Customer Reviews

The Pocket History of Irish Traditional Music (The Pocket History Series)

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Gearoid O hAllmhurain is no stranger to any fan of Irish music. His is a household name among traditional fans all over both for his own concertina playing and his music history lectures. I first saw him in Ireland about 5 years ago giving a lecture on the Irish Famine. I was so pleased by what an easy and interesting introduction to the topic this book was that it became my Christmas stocking stuffer for lots of my friends. Both those who play and those who love to listen to the music.This new book was pretty light reading and yet the best introduction to Irish music in the context of powerful historical events, war, famine, colonalism, Michael Flattley and Lord of the Dance. It makes me long for a real full version from this author. Unlike Ciaran Carson's popular, Last Night's Fun, this book is substanative and educational, not just an entertaining jaunt through the musical pubs of one sessioneer.

As an American with a life-long love for Irish music - but short on real musical knowledge - I found this book a god-send. Like another reviewer I would like to see another book by Gearoid (However, I wish Irish people writing in English would not use the difficult Irish version of their names. I take it that Gearoid's name in English is good old Gerard O'Halloran, but I digress...) which treats the matters in more depth.

I was particularly impressed that the author, who obviously is highly qualified on the subject, does not fall into the trap of overwhelming us with academic lecturing and, most of all, is respectful to all shades of contribution in the living river of traditional Irish music. And a great river it is!

I read this book knowing little about Irish history and less about Irish traditional music. Having finished it I now know considerably more about both, but still don't know much about anything in any depth. This book is a wonderful primer, but it blows through several hundred years of history in 161 small pages. It is well written book and the connections made between historical events and the music that either recorded them lyrically or grew out of them (e.g., incorporation of various Scottish or Polish rhythms) are fascinating and done in a consistent manner.

This book is an excellent place to start in on this topic, but you'll finish wanting more.

Mr OhAllmhurain does a splendid job or recording the details of Irish musical history that have heretofore survived only through the oral recountings passed from generation to generation in Ireland's musical heartland of Clare.