Sounds from Foreign Shores: Non-Traditional String Instruments and the Irish Folk Music Movement 1960–1979. Issue 1 (3rd July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ó Luain, Breandán Seosaimh; Forbes, Anne-Marie
• Is Part Of: Musicology Australia. Volume 43:Issue 1/2(2021)
• Page Start: 78
• Page End: 107
• Publication Date: 2021-07-03
• Subjects: Music -- Periodicals; Musicology -- Australia -- Periodicals; Musicology -- Periodicals; Music; Musicology; Australia; Periodicals; 780.5
• DOI: 10.1080/08145857.2021.2004490
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0814-5857

Abstract

Abstract: The socio-political revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, and the simultaneous explosion in the commercialization of popular music, brought a period of rapid growth and change in Irish music, challenging divisions between folk and traditional music in both repertoire and instrumentation. This growth and change were driven by a diverse range of instrumental, structural and stylistic changes, coupled with a global investment in music and live performance as a commodity. Key ensembles such as The Dubliners, Sweeney's Men, Planxty, The Bothy Band and others explored new timbres while establishing a distinctively Irish, yet individual sound. This article explores the ways in which non-traditional string instruments were integrated into Irish ensembles, the technical and stylistic adaptations that resulted, and the legacy of this formative period in Irish music.