from regaining governance over their country. This internal conflict continued

until the Irish Potato Famine in the mid-1800s. During the twenty years beginning in

1845 with the first of many years of crop failures, the population of the country was

depleted by nearly two-thirds either from death or emigration. Those who remained and

survived were in no way able to remove Englands control. It was not until 1922, when

the Irish Free State was established and the British government no longer ruled Ireland,

that the native culture and language of the people experienced a renaissance. In the 1922

Constitution English and Irish were established as co-national languages, demonstrating

the new governments commitment to the heritage of the people.

Music in Ireland

Brian Boydell writes that ...Ireland has a reputation for inheriting a great musical

tradition extending back to the earliest of times.22 When British rulers outlawed the Irish

language, culture, and tradition that existed for at least a millennium prior to their arrival,

this musical heritage was almost lost.

21 J.C. Beckett, Eighteenth Century Ireland, 1691-1800, Vol. 4, in A New History of Ireland, ed.

T.W. Moody and W.E. Vaughan (Oxford: Claredon Press, 1986), xil-xli. 22 Brian Boydell, Music Before 1700, Vol. IV, in A New History of Ireland, ed. T.W. Moody and

W.E. Vaughan, 544 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986), 544.

16

The origin of the musical heritage of Ireland is still disputed, even though much

research on the topic exists. Very few sources have been found, and records of musical

events are scarce. As is often the case with traditional music, there was no one readily

available to transcribe it for posterity. It was not until the eighteenth century that

musicians trained in the Western classical style of music began to collect the traditional

music of Ireland. The earliest complete transcriptions of this traditional music were made

and published in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Composers and

musicologists Charles Villiers Stanford, Edward Bunting, George Petrie, and P.W. Joyce

collected, transcribed, and described the music that had been a vital component of the

cultural identity of Ireland since early recorded times. There were a few writings and

single songs published in English volumes before these Irish collections, but much of

what is known about music before 1600 is based only upon anecdotal reference.

There are letters and other writings that confirm the existence of music schools

within monasteries and that the harp was considered the only instrument suitable to

accompany voices. Various writers, artists, and poets mention instruments and musical

gatherings, though very little writing about the style of the music exists. Within courts

and villages, bards and harpers held places of honor. The bards were the oral keepers of

the laws; they recounted stories of war and genealogy. Perhaps most importantly for their

social status, they praised their patrons. Most often a harper would accompany the bard as

the stories were recounted; thus the development of a solo musical tradition began. This

led to a multi-century comingling of ideas, mythology, Gaelic traditions, and the old style

(sean-ns) singing that makes Irelands musical heritage unique.

17

The vocal music of Ireland includes a long mythological tradition that contributed

to its complicated history. Irish folklore tells of four races that existed in Ireland before

the Gaels arrived in the fourth century BC. According to the mythology as described by

Cowdery, these races began with the Fomorians, or sinister giants, who were defeated by

the Firbologs. The Firbologs, a small but cunning race, eventually disappeared, giving

way to the Danaans. The Danaans were seen as the embodiment of all that was good. The

Milesians eventually overtook them, but due to their close connection with nature, they

were able to turn into the invisible little peopleleprechauns and fairies. The Danaans

were admired for their music, especially that of the fairies, whose tunes were said to be

the sweetest music ever heard and which possessed magic powers. Many tunes that exist

in the modern repertoire are said to have come from the fairies.23

The musical tradition of the early Gaelic court musicians is, of course, not known

in concrete terms. There are sources that give terminology to various kinds of songs,

though those are without examples. These musical categories include goltra (music for

sorrow), geantra (music for happiness), and suantra (music for sleep). Terms found in

later sources cited by Harry Flood, goltraighe (music of valor), geantraight (music for

love), and suantraighe (music for rest), are each related to a particular mode or traighe.

