The traditional music in Scotland was written in three different languages; English, Gaelic, and Scot. The traditional music in Scotland was performed in different social contexts and range from intimate family situations to mass-mediated television and radio performances. The first period of traditional Scottish music dates back to the 1760s, where Scotland wanted to be separate from other countries like; England, Wales, and Ireland. Most of the music during this time period was performed as dance music and orally transmitted songs. Scotland in the 16th century created a reel type tune for dancing. This type of music was spread through England, Ireland, and throughout the world. This type of tune is a fast paced tune for dancing and was played in the split time signature. This was very commonly heard in Scottish and Irish traditional music. The 19th century is the startup of the music competitions and commercial recordings in Scotland. When the industrialization hit Europe it brought a widespread of cheap made instruments like the diatonic accordion. In the 1950-1970s the revival of folk music in Scotland brought a public awareness of the value of traditional music and Scottish culture. This lead to the commodifying and professionalizing of traditional Scottish music that is still ongoing. This also helped the Scottish branch out and experiment with other types of music. Many people in Scotland today still play traditional Scottish music in their homes, pubs, and community clubs weekly.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/327344925.pdf
Scottish Music from 18th century:
Scottish Wedding Rituals:
A traditional Scottish wedding is lots of fun and very similar to the wedding in the United States of America. The males typically wear a certain outfit particular to Scotland. During the wedding ceremony a bride will walk down the aisle to a traditional Scottish song such as Outlander and Ye Banks and Braes. During the cocktail hour of your wedding Scottish music is very present and important. The Scottish music is played while guests drink and enjoy food. Usually at the wedding meal they couple will have a band present to play music for them while guests enjoy their meals. During this time the band plays aires, waltzes, and classical traditional Scottish music. During your reception the band plays beautiful reels, strathspeys, and jigs as you great your guests. Then the bride and groom have their first dance, then the guests join. There is a song that is very special for this occasion it is called Ceilidh dance that everyone can do.
Even though Scottish traditional funerals are very similar to that of a different Christian country, it also has some differences. One of the most important part of an Scottish funeral is the Wake. This is where the body is laid out for several days, someone keeps an eye on it at all times. This in the older days was to be completely certain that the person was dead. Now it is said to keep evil spirits from taking their soul. The family of the deceased offers food and drinks to their guests that pay their respects. Some families have these in their own homes some have them far away. After the wake period it is the time for dancing and celebration. This is where people have the opportunity to share about the deceased loved ones life, stories, and memories. This also involves food and drinks and is a happy peaceful time for the family and friends. This is the opportunity to come together and celebrate the life of the well-lived. This is also the time where Scottish funeral songs are present. This type of mourning isn't too common in today's time. Next is the precessional to the funeral. This takes place on foot originally, up to eight men carry the casket. This is a way to symbolize the guests taking the burden of the casket. This is not as evident today, most families drive the casket to the burial site. The people are followed by an array of music from bagpipes and people singing. The funeral will end at a Christian church where they will have a burial for the deceased. This is a very emotional and joyful moment of remembrance of the deceased. The burial was only seen by men until the 1700's where women first made an appearance. Like most cultures the Scottish funerals have changed a great deal over the years, but still remains to have some of the same activities and music. Spiritualism plays a huge role in Scottish culture, they believe the ancestors still linger in their families home. A candle is lit in the home in remembrance for them.
This was a very cool look into Scottish tradition! The Ceilidh dance looks fun, I also thought the fact about only men originally attending the burials was interesting.
This was a super cool read for me because I knew nothing about Scottish culture and tradition. The video of the people dancing at the wedding looked so fun and it looked like a great time. I also thought it was very interesting that until the 1700s only men attended funerals.
Traditional Icelandic Music: Background: Iceland is an Island located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It was founded 1000 years ago before the Viking age of exploration. Unlike many European Countries it is ethnically homogeneous. Icelanders do their best to preserve traditions, customs, and languages. Many still believe in elves, trolls, and other mythical figures. Iceland contains nearly 200 volcanoes of various types. Earthquakes are very frequent but don't typically do much harm. The main Religious practice in Iceland is Lutheran. But Iceland is a country where Religion is a freedom. Because Iceland is surrounded by water fishing is very prominent there. Music Background: Music is extremely important in Iceland. Music originates all the way back to the Vikings who were great musicians. Some of the oldest songs in Iceland trace back to the fourteenth century. The lyrics of these songs are typi...
Bluegrass Music History of Bluegrass: Bluegrass is made up of the following; American southern string band, Blues, Country, English, Irish, and Scottish traditions. After World War two the Bluegrass music came out of the rural south even though the music dates back as far as 1930's. Bluegrass gets its name from a man named Bill Monroe's band 'The Bluegrass Boys'. During this time Bluegrass music was about issues prominent in everyday people, such as; religion. love, family, and home. These songs were typically upbeat and happy, but could turn to a darker side of things. Protest songs have even been created in the bluegrass style. Bluegrass was developed from the elements of Old-time music, Traditional Music of the Appalachian regions. The Appalachian regions had many Scottish-American immigrants that brought their musical traditions with them. As the Bluegrass sound spread, the amount of listeners increased for their own sake. Especially after...
This was a very cool look into Scottish tradition! The Ceilidh dance looks fun, I also thought the fact about only men originally attending the burials was interesting.
ReplyDeleteHi Lizzie! I love your blog! I especially liked how you included music for both Scottish weddings and funerals!
ReplyDeleteThis was a super cool read for me because I knew nothing about Scottish culture and tradition. The video of the people dancing at the wedding looked so fun and it looked like a great time. I also thought it was very interesting that until the 1700s only men attended funerals.
ReplyDelete