SNIP
I am often left with the impression that it is sometimes overlooked that
for 
many centuries the Irish people have expressed themselves artistically in 
both English and Irish, on a whole gamut of topics, ranging across such 
subjects as love, hate, politics, war, heroism, cowardice, despotism, 
compassion, emigration, work, land, injustice, birth, marriage, death, 
dishonesty, outrage, contentment, pleasure, victory, defeat, wealth, 
poverty... all the things that have gone into the making of the song 
traditions. One would be quite often left with the idea that the repertoire 
was made up entirely of lyrically gentle (to the point of blandness) pieces 
rather than the rich vibrancy that is to be found there.


MUCH MALIGNED AS HE IS , Peter Kennedy's "Folk Songs ogf Britain and
Irealnd , which was compiled during the heyday of the revival,does indeed
divide its ten final chapters into such themes.The first photograph in the
book is incidentally of Sarah Makem of Keady Armagh. There's much in the
book to form the basis of a varied repertoire.

One draw back to the book is it's chord notation, allowing singers with
guitars into the  music, I contend that much of what is academically
interesting about folk song is obliterated once it gets three chords and a
capo...

Sean L

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