An intriguing, and often highly amusing lecture on the Scottish piobrach - the classic Highland pipe tradition - led off the main events in the Willie Clancy Summer School here yesterday.
The keynote speech was delivered by Mr Allan MacDonald, from the department of Celtic studies at the University of Edinburgh. He pointed up clear, and often ignored, rhythmic links between the piping and singing traditions which still survive in the Gaelic-speaking Western Isles of Scotland. Pipers, he explained, along with bards, harpers and fools, once enjoyed exalted status under the old Gaelic clan system. The considerable traffic that existed between Ireland and Scotland, particularly during the 1600s, ensured that the musical, and particularly piping traditions, were "to all intents and purposes, one and the same".
His points were vividly illustrated by songs sung by himself and Outer Hebrides singer, Ms Margaret Stewart. His brother, Iain, also played Scots and Irish variants of tunes back-to-back on the "big beast" of the full Highland pipes, a sound that all but deafened the 100-odd people present. Similar historic concerns were delved into yesterday by fiddler-broadcaster, Mr Paddy Glackin, and Mr Cathal Goan, director of TnaG, as part of their week-long mini-seminar, entitled "The Scope of Irish Music". The pair have filled this slot at the summer school since the death of traditional music historian, Breandan Breathnach, in 1985. Their talk was again illustrated by live music from Beginnish flautist, Mr Paul McGrattan, and a few delightful tunes from veteran Sliabh Luachra fiddler, Mr Paddy Cronin. Again, an international congregation was fascinated by stories of figures like Canon McFadden in Donegal. Mr Goan said: "While he was well known for campaigning for land rights in the 1880s, he single-handedly wiped out the local music in Gweedore. Typically, he would break into houses where music was being played and smash all the instruments, by literally dancing on them. He considered it his sacred duty."
To a flurry of interested questions, he admitted that at the house dances there was probably a lot of drink taken. "Because it was illicit poitin, there was no regulation of the alcohol levels, so it could be harmful. People quite literally could go daft."
Inevitably, the notion of the "purity" of the musical tradition came up. Mr Glacken commented: "I think people still sometimes hide behind that restrictive notion of the music, which is dangerous, because it can put a stop to musical improvisation and innovation. You have to be careful not to fossilise the music. "
Oddly enough, he himself drew a kind of a line at sessions. "People always played music fast in Donegal, but it wasn't at the break-neck pace you find at sessions today, where the speed is pushed up by the percussion and accompaniment. With 14 people belting away at a tune, you can't hear anything. It's just meaningless."
However, his words are wasted on Miltown Malbay, where sessions continued unabated into late last night, not least in Marrinan's, the singing pub, where Irish, Scots and even Bengali songs took turns with Limerick and Kerry storytellers.
The sessions will probably trail on for a few more days, possibly until the Darling Girl of Clare Festival later this month. However, this year's Willie Clancy School will close on Sunday with a Mass in St Joseph's Church, featuring the Sean O Riada Chuil Aodha Choir, now led by O Riada's musician son, Peadar.