Chapter Nine
1. Which of the following are true of Northern Ireland?
a. Catholic majority; independent nation
b. Protestant majority; part of the United Kingdom
c. Dublin is the capital city; Kerry is one of 26 counties
d. A and C, but not B
2. The main impetus for the Irish diaspora was
a. Irish independence in 1949
b. the repressive policies of Eamon De Valera
c. the Irish potato famine
d. the establishment of a national radio station
3. Which of the following spurred the Irish music revival of the 1960s?
a. increased prosperity in Ireland
b. fear of culture loss
c. renewed interest in older music traditions on the part of young musicians
d. all of the above
4. Sean nós are
a. songs sung in Irish Gaelic
b. songs sung in English
c. Irish harp tunes
d. Instrumental dance medleys
5. Rolls, crans, trebles and cuts are
a. dance rhythms
b. melodies
c. scales
d. ornaments
6. The most common context for traditional Irish dance tune and medley performances today is
a. the ceílí social gathering
b. the Irish music session
c. country dances
d. Dublin block parties
7. At Irish rural social gatherings prior to 1920,
a. dance tunes were almost always played to accompany dancing
b. dance tunes were often played, but rarely in accompaniment of actual dancing
c. music was usually performed by large, well organized, professional groups
d. music and dancing were rare
8. Which of the following is NOT an aerophone commonly used in Irish music
a. tinwhistle
b. hornpipe
c. uillean pipes
d. Irish wooden flute
9. The most common form for Irish instrumental dance tunes is
a. ABBA
b. AABB
c. ABCA
d. AAAB
10. Common features of different Celtic music traditions include
a. certain types of instruments such as fiddles, bagpipes, and flutes
b. identifiable styles of melodic ornamentation
c. standard forms for songs and dance tunes
d. all of the above
11. On the uilleann pipes, the main melody is played on the
a. drone pipes
b. regulators
c. chanter
d. bellows
12. Which of the following is NOT a rhythm commonly used in Irish dance tunes?
a. reel
b. jig
c. sean nós
d. hornpipe
13. On the uilleann pipes, the regulators are used to
a. play drones
b. play melodies
c. play ornaments
d. play chords
14. One of the most important early figures in the preservation, cultivation, and dissemination of Irish traditional music was
a. Seamus Ennis
b. Eileen Ivers
c. Liam O’Flynn
d. Paddy Moloney
15. Which of the following influenced the development of a pan-Irish approach to Irish traditional music?
a. dancing to music at rural domestic gatherings
b. processes of urbanization
c. radio broadcasting
d. B and C, but not A
16. Fleadhs are
a. competitions
b. Irish music sessions
c. dance halls
d. medleys of dance tunes
17. As a result of the Irish music revival of the 1960s, traditional music
a. was increasingly performed by professional touring groups
b. was increasingly performed in homes rather than in pubs or concert halls
c. was much more frequently performed to accompany dancing than in the past
d. was played almost exclusively, as musicians avoided performing music that suggested even traces of influences from jazz, rock, or other nontraditional styles
18. A bodhrán is
a. a type of drum
b. a type of bagpipe
c. a type of flute
d. a type of fiddle
19. Which of the following Irish music groups emerged from the pioneering ensemble Ceoltóirí Cualann in the 1960s and continues to be a guiding force in the tradition and transformation of Irish music still today?
a. The Pogues
b. The Chieftains
c. Clannad
d. Altan
20. Which of the following is characteristic of the post-1970s, modern ensemble style of Irish music?
a. varied textures and performance styles
b. use of chordal accompaniment instruments like the guitar and the Irish bouzouki
c. jazz- or rock-influenced textures featuring solo improvisation
d. all of the above
21. The music of the group Altan can be distinguished from the more traditional music of Seamus Ennis because Altan’s music
a. is looser and more spontaneous
b. is more controlled and planned out
c. features drones
d. all of the above
22. The music of Eileen Ivers represents
a. a conservative revival of traditional music
b. a broad and eclectic range of musical styles
c. a standard approach to traditional songs and dance tunes
d. all of the above
23. Sean Ó’Riada’s contributions to the transformation and modernization of Irish music did NOT include
a. new approaches to musical arrangements of traditional Irish dance tunes
b. the restoration of the uilleann pipes to a prominent place in Irish musical culture
c. changing textures in which different instruments were featured in different
sections of arrangements
d. the re-introduction of the fiddle into Irish music
Listening
1. Listen to Seamus Ennis’s performance of “The Cuckoo’s Hornpipe” (disk 3, track 6), then indicate the best answer for each of the following questions.
The form of this piece is
a. AA BB AA BB A
b. AB AC AB AC
c. ABB ABBB
d. ABC ABC ABC
2. The names of the ornaments used in Irish traditional pieces of this kind include
a. the roll
b. the cut
c. the triplet
d. all of the above
3. Listen to “The Dingle Set” by The Chieftains (disk 3, track 8), then indicate the best answer for each of the following questions.
The dance tunes in this medley are all
a. hornpipes
b. reels
c. waltzes
d. jigs
4. All of these instruments are playing in the melody except for the
a. fiddle
b. tinwhistle
c. uilleann pipes
d. bodhran
5. Each of the three tunes in this medley has
a. two distinct parts, or sections (i.e., A and B parts)
b. three distinct parts, or sections (i.e., A, B and C parts)
c. four distinct parts, or sections (i.e., A, B, C and D parts)
d. no repetition of any part
6. The second tune in the medley contrasts with the others mainly in terms of its
a. tempo
b. pitch range
c. texture and instrumentation
d. dance rhythm
Essay
1. Discuss some unifying characteristics of Irish traditional music. How has Celtic cultural survivals helped to define Irish nationalism?
2. How has the Irish Music Revival transformed Irish musical traditions? Provide a brief comparison of changes in setting, context and performance practices.
3. What are some prominent musical instruments that help to define music that is representative of Irish cultures? How do these instruments play a role in distinguishing Irish musical characteristics from similar sounds that are representative of other music cultures?