Renaud achieved one of his long-term goals with this album by helping French Canadians explore Irish music despite some modifications he may have made.
He attempted to translate Irish music’s lyrics into French for added impact; an innovative solution given that Irish songs often depict social unrest; however, the results weren’t entirely satisfactory.
Reel
A reel is an Irish dance tune typically written in 4/4 time (common time) though other time signatures such as 6/8 or 9/8 can also be used. Reels typically feature eight bars arranged binary-like with patterns like ABAB.
Reels can be played as an expression of joy and community connection, intertwined with jigs or added onto slower dance types like slip jigs for extra support.
Find out what makes a Reel special by having students listen to examples being played, then discuss its meaning behind its songs. Ask students whether this music was meant to inspire dancing for recreation on Saturday nights after chores had been completed; compare this music with old-time American tunes that evolved from African-American and European elements.
Jig
A jig is a dance performed in 6/8 time with an up-and-down motion and fast hopping steps, most popularly seen at traditional dance events (feiseanna).
Sheet music for jigs typically comprises two eight-measure parts played AABB. Jigs may feature ornaments like slides, cuts or taps which add an individualistic flair to the piece of music.
Jigs are an excellent way to demonstrate complex time signatures. Additionally, they’re great fun to play on a hammered dulcimer!
Irish audiences are extremely passionate about traditional music. They love gathering to listen to musicians perform tunes they recognize – an event known as a session – with musicians playing one tune after another in an informal, relaxed fashion and learning new tunes along the way.
Hornpipe
Hornpipes were initially named dance styles; but now refer more widely to particular types of tune. A Hornpipe can be defined as any strongly dotted tune to which step-hoppers would perform step-hops (not to be confused with Nottingham Swing played to Phillebelula All the Way!). Additionally, Hornpipes tend to be slower than Reels but tend to feature more swing and three quarter notes at each phrase end; their phrases also typically feature more triplets than Reels.
Historically, the Hornpipe danced by British sailors to keep fit and upbeat on board ship was widely associated with it as an active, high-spirited dance that involved shuffling and backward hops.
This tune can be best played on pipes and is quite challenging for unseasoned dancers to learn. To ensure its success, the dancer must maintain an even tempo without over-striding. Keep the meter steady – don’t rush too quickly through it.
Ballad
A ballad is an umbrella term for poetic narrative verse, often with musical accompaniment. Not all ballads fall under this definition though!
A ballad’s primary attribute is storytelling; often with plot-driven progression leading to an important event or climax. Ballads typically consist of short stanzas called quatrains with four lines with as few as three or four stresses per line and an abcb rhyme scheme for stanzas that make up its composition.
Irish ballads often reflected real-life events and characters, particularly Philip French’s comic ballads. His songs are particularly endearing because of his gentle disposition and empathy towards those whose work inspired him despite their short lives; therefore making for endearing songs. Olwen however thinks his view of conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland oversimplifying matters; suggesting instead that various factors contributed to such tension.