The modal associations are the Dorian, Phrygian, and Lydian modes accordingly.24

Sean-ns, which translates to old-style, is a form of solo singing considered the

oldest in Ireland and is generally believed to date from at least the fifteenth century AD,

23 James Cowdery, The Melodic Tradition of Ireland (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press,

1990), 5.

24 Ibid., 6.

18

and possibly earlier. This style of music is usually modal, highly ornamented, either a

cappella or with very little accompaniment, and above all else, highly personalized by the

singer. While a great majority of these songs is in the Irish language, due to the dual use

of English and Irish for a long period of time, many tunes were adapted to English texts.

One of the best examples of this is found in the Irish Melodies of Thomas Moore in

which the author creates new English language texts to fit the existing ancient Irish

tunes.25

Harmonically, the use of modal structures does predominate in the genre, but

some songs in the Irish repertoire also use hexatonic and pentatonic scales.26 Most songs

in the Irish song repertoire are binary (in two large sections) and most sections can be

divided into four near-equal phrases. The use of the binary form also demonstrates the

close relation of the song tradition to dance, which by its nature requires regular sections

that are commonly repeated. Several styles of dance, including the jig, reel, hornpipe, and

slide are commonly used as the rhythmic and structural basis of solo songs.27

Although Irish music was long a solo art, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries

there began a movement towards group performances and the arrangement and

adaptation of many traditional songs for choral ensembles. Several ensembles and

composers (Altan, Anna, Clannad, David Mooney, and Michael McGlynn among them)

25 Thomas Moore, Moore's Irish Melodies With Symphonies and Accompaniments (Boston: Oliver

Ditson, 1893). 26 Breandn Breathnach, Folk Music and Dances of Ireland: A Comprehensice Study examining

the Basic Elements of Irish Folk Music and Dance (Cork: Mercier Press, 1996), 12.

27 James Cowdery, The Melodic Tradition of Ireland (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1990), 16-18.

19

specialize in choral settings and work diligently to adhere to the artistic ideals of that solo

art form in the ensemble medium.

20

CHAPTER 3

IRISH VOCAL MUSIC

The vocal music of Ireland has been influenced by many changes in the culture of

the country. The song tradition was first influenced by the structure of the Irish language

and then by the increased, and eventually mandated, use of English. The song styles that

flourished in earlier times, especially the sean-ns, were limited to specific areas and

were kept alive by a few communities throughout times of occupation and oppression.

Because of Britains rules and restrictions in the use of the Irish language and the

domination of the Anglican Church through musics developmental periods, the choral

music of Ireland remained in an infantile state. The only choral music that existed was in

the church, and that was British.

When the Irish language was outlawed and the majority of the ruling class for

whom the songs were performed spoke only English, musicians were forced to either

forego their native language or combine it in moderation with English. When Englands

rulers outlawed Irish music, any development in group singing of traditional repertoire

was cut short. Music that began as a solo art style remained as such outside of the choral

development within the Anglican Church.

It has only been in the last century that choral music began to take a foothold in

the world of Irish music, but that is not to say that choral music did not exist in Ireland.

21

During the years of occupation it was difficult for musicians to perform any music that

was not sanctioned by Great Britain. There were, however, great choral societies. Musical

events based on the English model, like the premiere of Handels Messiah in Dublin,

were permitted and encouraged. Michael McGlynn has been trying to create a distinct

Irish choral tradition, which due to the strong foreign influence did not develop. His

music is a window into all that has come before him and synthesizes the language

influences, song traditions, and early choral forms that were in place prior to Irelands

subjugation.

Language

The language that is today known as Irish or Irish-Gaelic belongs to the Celtic

group of languages. While similar to other Celtic languages including Welsh, Manx,

Breton, and Scots Gaelic, Irish also assimilated components from languages outside the

immediate family group. Borrowed words in the Irish language came primarily from

Latin, Norse, and English. These additions came through missionaries, early settlements

of the Viking peoples on the east coast, and the use of a language that was required by the

British rule.28

The Irish Gaelic literary tradition had great influence on the songs of Ireland.

