Sean-nós singing
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Sean-nós singing (/ˈʃænoʊs/ SHAN-ohss, Irish: [ˈʃan̪ˠ n̪ˠoːsˠ]; Irish for "old style") is unaccompanied, traditional Irish vocal music usually performed in the Irish language. Sean-nós singing usually involves very long melodic phrases with highly ornamented and melismatic melodic lines, differing greatly from traditional folk singing elsewhere in Ireland, although there is significant regional variation within Ireland. Sean-nós songs cover a range of genres, from love song to lament to lullaby, traditionally with a strong focus on conveying the relevant emotion of the given song.[1] The term sean-nós, which simply means "in the old way", is a vague term that can also refer to various other traditional activities, musical and non-musical.[2]
Sean-nós singing | |
---|---|
Etymology | "Old-style" in the Irish language |
Stylistic origins | Unknown, 13th century or earlier |
Cultural origins | Ireland |
Typical instruments | A cappella |
The musician and academic Tomás Ó Canainn said:[3]: 49
... no aspect of Irish music can be fully understood without a deep appreciation of sean-nós singing. It is the key which opens every lock.
The origins of sean-nós singing are unknown, but it is probably at least seven centuries old. The perceived foreignness of the sound of sean-nós singing has led academics and amateurs alike to speculate that it has a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean origin.[citation needed]