Irish Songbook

I learnt a lot about the country, its history and its people through the moving music that I was able to experience live in many places in Ireland. Not so much in big concerts, but in trad sessions in small pubs, student auditions at the local music school, street musicians or at private gatherings.

Places where it's not just about musical professionalism, but about the social context, the shared experience of music and people.

When people in a crowded pub suddenly stop their conversations to listen quietly to a song of love and longing, time simply stands still or ceases to exist. It feels like a visit to another world.

But the TradSessions are not open music-making circles where anyone can just strum along. They're about specific compositions, often passed down in families from generation to generation. If you don't know the tune, you can't play along. And there are thousands of traditional reels, gigs, airs and hornpipes that come from particular counties with a particular style of playing.

As a result of mass emigration from Ireland, there is an Irish 'diaspora' of more than 70 million people around the world. And they have left their mark on the musical culture there. Irish music is also part of Europe's Celtic heritage and can be found in some parts of the continent: Scotland, Wales, Man, Cornwall, Brittany, Galicia.

In order to share my fascination, I have collected some pieces of music that have impressed me and still do.

If they inspire you to browse YouTube on your own, that's fine with me.
(I consider the inevitable advertising to be a small price to pay for a glimpse into a treasure trove).