Lilting
Encyclopedia
Lilting is a form of traditional singing common in the Gaelic speaking areas of Ireland and Scotland. It goes under many names, and is sometimes referred to as "mouth music", diddling, jigging, chin music or cheek music), puirt a beul
in Scottish Gaelic, Canterach, or portaireacht bhéil (port a'bhéil) in Irish Gaelic. It in some ways resembles scat singing
.
often do not exist.
{many of the above are illustrated on a CD, Celtic Mouth Music, ASIN: B0000059U2 (1999)}
Karen Matheson
and Mary Ann Kennedy demonstrate lilting on a BBC
2005 television series, The Highland Sessions, filmed in Killiecrankie
, Perthshire.
The music group, Rua, develop lilting into an orchestral and vocal extravaganza, with Dum Dumda Diddle.
Puirt à beul
Puirt a beul is a traditional form of song native to Scotland, Ireland, and Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.-Name:The Scottish Gaelic for such a tune is port à beul: "a tune from a mouth—specifically a cheerful tune—which in the plural becomes puirt à beul...
in Scottish Gaelic, Canterach, or portaireacht bhéil (port a'bhéil) in Irish Gaelic. It in some ways resembles scat singing
Scat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
.
Features
Lilting often accompanied dancing. Features such as rhythm and tone dominate in lilting. The lyrics thus are often meaningless or nonsensical. Because of this, translations from GaelicGoidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
often do not exist.
History
The origins of lilting are unclear. It might have resulted in part from the unavailability of instruments, whether because they were seen as too dear or were banned. However peasant music in other Indo-European cultures was subject to similar constraints, and lilting did not develop.Notable lilters
- Paddy TunneyPaddy TunneyPaddy Tunney was an Irish traditional singer, poet, writer, raconteur, lilter and songwriter. He was affectionately known as the Man of Songs.-Early life:...
, Bobby GardinerBobby GardinerBobby Gardiner is an Irish accordionist and lilter.-Biography:Irish Accordion Master Bobby Gardiner was born in Aughdarra, Lisdoonvarna, the Burren area of Co. Clare. He began playing at the age of eight, on his mother, Delia's, old melodeon with the likes of Micho Russell and Micleen Conlon.At...
, Seamus Brogan, 1998 All-Ireland Fleadh runner-up Katherine Burke, Seamus Fay, M. J. O'Reilly, the McPeake Family, Len GrahamLen GrahamWilliam George Leonard 'Len' Graham was a Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager.He played at full-back and won 14 caps for Northern Ireland and also represented the Irish Football Association....
, Joe HolmesJoe HolmesJoe Holmes is a Heavy metal guitarist. Born in New Jersey, he took lessons from guitarist Randy Rhoads in 1979. Holmes formed the L.A based band called Terriff in 1983. Holmes left Terriff to join Lizzy Borden in 1987...
, Micho Russell, Christine Primrose, Audrey Saint-Coeur, and Elizabeth Cronin.
{many of the above are illustrated on a CD, Celtic Mouth Music, ASIN: B0000059U2 (1999)}
Karen Matheson
Karen Matheson
Karen Matheson OBE is a Scottish folk singer, who frequently sings in Scottish Gaelic. She is lead singer of the group Capercaillie and was a member of Dan Ar Braz's group L'Heritage des Celtes, with whom she often sang lead vocals, either alone or jointly with Elaine Morgan...
and Mary Ann Kennedy demonstrate lilting on a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
2005 television series, The Highland Sessions, filmed in Killiecrankie
Killiecrankie
Killiecrankie is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland on the River Garry. It lies at the Pass of Killiecrankie, by the A9 road. The village is home to a power station forming part of the Tummel Hydro-Electric Power Scheme...
, Perthshire.
The music group, Rua, develop lilting into an orchestral and vocal extravaganza, with Dum Dumda Diddle.
See also
- List of All-Ireland lilting champions
- List of traditional Irish singers
- Sean-nós songSean-nós songSean-nós is a highly ornamented style of unaccompanied traditional Irish singing. It is a sean-nós activity, which also includes sean-nós dancing...
, unaccompanied Irish traditional singing. - Puirt a beulPuirt à beulPuirt a beul is a traditional form of song native to Scotland, Ireland, and Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.-Name:The Scottish Gaelic for such a tune is port à beul: "a tune from a mouth—specifically a cheerful tune—which in the plural becomes puirt à beul...
, Scottish Lilting.
- diddling, alternate term for Lilting or Puirt a beul
- Waulking songWaulking songWaulking songs are Scottish folk songs, traditionally sung in the Gaelic language by women while waulking cloth. This practice involved a group of people beating newly woven tweed rhythmically against a table or similar surface to soften it...
, unaccompanied Scottish traditional singing done while working.