Bards used very complex forms of poetic meter, which in turn defined the musical

structure of the songs and airs. George Petrie first stated the importance of the

28 James Cowdery, The Melodic Tradition of Ireland (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press,

1990), 7.

22

interrelationship of the two structures in his Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland in

1855:

For those airs are not, like so many modern melodies, mere ad libitum arrangements of a pleasing succession of tones unshackled by a rigid obedience of the sentiments of the songs for which they were composed, but always strictly coincident with, and subservient to, the laws of rhythm and metre which govern the construction of those songs, and to which they consequently owe their peculiarities of structure. And hence it obviously follows that entire body of our vocal melodies may be easily divided into, and arranged under, as many classes as there are metrical forms of construction in our native lyrics but no further; and that any melody that will not naturally fall into some one or other of those classes must either be corrupt or altogether fictitious.29 Of the six meters used in Irish-language poetry, amhrnaocht is one of the most

common. The meter, which forms the basis for some of the most characteristic melodies,

consists of a stanza with five stressed syllables in each line. Each stanza fits easily into

two bars of 9/8 or six bars of 3/4. OBoyle gives as an example of this metric similarity

as the first line of An Bata Dubh Droighin. The five stressed syllables per line of this

meter fit into two measures of 9/8 (Example 3.1) or five measures of 3/4 (Example 3.2).30

Example 3.1. Amhrnaocht meter in 9/8

29 George Petrie, The Petrie Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland, ed. David Cooper (Cork:

Cork University Press, 2005), 36.

30 San O'Boyle, The Irish Song Tradition (Toronto: Macmilian of Canada, 1976), 21.

& 89 43.t

t

j t

jslai tn bhog bhocht n gag de'n

.t

.t

.chuil eann chas chuar

!- -

& 434 .

tj

slai tn bhog

t

bhocht n

t

gag de'n

.t

j chuil eann chas

.tchuar

! !- -

&11 ! !

Amhranainocht Meter examplesMusic by: [Composer]Lyrics by: [Lyricist]

Arranged by [Arranger]

23

Example 3.2. Amhrnaocht meter in 3/4

When the English language is used with Irish melody the construction is changed

slightly. As OBoyle noted:

William Carleton, the Tyrone novelist, records that his mother, when asked to sing the English version of Bean an Fhir Rua, said: Ill sing it for you, but the English words and the air are like a quarrelling man and wife the Irish melts into the tune but the English doesnt.31

Many nineteenth century Irish speakers shared this sentiment, and when writing in

English, poets who were familiar with Irish poetry attempted to place assonances and

stressed syllables in a location that was suited to the amhrnaocht meter. However, that

was not always possible. Those that did not fit the traditional structure fell into a verse

form known as Ochtfhoclach, or tail-rhyme. Consisting of four large parts, each

containing three lines of five syllables and one line of four syllables, the five-syllable

lines rhyme, as do the lines of four.

Ochfhoclach Mr is another verse form that contains odd syllabification. In this

structure there are two large groups. The first has three lines of six syllables, each

rhyming with the other, and a line of five syllables. The second contains three lines of

five syllables, all of which rhyme with the six-syllable lines of the first part, and a line of

four syllables that rhymes with the last line of the first section.

31 Ibid., 25.

& 89 43.t

t

j t

jslai tn bhog bhocht n gag de'n

.t

.t

.chuil eann chas chuar

!- -

& 434 .

tj

slai tn bhog

t

bhocht n

t

gag de'n

.t

j chuil eann chas

.tchuar

! !- -

&11 ! !

Amhranainocht Meter examplesMusic by: [Composer]Lyrics by: [Lyricist]


24

The outlawing of the Irish language brought about changes in the repertoire of

Irish music. Many songs became bi-lingual, that is, the traditional tune was sometimes

translated into what became a well-known English version. Other tunes were sung

partially in each language, typically with verses in English and a refrain in Irish. One

example of this kind of modification is seen in Siil a Rin (Table 3.1). A detailed

description of this familiar song is included in Chapter Five.

