The Music of
Ireland
How the folk music of Ireland has influenced classical
music
Lesson Overview
The students will learn about the culture and music of Ireland and the influences of
Irish folk music on classical music.
General Music 9-12
Targeted Standards:
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National Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
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National Standard 9: Understanding music in relation to history and culture
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Anchor Standard #7. Perceive and analyze artistic work.
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Anchor Standard #8. Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
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Anchor Standard #9. Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Materials:
Students: Notebooks, research materials, computers
Teacher: PowerPoint Presentation, computer, audio/visual
equipment (projector, speakers, screen)
Instructional Objectives:
•
Students will learn about Irish culture, geography, history, and music.
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Students will learn about the use of uilleann bagpipes, pennywhistle, bodhran,
accordion, and guitar in Celtic music
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Students will learn the common characteristics of Irish music.
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Students will learn about the influences of Irish folk music on classical music.
Mystery Videos
Watch these three video clips. Can you figure out
what the common factor is?
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
They all come from
Ireland.
Ireland is an island in Northern Europe, divided between the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland. The land is made up of low-lying mountains and lush
vegetation. It is a mostly rural island with castles, monasteries, and great houses.
Ireland
Ireland is divided into two territories: Ireland and Northern Ireland
Uilleann bagpipes facts
Bellows driven
Played indoors
Originated in mid-eighteenth century
There was much uilleann piping until the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s,
when many of the pipers perished from disease and starvation or emigrated.
• In 1968, the Na Piobbaira Uilleann (The Uillienn Pipers”) was founded to
promote the instrument and music.
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Dances of Ireland
Jig
Reel
Hornpipe
Polka
Fun Fact:
How can you tell the difference between an Irish jig and an Irish reel?
Watch and find out…
Difference in Irish jig and Irish reel
Characteristics of
Traditional Irish Music
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There are two broad categories: instrumental music comprised of mostly dance
music (reels, jigs, hornpipes, and polkas) and song tradition, most commonly
unaccompanied solo singing.
Most common instruments are the uilleann bagpipes, fiddle, flute, tin whistle,
button accordion, concertina, harp, and bodhran.
Based on oral tradition (passed down or learned by example)
Irish music usually tells a story.
The musicians tend to add to or create variations of songs frequently.
Simple harmonies
Use of Ionian, Dorian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian modes
Traditional Irish
Instruments
Learn to sing a traditional
Irish tune!
Oh, Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling From glen to glen, and down the
mountain side, The summer's gone, and all the roses falling, It's you, it's you must
go and I must bide.
Listen
Classical and Popular
Music with Irish Influences
Percy Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry (using the tune of “Danny
Boy”)
Listen
Percy Grainger’s Molly on the Shore (based on two Irish cork reels)
Listen
Belfast Hornpipe (played by flutist James Galway)
Listen
Amy Beach’s Symphony in E minor (Gaelic)
Listen
Assignment:
Write a one page paper describing Irish music, culture, and
instruments using the information you have learned in this
lesson and any additional information you find through your
own research. One paragraph must focus on the listening
examples in the previous slide describing the sounds you
heard that are influenced by Irish traditional music. The links
will be provided to you for further listening.
Rubric
Sources
Bannerman, C. (2010, April 9) Irish uilleann pipes [Video file]. Retrieved from http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq3m_R3Lnu4
Brummydubliner. (2011, August 13) Paddy Callaghan- young trad 2010 [Video file.
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMqAE2YVaqs
Butlerronaynemusic. (2011, May 2) Shane Butler all Ireland under 18s bodhran
champion ft. Fionn Morrison on tin whistle [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b4FRzftuZg
Hanson, D. (2013, December 13) Difference between Irish reel and jig- Gothard sisters
[Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=eo_AJQBxZ3c
Karyl, H. (2011, August 15) The Corrs- Toss the feathers unplugged hd [Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4z7Y6sY6aM
Kay, E. (2011, March 26) 6-hand reel [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amt8Gf05cQY
Miller, T., & Shahriari, A. (2012). Europe: Greece, Spain, Russia, Scotland, Ireland,
Hungary, Bulgaria. In World music a global journey (pp 282-325). New York:
Routledge.
Sources (continued)
Myirishvideos. (2009, April 10) Owen condon-tipperary polkas [Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhQdUmlKFU
NPKM11. (2012, November 7) UD Irish dance club-international festivalhornpipe.mpg [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=snAa6u3yReI
Rath, D. (2008, May 14). Micheal Flately-Lord of the dance finale [Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjxTTjJtXDA
Trinityirishdancers. (2013, March 13) Trinity irish dancers teach Conan the Irish
jig [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=c6SNwjfDdac
Warner Bros. Records (2009, October 25). Enya- Only time [Video file]. Retrieved
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wfYIMyS_dI
Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2014 from
www.wikipedia.com