A New Celtic Journey

PROGRAM NOTES

Tonight’s program “A New Celtic Journey” evolved from a series of pieces with connections to the Celtic lands of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany. The repertoire requires certain musical skills not found in every baroque ensemble, as not all violinists are fiddlers. 

This ‘journey’ demonstrates how far the Celts’ influence traveled, with musical examples taken from the unlikely places of France, Germany and more commonly, the New World. France, in particular, has long suppressed cultural attributes of the Celtic Bretons. This notwithstanding, they prove irrepressible in the Tambourins of Rameau.

The British Isles offer a more obvious source of material with the music of Purcell. And the lesser known baroque composers Turlough O’Carolan and Matthew Dubourg contribute substantially. The former is known as a pioneer in merging music of the high court with the Irish folk culture of his country. Dubourg, an English composer, spent most of his life in Ireland, and whose claim to fame was leading the orchestra at the world-premiere of Handel’s Messiah in Dublin.

The unique abilities of Lumedia’s violinists led us directly to a Telemann sonata that had absolutely nothing to do with fiddling. However, upon hearing the Sonata and Pastourelle, one might imagine Telemann as a German-Celt.

Traditional Celtic music regularly combines different pieces into a single entity. For example, When She Cam Ben She Bobbit is a set of variations by two composers - O’Carolan and Scotsman James Oswald - and caps off with an Irish reel. Lumedia Musicworks demonstrates this technique in another compilation, Stairway to Carolan’s Dream, an amalgam of three related pieces derived from the same Scottish Air, Molly MacAilpin. And yes, Led Zeppelin provides source material, readily admitting to the influence of Celtic culture in their works (Serg Childed, Article). 

Traditional American folk music frequently reflects Celtic influence, most prominently in Appalachia. The Appalachian folk ballad All ye fair and tender maidens gave way to Little Sparrow, by American icon Dolly Parton. This song is now considered traditional in both American and Celtic folk circles. Similarly, The Old Churchyard has also been adopted by both American folk and Celtic traditions. 

CAUTION: These program notes are not required reading for a fully satisfying musical journey. Rather, they are most suitable for passing the time until the concert starts. 

Cheers! Slán!

Dr. Julianna Emanski Kim & Molly Hammond