Table 3. 1. Siil, a Rin, mixed English text and translation32 Verse Chorus (crfa) I wish I were on yonder hill

'Tis there I'd sit and cry my fill

And every tear would turn a mill

I wish I sat on my true love's knee

Many a fond story he told to me

He told me things that ne'er shall be

Siil, siil, siil a rin

Siil go sochair agus siil go ciin

Siil go doras agus alaigh liom

(Translation:

Go, go, go my love

Go quietly and go peacefully

Go to the door and fly with me)

By the nineteenth century Hiberno-English, a dialect of English, was the primary

language spoken in Ireland. However in the last decade of the same century a movement

began to reinstate Irish and its historical literary style. The movement to reestablish Irish

to the prominence it once held fed into the struggle for national independence, which was

eventually won in 1922. Today, although English continues to be the primary language

throughout Ireland, basic Irish language skills are taught in schools and certain

communities exist where Irish is the sole language. In supporting this initiative, the

32 Celtic Lyrics Corner, November 27, 2008, http://www.celticlyricscorner.net/anuna/siuil.htm (accessed October 29, 2009).

25

government has kept Irish from becoming a dead language and has made it one whose

future is yet to be determined.

Sean-ns

Sean-ns refers to both the repertoire and style of singing generally considered to

be the oldest in Ireland, dating from at least the fifteenth century, if not earlier.33 While

found most frequently in the southwestern area of the country, sean-ns has spread to all

parts of Ireland. It is an unaccompanied musical style that is typically characterized by a

highly ornamented melodic line, though the means and degree of ornamentation change

from region to region. Although an original source for this music is unknown, it is

generally assumed that it is derived from the medieval bardic tradition. Many sean-ns

singers in recent history have come from Gaeltacht areas (Figure 3.1), and most consider

Irish their first language. These are regional areas in Ireland where Irish is the primary

language and where the culture of passing this body of songs through generations is still

part of daily life. At the very least the singers have a considerable facility and

competency in it.

33 The Sean-ns style of singing was discussed on page 16.

26

Figure 3. 1. Gaeltacht areas (darkened areas are officially recognized regions)34

The performer of sean-ns takes considerable liberties with the original tune or

framework of the song through knowledge of a commonly understood rules. These

stylistic constraints permit him to adhere to tradition while allowing enough freedom to

place his own unique mark and interpretation on the song. The singer is not constrained

by meter or tempo, but moves through the song according to both his interpretation of the

34 Irish Gaelic Translator, http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com/translation/topic66267.html

(accessed June 21, 2010). Map alterd by author to illustrate regions.

27

text and through his use of sometimes very elaborate ornamentation. This process is

called humoring or gracing the tune.35

Harmonically, sean-ns is similar to much of what will be seen in the greater

body of Irish song; modalities and alternate scale structures (pentatonic and hexatonic

scales) are often employed. To the listener accustomed to European art music, especially

that of the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, it may sound foreign. Irish composer

Sen Riada has said:

In approaching that style of singing which is called in Irish, the Sean-Ns the old styleit is best to listen as if we were listening to music for the first time, with a childs new mind; or to think of Indian music rather than European.36 Within the corpus of the sean-ns repertoire there exist several subgenres

according to the subject matter. These include love songs, lullabies, vision or dream

songs, laments, hymns, drinking songs, and humorous songs. Many of these songs were

composed for a local audience who would have known either the story upon which the

song was based or who had a personal connection with the place or event described. The

songs therefore do not relay the events in a journalistic manner, but are a part of the long

storytelling tradition that stems from the bardic era.

The bards of medieval Ireland held highly honored places in the court. Their

manner of reciting poetry and stories, often of epic length, was long revered by their

patrons. Though the use of the harp to accompany the recitation was lost, two features of


(Oxford: Oxford University Pres, 2004), 103. 36 Sean Riada, Thomas Kinsella and Toms Canainn, Our Musical Heritage (Mountrth:

Fundireacht an Riadaigh/ Dolmen Press, 1982), 23.

