ABSTRACT
The United Kingdom and Ireland are musically linked mainly by songs in the English language, though other languages are also used. No matter whether from England, Scotland, Wales, or Ireland, many songs also have similar features, including a four-line form, most often AABA; the use of similar diatonic modes; and a relatively relaxed, unpretentious manner of singing. Today, instrumental dance-music, often performed without dancers, seems more important in England, Ireland, and Scotland than in Wales. The tunes possess similar structures (AABB) and meters (2/4, 6/8)—and the fiddle and bagpipes, though constructed differently, are everywhere the most popular instruments.
