Montreal in Quebec City has seen large influxes of Irish migrants, and this influence can be found throughout its music scene. Numerous bands specialize in Irish music and enjoy great popularity locally.
Doolin, comprised of French musicians playing guitar, bodhran, violin, tin whistle and accordion/vocals has taken an innovative and eclectic approach to traditional Irish music.
Tenor singers
No matter their role – whether that be Wagnerian dragon slaying, Puccini princess serenading, or Schubert’s gracefully gliding melodies – tenor voices always capture our imaginations with their vocal bravado and passion for their art. Audiences appreciate them both immensely!
Ronan Tynan, best known for being part of The Irish Tenors, first made an international splash as part of their group in 1998. Thanks to a series of highly praised PBS specials like Live From Ireland and Ellis Island (narrated by Martin Sheen) as well as several best-selling albums like Heritage, We Three Kings and Razor & Tie releases by Martin Sheen as narration; their performances became one of the world’s most well-known acts.
Has graced numerous high-profile events as the headline act, often headlining them. He spends much of his time touring and recording albums; classical singer, having performed Handel and Mozart oratorios as well as German, Italian, and French songs.
Sean-nos singers
Sean-nos singers are an integral component of Irish traditional music. They create an atmosphere of inclusion for their audiences while taking part in social and cultural dialogue through song. Additionally, Sean-nos singers infuse each performance with authentic emotion resulting in unique renditions for every audience member present.
Singers also use their artistic freedom to add accents that reflect each composer and performer’s particular taste, in terms of ornamentation. This can vary depending on stylistic relevance as well as on each singer’s imagination and skill level.
Mastering sean-nos singing takes years of practice. A sean-nos singer must connect deeply with each song they perform in order to embellish its melodies, showing true emotional sincerity and emphasizing their personal attachment to them.
Fiddle
Fiddles are a type of violin often used to play folk music and Irish traditional tunes, as well as providing entertainment at dances or other events – particularly children’s parties.
Fiddle music differs significantly from violin music in terms of style and technique requirements, as violin music requires greater classical sensibilities while fiddle music features more folk-based melodies that do not demand as much technical expertise.
There are various variations to how a violin is played, such as how its bow is held or setup. Some musicians employ diverse techniques for playing their instrument such as string bending and extended multiple-stop bowing passages.
Bagpipes
Bagpipes have long been played throughout many nations. Once very popular in England – illustrations can be found in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales while Shakespeare mentioned them in The Merchant of Venice – bagpipes were also very common throughout Ireland.
Today there are many forms of bagpipes. Some are played using finger piping while others require bellows for propulsion. The Great Highland Bagpipe is probably best-known; other varieties include the Uillann Pipes, Musette de Cour and Cabrette from France and Koziol Balia i Dudy from Poland.
A bagpipe’s chanter pipe can be fingered to produce notes in different octaves, which are then played together to produce harmonic effects. At one time in 1745 playing bagpipes could have resulted in punishment as treason; this ban was lifted later that year in 1785.
Voice
Voice is an integral component of Irish music today, from traditional songs and ballads to contemporary Celtic operas.
Due to the Great Famine of 1840s many Irish people immigrated to Quebec, particularly Montreal, leading to significant cross-pollination between styles – in particular Quebec step dancing has been heavily influenced by Irish styles; similarly singing of Irish folk songs also saw significant influences.
Covering Irish music requires that too many changes do not take place; it must maintain its spirit and integrity, especially when performing pieces that have become part of a culture over decades, especially songs dealing with important themes like poverty and famine.