I like the song An Cailín Álainn (here's a video).
Can we share some songs that can be sung unaccompanied? As Gaeilge nó as Béarla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW77cTOoIAk
Fuair mé roinnt liricí anseo, ansin mhalartaigh mé véarsaí timpeall chun an físeán a mheaitseáil. An dara véarsa (bold) an-difriúil leis an taifeadadh.
>Nárbh aoibhinn a bheith ag féachaint na mbánta,
>
>'gus mise gach lá dá siúl.
>
>nó ag fiach 's ag aoireacht na mbán stoc,
>
>ar shléibhte go hard gan smál.
>
>Eanlaithe na craoibh ghlas ba bhreátha
>
>'s lad ag seinm go hard sa dtiúin,
>
>Ó is trua an croí bheith ag fágaint
>
>an baile atá láimh le siúd.
>'s nach deas mar a éiríonn an fás suas,
>
>Ar do mhachairí breátha a rúin
>
>Is milis mar a dheineann tú gáire
>
>Le gradam go sásta súbhach
>
>Ag rince le cáilíní áilne
>
>Níorbh aistear liom tráth leo siúl
>
>Is ní thiteann ann sneachta ná báisteach
>
>Ar an mbaile 'tá láimh lé siúd
>Tá an long ag taisteal ina lán tsruth,
>
>Is an captaen go hard ar stiúir,
>
>chun mise do bhreith thar sáile
>
>go dtí talamh an Oileáin Úir.
>
>Faraor is dubhach an croí is tráth-lag
>
>bheith ag scarúint go brách le m' rún
>
>mar ní feicfear ag filleadh go brách mé
>
>ar an mbaile atá láimh le siúd.
>Guím beannacht gheal na ngrást libh
>
>a bhuachaillí an Oileáin abú!
>
>'s chun cúrsaí fada na trá siar
>
>mar gur minic mé ag snámh go súch
>
>nó ag fiach ar bharra Chruach Mhárthain
>
>mar ba thapúla mo rás ná cú.
>
>Ó b'fhearr liom a bheith beo bocht i mo sclábhaí,
>
>ar an mbaila ata laimh le siud.
>Isn't it wonderful to look at the lea lands
>
>each day as I walk them,
>
>or hunting, or herding the (dairy?) stock,
>
>on the clear high mountains.
>
>The birds of the most beautiful green trees
>
>and they singing high above me their notes.
>
>It's a heartbreak to be departing from
>
>the village that's near those things.
>And not nice as the growth grows up,
>
>On your fine plains his secrets
>
>It's sweet how you laugh
>
>With prestige happily juicy
>
>**Dancing with beautiful gir
I played some clips (including this one) to some people without telling them what they were, and everybody guessed that the music came from somewhere outside Europe.
To me, it is almost otherworldly, and seems completely detached from the Western European folk tradition.
Is this more “Celtic” than other British and Irish folk music? Is there anything in British and Irish folk music that is distinctly Celtic rather than Germanic?
I’d love to hear what ethnomusicologists think about this.
“Shum-one shaved my wife tonight”
