Traditional Irish Music - Singing

Ellen MacIsaac at Canada's 2013 Oireachtas

In traditional Irish music there are “music” that is mainly for singing and other that is exclusively for dancing. “Music” for singing, tends to be mostly the unaccompanied vocals of sean nós of the “old style.” Also there is another unaccompanied vocal singing, the lilting or “mouth music;” a similar celtic tradition in Scotland is puirt a beul (or "diddling"). Lilting often accompanies dancing, and features such as rhythm and tone dominate in lilting. The lyrics are often meaningless or nonsensical.


Sean nós: there are three main styles of Sean nós, corresponding to the three areas where Irish is still spoken as a community language, the Gaeltachtai of Munster, Connacht and Ulster. Even though Sean-nós is practiced outside these areas, only those three distinct styles can be recognised. Singers from the Gaeltacht and indeed from outside Ireland may blend them, depending on where they learned. For those familiar with the styles, will notice the differences amongst them.

The Donegal Sean nós has been heavily influenced by Scots Gaelic song, where the melody is much less ornamented (uses of grace notes, and may also contain a steady pulse throughout the song). In all styles, the singers link a text to their interpretation of the melody. All styles will have slow (non-rhythmic songs) and songs that are sung to melodies with a very strong rhythm mostly drawn from the dance music, e.g. Jigs, slip-jigs, reels etc. http://comhaltas.ie/music/treoir/detail/amhranaiocht_ar_an_sean_nos/

As Seamas Mac Mathuna has written, "Sean nós singing is at once the most loved and the most reviled, the least often heard and the least understood part of that body of music which is generally referred to as Irish Traditional Music.” http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart378.htm


Here you can hear Scread Ceann Sualtaim, Celtic song of The Headless Horseman.

Next time we will refer to music for dancing.

We hope you enjoy it! 

Next time we will refer to music for dance.

Traditional Irish Music Resources

Ottawa Ceili Band

Now that you might have secured some music lessons from the Instructors list we published last week, we thought that you may be interested in some link to musical resources besides the ones listed on the Traditional Irish Music post. 

The Irish Traditional Music Archive – Taisce Cheol Dúchais Éireann is a national reference archive and resource centre for the traditional song, instrumental music and dance of Ireland. It is a public not-for-profit facility which is open, free of charge, to anyone with an interest in the contemporary and historical artforms of Irish traditional music. ITMA provides access to:

Digitised materials 

Audio playlists   

Video playlists   

Interactive scores  

On-Line Catalogues and Databases

PDF Downloads 

Discover the music! 

Music Instructors

The following musicians, all respected for their knowledge and musicianship in Irish traditional music on their respective instruments, have offered to provide instruction for CCÉ Ottawa Branch members.

John Dahms: tin whistle, fiddle

Ross Davison: uilleann pipes, tin whistle, beginner flute

Alistair Dennet: beginner to advanced bodhrán

Duncan Gillis: tin whistle, beginner Irish flute

Matt Pepin: fiddle

It is preferred that prospective students are asked to contact the Vice-Chair of the branch to get instructor contact information.  Lesson fees and any CCÉ member discounts are set by each instructor. The instructor should be provided with proof of your membership with CCÉ Ottawa in order to obtain a discount on the regular lesson fees.  Regular fees range from about $30 to $40 per hour, but this is not ‘set in stone’ and CCÉ makes no guarantees on rates.

This post is related to our previous post about Traditional Irish Music: http://ottawacomhaltas.blogspot.ca/2013/11/traditional-irish-music.html

Enjoy the music! 

Tar Abhaile ("Come Home")

This is part of a message we received from members of other CCEs in North America.

Where: TG4 http://www.tg4.ie/en/programmes/tar-abhaile.html

When: Episode 2, November 24th at 9:30pm Irish Time (4:30pm in Ontario)


Tar Abhaile ("Come Home")

Hosted by broadcaster Evelyn O’Rourke, Tar Abhaile is a new six part series on TG4 that follows local Irish communities as they welcome people from across the globe in search of their Irish ancestors. You will see twelve different Irish descendants and their families, scattered all over the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, travel to Ireland to reconnect with their Irish roots. 

