![]() ![]() Percussion generally stays in the background. A ceilidh (KAY-lee) is an evening of music and dance.an Irish hoedown. If he wants to pass on the decision, it's done with eye contact and a nod. Whoever happens to be leading determines the next song only as the current tune is about to be finished. The wind and string instruments embellish melody lines with lots of tight ornamentation. The music often comes in sets of three songs. Last call for drinks is just before midnight. Get there before 9pm if you want a pub-grub dinner or a place to sit, or pop in later and plan on standing. ![]() Things usually get going around 9:30pm, though Irish punctuality is unpredictable. There will generally be a fiddle, a flute or tin whistle, a guitar, a bodhrán (goatskin drum), and maybe an accordion or mandolin. Often musicians just congregate and play for the love of it. "Sessions" (musical evenings) may be advertised events or impromptu (and quality can be hit or miss). It's worth staying until the wee hours for the magical moment when a lament is sung to a hushed and attentive pub crowd. Pub music ranges from traditional instrumentals (merry jigs and reels) to ballads (songs of tragic love lost or heroic deeds done) to sing-along strummers. Trad music is especially popular in Dingle, Doolin, Galway, and Dublin. Live music is a weekly - and sometimes nightly - draw at most town pubs worth their salt. When I'm in Ireland, I walk around a pub-filled block like a guy choosing a dance partner, considering where I'll stop to enjoy a pint and a tune. You can hear it at cultural heritage centers and concert halls, but it sounds best in a pub. That love is especially strong for traditional Irish music. Nearly every Irish household has some kind of musical instrument. At social gatherings, everyone's always ready to sing his or her "party piece." Performances are judged less by skill than by uninhibited sincerity or showmanship. ![]() The Irish seem born with a love of music. ![]()
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