28

early Irish poetry did have significant effects on sean-ns singing. First, the length of the

poetic line was far greater than many of its counterparts in English or other languages.

This meant that there would be more stresses or accented beats in a musical line. It also

made the overall poem or song longer than those in other languages. Second, there was a

prevalence of internal rhyming and assonance.37 The internal rhyming did transfer into

English language poetry and song in Ireland, but caused problems for those poets and

musicians who tried to maintain both the rhyme scheme and the original musical line.

While it may not be overly difficult to create an adequate translation in English that uses

a final syllable rhyme scheme, internal rhyming does pose a considerable challenge.38

There are many accounts of the vocal tone used in the singing of this old style.

Many modern day recordings demonstrate a rather nasal sound while others employ a

vocal tone reminiscent of Italian bel canto technique. What might this style have sounded

like before the modern influence and training of various styles? An account from John

Dutton near the end of the seventeenth century states that he

...was entertained by the landlady, who was brought in to sing an Irish cronaan, which is so odd a thing that I cannot express it, being mostly performed in the throat, only now and then some miserable sounds are sent through the nose.39

It is not known if the performer described was suitably versed in the form and

performance of the style.


(Oxford: Oxford University Pres, 2004), 99. 38 A detailed description of the common features of Irish poetic meter found on page 20.

39 Brian Boydell, Music Before 1700, Vol. IV, in A New History of Ireland, ed. T.W. Moody and W.E. Vaughan, 544 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986), 565.

29

Ornamention in sean-ns varies greatly from area to area. Singers from Connacht,

the western portion of Ireland, normally have very florid musical lines in contrast with

Ulster (northern Ireland), which customarily has a simple presentation.40 The singer

strives to reflect the stresses of the poetic meter above all, moving from stress to stress at

his own pace.

Sean-ns began as a solo-unaccompanied style much like ballad singing across

Europe, but unlike other areas of Europe, it never developed to incorporate harmony,

group singing, or accompaniment.41 During the Elizabethan age there was a necessity for

anonymity, lest one be put to death. Only recently has this repertoire been developed to

incorporate group singing.

Choral Music in Ireland

The concept of choral singing in Ireland has long been an imported art form. But

what might have been in place before the Norman invasion (1169-1171)? Are we to

believe that throughout fifteen centuries no singing was done in groups? There are forms

of work songs that survive from c. AD 600. It would not be unusual for these to have

been sung by all of those contributing to the days chores. Was this done as a form of call

and response or in rudimentary harmony? Unfortunately there is no definitive answer.

The Cross of Muireadach (Figure 3.2), a Celtic high cross dating from the tenth

century, depicts a choir of monks among other musicians, with one of the figures holding

a book. If the era from which this cross dates is compared to the rest of Europe, one

40 Toms Canainn, Traditional Music in Ireland (London: Routledge & Kegan, 1978), 49. 41 Nuala O'Conor, Bringing it All Back Home: The Influence of Irish Music (Dublin: Merlin

Publishing, 2001), 9.

30

might assume that this could be a depiction of early organum singing. Many sources have

references to singing in churches dating from the seventh century, but the earliest Irish

music manuscripts that have polyphonic notation date from between the twelfth and

fifteenth centuries.42 These date from after the Norman invasion and thus demonstrate

more of the outside influence on the people and practices of Ireland than on the

indigenous culture. A polyphonic choir was established at St. Patricks Cathedral in

Dublin established in 1431. Its music followed the developing continental polyphonic

style and composition, particularly that of the Burgundian School.43

Figure 3. 2. Cross of Muireadach, Monasterboice, County Louth, Ireland44

42 Ibid., 782. 43 Brian Boydell, Music Before 1700, Vol. IV, in A New History of Ireland, ed. T.W. Moody and

W.E. Vaughan, 544 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986), 543. 44 Monasterboice, Ireland, http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/muiredach/muiredach.html

(accessed June 21, 2010).