Ultimately, Tar Abhaile is about real people and their unique stories, their unique journey and their unique connection with Ireland. It pivots on Reconnection, Reunion and Homecoming.


Episode 1 - Sunday, 17.11.13, features families in Chicago and Australia.

Episode 2 - Sunday, 24.11.13, features families in Ontario, Canada, and Chicago.

Episode 3 - Sunday, 1.12.13, features families in Australia and Beauval,Canada.

Episode 4 - Sunday, 8.12.13, features families in Arizona and New Zealand.

Episode 5 - Sunday, 15.12.13, features families in Detroit and Arizona.

Episode 6 - Sunday, 22.12.13, features families in Virginia.

TEG, B1 Irish language proficiency preparations classes at the University of Ottawa

Starts: Thursday 14 November 2013, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.

Where: University of Ottawa, Rm DMS 3105.

Cost: $10/hour per person.


TEG (Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge) is an examination system for adult learners of Irish that is linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Examinations test the four skills: Speaking, Listening Comprehension, Reading Comprehension and Writing. Examinations are currently available at five levels from Absolute Beginners (A1) to Advanced 1 (C1).
Early this year we posted the details of the exams and the availability of preparation classes prior to the event. This fall-winter session, even though it has not yet been confirmed when and where the TEG exams will be held, the preparation classes will go ahead.

B1 TEG exam preparation classes, will start on Thursday 14 November, Eoin Ó Catháin will be running classes for all those interested in doing the B1 TEG exam. For more information contact Eoin.

To locate the building where classes are being held, check the campus map: http://www.uottawa.ca/maps/fullscreen.html

If you want to access preparation material and syllabi for the exams, check the TEG website: http://www.teg.ie/english/exam_levels.htm

La Gaeilge Event

When:  November 16th, 2013 from 8:30 am to   4:00 pm

Where: University of Ottawa, Lamourex Hall, Rms LMX 242/339/342/360

Cost: $18

To figure out where the Lamourex Hall is located on the University, check the campus map: http://www.uottawa.ca/map

There will be a "Meet and Greet" at 8:30 am. Classes, from beginners to experienced Irish language speakers, will start at 9:00am. Our teachers hail from Ireland, and as this a friendly, fun environment, we are sure you will find it most enjoyable. The only requisite, is a willingness to learn, or improve your Irish language.

Bring your lunch.

For more information contact Toni

Come and join us! 

Traditional Irish Music

Wikipedia tells that that the folk music of Ireland (also known as Irish traditional music, Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres in Ireland.

In A History of Irish Music (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there were at least ten instruments in general use. These were the cruit (a small harp) and clairseach (a bigger harp with typically 30 strings), the timpan (a small string instrument played with a bow or plectrum), the feadan (a fife), the buinne (an oboe or flute), the guthbuinne (a bassoon-type horn), the bennbuabhal and corn (hornpipes), the cuislenna (Irish war bagpipes, different from the Uilleann bagpipes, which was developed around the beginning of the 18th century), the stoc and sturgan (clarions or trumpets), and the cnamha (castanets). There is also evidence of the fiddle being used in the 8th century.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Irish_Music

To learn about traditional Irish music, check “A History of Irish Music” (1905) by William H. Grattan Flood.
http://www.libraryireland.com/IrishMusic/Contents.php (Online book, can be downloaded or read in web format).

If you are interested in self-taught programs to learn of some of the traditional instruments, check ComhaltasLive, the weekly internet video programme of Irish traditional music produced by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. These video-programs are organized by instrument, tune (reel, jig, etc.) and venue (competition, concert, etc.). 

Also, another source is the Revised Tunebook from the Kington, Harp of Tara Branch, of Comhaltas.