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Grattan Flood - A History of Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 4

Grattan Flood - A History of Irish Music, Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 4
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periodical Publisher
Browne and Nolan Ltd, Dublin 1913
periodical Editor
[none]
periodical Title
Grattan Flood - A History of Irish Music
volume Number
1
issue Content
Viii PREFACEPRE1 ACE ixMoffat, Sparling, Graves, and ODonoghue. TheDic-tionary of National Biography and Groves Dictionary ofMusic and Musicians are somewhat deficient in theirtreatment of Irish musicians; and it is no exaggerationto add that the information vouchsafed of the thirtynatives of Ireland who are indlltded in the former colossalwork of reference is unreliable, whilst the number ofomissions is simply appalling.OCurry says: Much has been confidently written onthe ancient Irish music and musical instruments, par.ticularly by Mr. Joseph Cooper Walker and Mr. EdwardBunting; the former chiefly from imagination, and thelatter from induction, aided by a high musical educa-tion. Walker seems to have been the sport of everypretender to antiquarian knowledge, but more especiallythe dupe of an unscrupulous person of the name ofBeaufordnot the learned author of the Memoir of aMap of Ireland, but another clergyman of the namewho unblushingly pawned his pretended knowledge offacts on the well-intentioned but credulous Walker.All Irish students must be for ever grateful to 0 Curryfor having gathered together what has well beendescribed as a mine of information in his Lectures onthe Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish, edited byDr. W. K. Sullivan. The section dealing with Musicand Musical Instruments in Ancient Erin cannot beignored, especially in connection with Dr. Sullivanslearned Introduction and Notes; yet, I must ratherunwillingly acknowledge that many of his theories andconclusions are at variance with the result of recentscholarship. During the past thirty years our know-ledge of matters relating to Treland has been wonder-fully added to; and the investigations of erudite writershave cleared away the almost impenetrable haze whichbad so long obscured the state of civilization as regardsliterature, art, and mtisic in pre-Norman and medi evaldays.No further apology is therefore needed for offering thepresent work to the reading public. Twenty-six yearsof unwearied research have resulted in a colossal amountof material, but I have endeavoured to condense mymatter so as to produce a concise history. Moreover Ihave avoided as far as possible all technicalities, andthus hope to make these pages more popular, and withinthe scope of the average reader.It would be ungrateful not to mention the valu-able assistance received from numerous kind friends,and from the Librarians of the home and continentallibraries. As far as possible, all references have beenverified at first hand; whilst, from the sixteenthcentury onwards, the State Papers and contemporarydocuments have been laid under tribute. Files ofnewspapers, commencing with the year 1728, haveproved of much service, and rare magazines and chap-books have been consulted. Dr. Henry Watson andDr. Cuiwick lent me some unique music books, andMr. T. L. Southgate allowed me to use his exceedinglyscarce edition of Playfords Dancing Master (1652).The Lord Abbot of Mount Melleray, Mr. F. J. Bigger,Mr. Andrew Gibson, Mr. Barclay Squire, Mr. DavidComyn, Dr. Douglas Hyde, Mr. H. F. Berry, Dr. W.H. Cummings, Dr. Cox, The ONeill, The Lady AbbessA
issue Number
1
page Number
4
periodical Author
Grattan Flood, Wm. H.
issue Publication Date
1913-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

Grattan Flood - A History of Irish Music

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