31

From the inception of polyphony at St. Patricks Cathedral, choral church music

in Ireland developed similarily to that of northern continental Europe and Britain. The

influence the British exerted was great, and, for a country that would be under foreign

rule for over a millennea, it was insurmountable. Any secular choral singing would have

been done in the home, away from the ears of the ruling class, and without notation. We

know that the oral tradition continued in the Gaeltacht areas. Modern ensembles, such as

the Bothy Band, Clannad, and Altan, demonstrate the kind of ensemble singing that

might have occurred.45 These groups sing in simple harmonies, usually at the third or the

fifth, and are accompanied by the pipes, fiddle, and bodhrn (traditional drum). They

often use drone voices at intervals of a fifth to accompany a solo line and join either in

unison or harmony during the curf (refrain). Scholars agree that this kind of group

singing might have been very typical in family and social gatherings throughout Ireland

for centuries.

45 These ensembles are popular Celtic/ Irish vocal and instrumental groups who have recorded

extensively from the 1990s on.

32

CHAPTER 4

TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSICAL ELEMENTS

Even in their liveliest strains we find some melancholy note intrude some minor third or flat seventh which throws its shade as it passes, and makes even mirth interesting. Thomas Moore, The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore

The traditional music of Ireland has long been isolated from the musical

developments of continental Europe and the rest of the world. The traditional music as

described in this chapter belonged to the Irish peasantry, not the English elite. The native

musicians were not exposed to the music that was fashionable in England, France, and

Germany. Traditional Irish musicians were still using modal systems and non-tempered

instruments when trained musicians such as George Petrie and Edward Bunting began

fieldwork collecting and notating tunes in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth

century. The harmonic systems, rhythmic theories, and traditional instruments in use

throughout the various regions of Ireland combined to give traditional Irish music the

old, essentially medieval sound it retains today. Many of the musical elements described

in this chapter are visible in McGlynns compositions.

33

Harmonic Devices

The specific scales found in traditional Irish music derive from the stringing of

the cruit (Irish Harp). A general understanding of the harp as it existed when many of

the traditional tunes first came into being is therefore essential. A favored instrument

among the upper classes in Ireland, once strung these harps were fixed in pitch. Strings

were made of thick brass anchored at one end by metal pins, with the other end wound

around wooden pegs housed in the hollowed-out soundboard. An example of this, the

Brian Boru harp (Figure 4.1), is housed at Trinity College Dublin. Flood indicates that

this specific harp dates from around AD 1220, but Breanthnach lists the date for its

construction at about one hundred years later. Traditional Irish harps had between

twenty-one and sixty strings (the Boru harp had twenty-nine strings).46 This surviving

specimen of the traditional instrument was restrung in the mid-1900s with metal strings.

When played it was said to have an extraordinarily sweet and clear [tone] with a quality

which was somewhat bell-like.47

46 William H. Grattan Flood, "A History of Irish Music," Library Ireland, 1905,

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.libraryireland.com/IrishMusic/boruharp.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.libraryireland.com/IrishMusic/III.php&h=257&w=150&sz=40&tbnid=rYQj36spHkU6NM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=65&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbrian%2Bboru%2Bharp&usg=__Nd0cAlg9CSnB8mEeNMqc9RR5c84=&ei=P1--S6fiDIKdlgf25bneBg&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=9&ct=image&ved=0CBYQ9QEwCA (accessed March 28, 2010).

