What is Celtic Music?
The term “Celtic Music” gets a lot of play. Surely it must be the music the Celts played. Unfortunately there is no evidence that this is the case and because the ancient people we moderns place under the cultural umbrella of Celt were illiterate, it’s unlikely that any conclusive evidence will be found that describes Celtic music.
The word “Celt” was a creation of the ancient Greeks. The ancient Celts were various tribes of late Bronze Age people living north of the Mediterranean Sea. They eventually spread across Europe in a great arc from modern day Turkey to Portugal out to the British Isles and Ireland. The unifying features of these ancient Celtic people were language, artistic expression and a fierce warrior culture.
The word Celt is derived from the Greek word Κελτοί or Keltoi. The term was first used by ancient geographers to identify a tribe that lived near the head of the Danube River. Julius Caesar wrote in his history of the Gallic Wars that the people he identified as “Gauls” called themselves “Celts”. The first appearance of “Celtic” in the English language first occurred in 1707 when a linguist identified common language structures shared by the several hundred Celtic languages and dialects.
The surviving Celtic languages are: Brenton, Cornish, Irish, Manx, Scots Gaelic, and Welsh.
Each place where these Celtic languages are spoken has unique musical styles and traditions. Lumping the music of these six places under one umbrella term, Celtic Music, isn’t helpful at all. To most contemporary listeners “Celtic Music” means the music of Ireland and Scotland and extreme northern region of England. In fact, “Celtic Music” might easily include not only the six regions that speak a Celtic language today, but also the music of Turkey, the Balkans, the Galatian region of Spain and many other places across northern and eastern Europe.
“Celtic Music” has as much meaning as “American Music”. What is American music? Is it the blues. If so, what kind of blues? New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, Delta or Piedmont blues? Is it rock-n-roll? What kind? Elvis Presley, the Drifters, Motown, Bruce Springsteen? Is it bluegrass? Would that be Flat and Scruggs or Jerry Douglas with his new-grass sound.
There is little point in trying to fight against the term “Celtic Music”. But those of us who play the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland should know that the term obscures a wide range of music that should legitimately fit under the umbrella of “Celtic Music”. We should be celebrating a 7|8 Bulgarian dance tune every bit as much as a 6|8 double jig from Ireland.
A good explanation of the history the Celts is found at this link: https://www.ancient.eu/celt/
Mostly what is considered these days as "Celtic" music is the dance and vocal music of Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotalnd, Cornwall, Wales the 18th and 19th centuries. Some tunes and songs date back to medieval or Renaissance times, but the overwhelming content of the traditional Celtic repertoire dates from the 19th and 19th centuries. Celtic music is enjoying a golden age during which contemporary musicians are creating wonderful new music with roots deep in the Celtic musical traditions. New ensemble voices are showing up too. All of this is healthy.
It's always good to remember a few historical facts. The origins of Celtic music lie in dance and song. The music was generally performed by solo players. The instruments would have been harp, fiddle, flute. The Irish bagpipes (uilleann pipes) don't appear until the early 1700s. Guitar, mandolin, accordion, banjo, bodhran, bouzouki, bones, concertina are all late-comers to the music.
No one should invest in the "authenticity" of the Celtic music ensemble.. The makeup of a Celtic band is constantly evolving. To the credit of Celtic musicians, they have embrace new voices that enhance their music. Today, a Celtic music performance may likely include an African instrument (banjo) a Greek instrument (bouzouki), a French instrument (mandolin) a German instrument (accordion) an English instrument (concertina), a Persian instrument (guitar) and an instrument from Solvenia (penny whistle).
One reason Celtic music has such a world-wide following is it's adaptability, compatibility and inclusiveness.
As the chorus to the song Irish Pub goes....
The term “Celtic Music” gets a lot of play. Surely it must be the music the Celts played. Unfortunately there is no evidence that this is the case and because the ancient people we moderns place under the cultural umbrella of Celt were illiterate, it’s unlikely that any conclusive evidence will be found that describes Celtic music.
