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Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 3, Page 63

Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 3, Page 63
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periodical Publisher
Na Píobairí Uilleann
periodical Editor
Chairman, NPU
periodical Title
Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music
volume Number
1
issue Content
118Ceol na hEireann Irish Music119unknown pieces or versions from older players, the broadcasting of genuinetraditional musicthese are activities which are indispensable to the health ofthe music.To give one concrete examplethe sound-producing parts of the uilleann pipesare made out of Spanish cane. If suitable cane becomes unavailable then thefuture of the instrument is threatened.8. Where is assistance needed?Assistance is most need in the areas referred to in the previous activities, thesubsidiary activities. The provision of access to archives creates a resource that feeds directlyinto the tradition and enriches it over and over again. By allowing accessto the repertoires of all periods and all regions, the complexity of thetradition is deepened and extended, and its value as an artistic activityincreased. The facilitation of access to materials and skills for the manufacture andrepair of instruments and accoutrements would likewise increase the sheerinterest of the music. At present many musicians play on old or importedinstruments because, depending on the instrument, the skills to make themeither have been lost or were never here in the first place. The prohibitivecost of good instruments deters many people from becoming involvedwith the music. The creation of new material within the tradition is essential to its long-term viability. This is an activity that has really only developed in the lastten to twenty years. At least two decades of revival activity had to go bybefore the practise of creating new items became anyway commonplace.It is difficult to legislate for creativity but any measures that have theeffect of maintaining the image and reality of a vibrant living music willhelp to underwrite the conditions in which such creativity will naturallytake place. The area of copyright is an extremely important one. Irish music hasexisted for generations as a commons over which no one has exclusiverights. A by-product of the recent increase in popularity has been theattempts by interests such as recording companies and artists rightsorganisations to exercise commercial control over traditional material andto exact a financial price for its performance. This is an area where theOireachtas is directly relevant. The question should be examined and afinal legislative solution to this problem provided. The legislation shouldbe informed by the realisation that traditional music is a very differentthing to commercial music. The collection of source material has provided a resource that has inspiredand which underpins the current revival. Bach new generation throws upits own crop of performers that make a significant contribution to thetradition through their accomplishment or creativity. These are rarely theones that catch the attention of the media. The documenting of suchplayers will always be an essential task. The broadening of the public base of appreciation for traditional music isan important objective. The broadcasting of genuine, un-sweetened,undiluted traditional music would assist this aim. This has been done inthe past with varying degrees of success. However such programming hasalways been seen as at best minority-interest, at worst catering for cranks.It is always one of the first casualties of ratings wars as different stationscompete to gain and hold advertising revenue. It should be acknowledgeda cause of shame that our State-run media has consistently failed to affordreasonable airtime to a national music that attracts attention from all overthe world. Research into the production of reliable, cheap instruments and supplieswould be of enormous benefit to the spreading of access to the music. Forexample, the musical properties of the uilleann pipes are imperfectlyunderstood. Present-day makers try to reproduce the characteristics ofgood old sets, but there is no consensus about the best way to do this asthe factors which affect the sound production and tuning of this instrumenthave not all been identified and described. Centres of research and of other activities such as publication and teachingshould be encouraged and supported in so far as they serve the interests ofthe music alone, and not any other agendas. Irelands traditional is sovaried and complex that a strong case can be made for the support of one,or several, centres catering for each different genre and/or instrument. Asmentioned above, several such centres already exist. In other cases groupsV
issue Number
3
page Number
63
periodical Author
[Various]
issue Publication Date
2001-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

Ceol na hÉireann / Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 3

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