47 Brendn Breathnach, Folk Music and Dances of Ireland. (Cork: Mercier Press, 1996), 66.

34

Figure 4.1. Brian Boru Harp, illustration48

When Edward Bunting transcribed songs of the harpers at the Belfast Harp

Festival in July of 1792, he noted: It would appear that the old Musicians, in

transmitting Music to us through so many centuries, treated it with the utmost reverence,

as they seem to never have ventured to make the slightest innovation in it during its

descent. He further states It is remarkable that the performers all tuned their

instruments on the same principle, totally ignorant of the principle itself, and without

being able to assign any reason for their mode of tuning, or their playing of the bass.49

48 Early Gaelic Harp, http://www.earlygaelicharp.info/harps/trinity.htm (accessed March 24,

2010). 49 Edward Bunting, The Ancient Music of Ireland: The Bunting Collections (a facsimile edition of

Edward Bunting's songs and airs in piano arrangements), ed. Harry Long (Dublin: Walton Manufacturing Ltd., 2002), preface.

35

While musicologists now consider Buntings concept that there was no innovation as

generally false, the observation is significant in its reference to the tuning systems

employed.

Since the tuning system of the harp was fixed it is widely agreed that the scales

employed were of a modal origin. From various writings and from later transcriptions of

tunes, it is likely that the harp had one of its G strings tuned down to F# in order to

facilitate a greater variety of modal scales. Thus the Do, Re, and Mi modes were played

through the C Do using the F natural while the Fa, Sol, and La modes were played

through the G Do with the F#.50 The division and distribution of notes within each scale

and their relation to the traditional church modes, as seein in table 4.1, is easily viewed

in two sets of three modes.

Table 4.1. Modes found in Irish Traditional Music51 First scale degree Scale Scale name

Do Re Mi

C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E

Ionian Dorian

Phrygian Fa Sol La

C D E F# G A B C D E F# G A B C D E F# G A B C D E

Lydian Mixolydian

Aeolian

The final note defines the mode of each song. In order to facilitate the

recognition of modes in a variety of songs, it is helpful to see examples of tunes in each

of the six possibilities:

50 San O'Boyle, The Irish Song Tradition (Toronto: Macmilian of Canada, 1976), 30-31. In order

to facilitate discussion of the harmonic structures, solfege syllables will be used.

51 Ibid., 30.

36

Do Mode

Example 4.1. Doh mode (C Doh)

Example 4.2. Doh mode, Cailleacha Chige Uladh52

Re Mode

Example 4.3. Re mode (C Doh)

52 George Petrie, The Petrie Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland, ed. David Cooper (Cork:

Cork University Press, 2005). George Petrie, The Petrie Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland, ed. David Cooper (Cork: Cork University Press, 2005), 152.

&Voice !

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37

Example 4.4. Re mode, Tiagharna Mhaighe-eo53

Mi mode

Example 4.5. Mi mode (F Doh)

53 Aloys Fleischmann, Sources of Irish Traditional Music c. 1600-1855: An Annotated Catalogue of Prints and Manuscripts, 1583-1855, ed. Aloys Fleischmann, Vol. 1, 2 vols. (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1998), 429.

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38

Example 4.6. Mi mode, The Campbells are Coming54

Fa Mode

Example 4.7. Fa mode (C Doh)

54 Aloys Fleischmann, Sources of Irish Traditional Music c. 1600-1855: An Annotated Catalogue of Prints and Manuscripts, 1583-1855, ed. Aloys Fleischmann, Vol. 1, 2 vols. (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1998), 448.

& b 86 j j j j j

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& b16 j j j j j j

& b21 . . j

The Campbells are ComingFleischmann- 2315)

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39

Example 4.8. Fa mode, The Last Time I Came Thro the Muire55

Sol Mode

Example 4.9. Sol mode (G Doh)

Example 4.10. Sol mode, Bn-Chnoic ireann 56

55 Aloys Fleischmann, Sources of Irish Traditional Music c. 1600-1855: An Annotated Catalogue

of Prints and Manuscripts, 1583-1855, ed. Aloys Fleischmann, Vol. 1, 2 vols. (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1998), 86.

56 San O'Boyle, The Irish Song Tradition (Toronto: Macmilian of Canada, 1976), 36.

& C J . J . J . J

&5

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&14

. J

The Last Time I Came Thro' the Muire Fleischmann 445

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Chun

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