ABSTRACT
Sean-nós singing usually refers to songs performed in Irish, rather than those sung in English. However, some people use the term fairly casually to refer to all songs performed unaccompanied, regardless of their language or whether their meter is fixed or flexible. For the purposes of this book, Irish songs in English generally fall under the rubric of Irish traditional song, and Irish people who sing in English are often called Irish traditional singers. This distinction is offered in spite of the fact that many Irish singers are comfortable performing in Irish and English! In examining Irish song, regardless of the language in which it is sung, it would be impossible to cover all varieties. Instead, the aim of Chapters 7 and 8 is to examine the bigger picture of Irish song-from laments and love songs to more lighthearted songs-by using a few specific examples to illustrate particular points. Our initial encounter with the ballad was in Chapter 5, when you read about the Scotch-Irish migration to North America. In this chapter, we consider a selection of the English language songs of Ireland-narrative ballads, lyric love songs, and lilting.