The word “Celt” was a creation of the ancient Greeks. The ancient Celts were various tribes of late Bronze Age people living north of the Mediterranean Sea. They eventually spread across Europe in a great arc from modern day Turkey to Portugal out to the British Isles and Ireland. The unifying features of these ancient Celtic people were language, artistic expression and a fierce warrior culture.
The word Celt is derived from the Greek word Κελτοί or Keltoi. The term was first used by ancient geographers to identify a tribe that lived near the head of the Danube River. Julius Caesar wrote in his history of the Gallic Wars that the people he identified as “Gauls” called themselves “Celts”. The first appearance of “Celtic” in the English language first occurred in 1707 when a linguist identified common language structures shared by the several hundred Celtic languages and dialects.
The surviving Celtic languages are: Brenton, Cornish, Irish, Manx, Scots Gaelic, and Welsh.
Each place where these Celtic languages are spoken has unique musical styles and traditions. Lumping the music of these six places under one umbrella term, Celtic Music, isn’t helpful at all. To most contemporary listeners “Celtic Music” means the music of Ireland and Scotland and extreme northern region of England. In fact, “Celtic Music” might easily include not only the six regions that speak a Celtic language today, but also the music of Turkey, the Balkans, the Galatian region of Spain and many other places across northern and eastern Europe.
“Celtic Music” has as much meaning as “American Music”. What is American music? Is it the blues. If so, what kind of blues? New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, Delta or Piedmont blues? Is it rock-n-roll? What kind? Elvis Presley, the Drifters, Motown, Bruce Springsteen? Is it bluegrass? Would that be Flat and Scruggs or Jerry Douglas with his new-grass sound.
There is little point in trying to fight against the term “Celtic Music”. But those of us who play the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland should know that the term obscures a wide range of music that should legitimately fit under the umbrella of “Celtic Music”. We should be celebrating a 7|8 Bulgarian dance tune every bit as much as a 6|8 double jig from Ireland.
A good explanation of the history the Celts is found at this link: https://www.ancient.eu/celt/
Mostly what is considered these days as "Celtic" music is the dance and vocal music of Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotalnd, Cornwall, Wales the 18th and 19th centuries. Some tunes and songs date back to medieval or Renaissance times, but the overwhelming content of the traditional Celtic repertoire dates from the 19th and 19th centuries. Celtic music is enjoying a golden age during which contemporary musicians are creating wonderful new music with roots deep in the Celtic musical traditions. New ensemble voices are showing up too. All of this is healthy.
It's always good to remember a few historical facts. The origins of Celtic music lie in dance and song. The music was generally performed by solo players. The instruments would have been harp, fiddle, flute. The Irish bagpipes (uilleann pipes) don't appear until the early 1700s. Guitar, mandolin, accordion, banjo, bodhran, bouzouki, bones, concertina are all late-comers to the music.
No one should invest in the "authenticity" of the Celtic music ensemble.. The makeup of a Celtic band is constantly evolving. To the credit of Celtic musicians, they have embrace new voices that enhance their music. Today, a Celtic music performance may likely include an African instrument (banjo) a Greek instrument (bouzouki), a French instrument (mandolin) a German instrument (accordion) an English instrument (concertina), a Persian instrument (guitar) and an instrument from Solvenia (penny whistle).
One reason Celtic music has such a world-wide following is it's adaptability, compatibility and inclusiveness.
As the chorus to the song Irish Pub goes....
They've got one in Honolulu, they've got one in Moscow too
They got four of them in Sydney and a couple in Kathmandu
So whether you sing or pull a pint you'll always have a job
'Cause where ever you go around the world you'll find an Irish pub
They got four of them in Sydney and a couple in Kathmandu
So whether you sing or pull a pint you'll always have a job
'Cause where ever you go around the world you'll find an Irish pub