ABSTRACT
The French Revolution was hailed initially with delight in the liberal atmosphere of eighteenth-century Belfast, but the execution of Louis XVI and his queen in January 1793 and the subsequent declaration of war by Britain the following month opened a split in the community, with strong feelings on both sides. The purpose of the Belfast rescue was primarily musical, but had much to do with Irish national pride. The contribution of Belfast to the preservation of the traditional music of Ireland gives the town a place of honour. Three main styles of music existed in Ireland at this time: European art music, the dance music of the Irish peasantry and the dying harp music of the old Irish courts. Attempts to revive the harp tradition, which was perceived to be the purest source of Ireland's traditional music, were made by men who represented the typical ideals of many in the middle classes at this time.
