January/February 2007

The Crack Goes On

The Crack Goes On

The Crack Goes On

Writer, poet and flute-player Ciaran Carson remembers the traditional music group Planxty and reviews a recent book on the pioneering band.

Published on 1 January 2007

Ciaran Carson (1948–2019) was a poet, prose writer, translator and flute-player. He was the author of Last Night’s Fun – A Book about Irish Traditional Music, The Pocket Guide to Traditional Irish Music, The Star Factory, and the poetry collections The Irish for No, Belfast Confetti and First Language: Poems. He was Professor of Poetry at Queen’s University Belfast. Between 2008 and 2010 Ciaran wrote a series of linked columns for the Journal of Music, beginning with 'The Bag of Spuds' and ending with 'The Raw Bar'.

'The Deepest Need to be There, Communicating'

'The Deepest Need to be There, Communicating'

'The Deepest Need to be There, Communicating'

An Interview by composer Benjamin Dwyer with double-bassist and composer Barry Guy.

Published on 1 January 2007

Benjamin Dwyer is a guitarist and composer and the author of 'Different Voices: Irish Music and Music in Ireland'. He is Professor of Music at Middlesex University's Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries.

Traditional Music and the Avant-Garde

Traditional Music and the Avant-Garde

Traditional Music and the Avant-Garde

The idea of an avant-garde wing in Irish traditional music may seem a contradiction in terms, but it shouldn’t be, argues Toner Quinn.

Published on 1 January 2007

Toner Quinn is Editor of the Journal of Music. His new book, What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music, is available here. Toner will be giving a lecture exploring some of the ideas in the book on Saturday 11 May 2024 at 3pm at Farmleigh House in Dublin. For booking, visit https://bit.ly/3x2yCL8.

Recent Publications: Listings from the Contemporary Music Centre

Recent Publications: Listings from the Contemporary Music Centre

Continued from JMI Nov-Dec 2006NEW WORKS RECEIVED, OCT-NOV 2006Ball, Derek, Dublin Street-Names [2006], 2 tpt, hn, trb, tuba; Rigaudons et Troicas d’Haute Provence [2006], 2 tpt hn trb tuba; Unstable Textures [2006], 2 tpt hn trb tuba; A Br

Published on 1 January 2007

Recent Publications: Listings from the Irish Traditional Music Archive

Recent Publications: Listings from the Irish Traditional Music Archive

Continued from JMI Nov–Dec 2006CDs PUBLISHED 2006Altnaveigh House/Piping Hot & Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland, instrumental groups, The Crossing, Altnaveigh House & CBOI n.n.Arcanadh, vocal & instrumental group, Turning of a

Published on 1 January 2007

CD Reviews: The West Ocean String Quartet & Matt Molloy

CD Reviews: The West Ocean String Quartet & Matt Molloy

The Guiding Moon, West Ocean Records, WORCD 101 The West Ocean String Quartet’s second CD exemplifies the continuing interest of musicians in extending the boundaries of traditional music, in this case framing the music within the context o

Published on 1 January 2007

Adrian Scahill is a lecturer in traditional music at Maynooth University.

Improvising the Voice of America

Improvising the Voice of America

Bob Gilmore discusses the upcoming RTÉ Living Music Festival with Artistic Director Ronan Guilfoyle.

Published on 1 January 2007

Bob Gilmore (1961–2015) was a musicologist, educator and keyboard player. Born in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, he studied at York University, Queen's University Belfast, and at the University of California. His books include Harry Partch: a biography (Yale University Press, 1998) and Ben Johnston: Maximum Clarity and other writings on music (University of Illinois Press, 2006), both of which were recipients of the Deems Taylor Award from ASCAP. He wrote extensively on the American experimental tradition, microtonal music and spectral music, including the work of such figures as James Tenney, Horațiu Rădulescu, Claude Vivier, and Frank Denyer. Bob Gilmore taught at Queens University, Belfast, Dartington College of Arts, Brunel University in London, and was a Research Fellow at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent. He was the founder, director and keyboard player of Trio Scordatura, an Amsterdam-based ensemble dedicated to the performance of microtonal music, and for the year 2014 was the Editor of Tempo, a quarterly journal of new music. His biography of French-Canadian composer Claude Vivier was published by University of Rochester Press in June 2014. Between 2005 and 2012, Bob Gilmore published several articles in The Journal of Music.

Editorial: The Public

Editorial: The Public

Just as this issue is going to print, the Arts Council has published its report, The Public and the Arts 2006, providing a snapshot of the behaviour and attitudes of Irish people as regards the arts.

Published on 1 January 2007

Toner Quinn is Editor of the Journal of Music. His new book, What Ireland Can Teach the World About Music, is available here. Toner will be giving a lecture exploring some of the ideas in the book on Saturday 11 May 2024 at 3pm at Farmleigh House in Dublin. For booking, visit https://bit.ly/3x2yCL8.