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Archive-name: music/celtic/faq
Last Modified: Thu Jun 26 1997 Version: 2.00 Posting-Frequency: weekly (rec.music.celtic), monthly (rec.answers,news.answers) See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS : REC.MUSIC.CELTIC
=============================================
(comments and suggestions: graham@collins-peak.co.uk)
This document attempts to answer the questions which are asked on a
weekly basis in the REC.MUSIC.CELTIC newsgroup. Please read this before
posting a query into the group, as your question may already have been
answered.
It will be posted every Monday to rec.music.celtic.
If you have WWW access then an extended version of the FAQ is
available from:
http://www.collins-peak.co.uk/rmc/
Contents
========
1.0 Introduction
1.1 What is REC.MUSIC.CELTIC (R.M.C.)?
1.2 What is the difference between REC.MUSIC.CELTIC and
REC.MUSIC.FOLK?
1.3 How is "Celtic" pronounced?
1.4 How is "Gaelic" pronounced?
2.0 Getting advice
2.1 I like X, what other bands would you recommend?
2.2 I have X, Y and Z from band W. What other albums should I
buy?
2.3 I love instrument X - which bands use it, and on which
albums?
2.4 How do I get information/recordings/other about/by band X?
3.0 On-line Information
3.1 WWW Starting points
3.2 Mailing lists
4.0 Ordering recordings
4.1 Mail order/phone
4.2 On the Internet
4.3 General advice on mail order
5.0 Favourite questions
5.1 Is Enya related to Clannad?
5.2 Which part of Ireland are Capercaillie from, and which part
of Scotland are Altan from?
5.3 Is Enya dead?
5.4 When is the Clan Alba album coming out?
5.5 Is there a translation of <song name> by Clannad?
5.6 Who wrote <song name> and where can I find it?
5.7 Which song should I have played at my wedding?
5.8 Would anyone like to swap tapes with me?
6.0 Celtic Music radio shows
6.1 UK
6.2 USA & Canada
6.3 Ireland
6.4 Elsewhere
7.0 Acknowledgements
=================================================================
1.0 Introduction
1.1 What is REC.MUSIC.CELTIC (R.M.C.)?
The REC.MUSIC.CELTIC charter states:
REC.MUSIC.CELTIC is an unmoderated forum for the discussion of all
issues relating to Celtic music. Generally understood, "Celtic
music" refers to the folk musics of Ireland, Scotland, Wales,
Brittany, (Spanish) Galicia, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and
certain parts of Canada (esp.Newfoundland/Cape Breton), as well as
more recent musical styles (i.e. rock, jazz, new age) that draw
heavily from these folk traditions. It should be understood,
though, that not all musicians who hail from Ireland/Scotland/
Wales/Brittany/etc. necessarily play Celtic music.
Celtic music is not defined by the passport, ancestry, or place of
origin of the musicans, but by the sound and the feel of the music
itself. Welcome topics on rec.music. celtic include (but are by
no means limited to), the discussion of artists, songs, and
recordings; the discussion of instruments frequently used in
Celtic music; the discussion of festivals and concerts of Celtic
music; the discussion of bars, pubs, and nightclubs that
regularly feature Celtic music; the discussion of stores and
record companies that specialize in Celtic music; and
musicological discussion of the history, the influences, and the
characteristics of Celtic music.
Although it is not, strictly speaking, "Celtic" the traditional
music of England is also a welcome topic of discussion in
rec.music.celtic, due to the great overlap (in terms of both
musical history and audience interest) between it and other forms
of Celtic music.
1.2 What is the difference between REC.MUSIC.CELTIC and
REC.MUSIC.FOLK?
REC.MUSIC.CELTIC is a place for the discussion of both traditional
and modern forms of Celtic music, so as to enable the discussion
of Celtic folk music, Celtic rock, and Celtic new-age, in the same
group. The instigator (Jim Chokey) and a number other posters
thought there should be a place where one could talk about The
Clancy Brothers, Clannad, Enya, Alan Stivell, Boiled in Lead, the
Pogues, Patrick Ball, Mary Black, Runrig, etc., all in one place.
Rec.music.folk was a fine place to talk about the traditional
Celtic music, but the more rockish stuff and the more new-agey
stuff wasn't really welcome there. The purpose of
rec.music.celtic to create a group where *all* forms of Celtic and
Celtic-influenced music could be discussed. That's why it's called
rec.music.celtic and not rec.music.folk.celtic.
1.3 How is "Celtic" pronounced?
If you are talking about the newsgroup, the people, the language,
art, culture, etc, then it is with a hard C (as in K - Keltic).
The only exception is a soccer team in Glasgow, and a basketball
team in Boston who pronounce it with a soft C (Seltic), because
they were/are mainly referred to by English speakers. The Celtic
languages (Gaelic, Welsh, Manx, Cornish and Breton) have no soft C
(they use S instead), and so would not pronounce "Celtic" in that
way.
1.4 How is "Gaelic" pronounced?
In Ireland, as "Gaylic" (I'm useless with phonetic spellings, and
so are most of the people who read this group), but in Scotland as
"Gallic". The languages are similar, and come from a common
source, but 1200 years apart has modified things a
little....(although it is still possible to understand one if you
know the other, given a little effort).
2.0 Getting advice
2.1 I like X, what other bands would you recommend?
Questions like this appear on a regular basis. While it is one
way to broaden your collection and your tastes, you may find that
several other people have asked similar questions in the recent
past. It is generally better to listen to live music, or to
listen to other people's recordings than to take advice and buy
something you have never heard. Radio shows are also a good bet,
as you can sample all sorts of bands without having to pay for it.
If you are willing to pay hard cash on a whim, you may also like
to buy an album which is talked about on the group without hearing
it, on the basis that if everyone likes it then it can't be too
bad. See also 3.1
2.2 I have X, Y and Z from band W. What other albums should I buy?
Again, it is better to listen to someone else's copy and then
decide. If you can't do that, then you are in the same position
as everyone else when a new release hits the streets - if you like
the band, buy it and see... This applies equally well to older
recordings. See also 3.1, where ratings and reviews of albums by
fans can be obtained.
2.3 I love instrument X - which bands use it, and on which albums?
Again, it depends on several factors - the version of an
instrument (gut strung harp or metal strung, wooden flute or
silver, etc.), how it is played, the accompaniment (if you love
the flute and buy a recording because someone plays flute on it
only to discover that it can't be heard for a piper......you won't
be too happy), etc. See also 3.1, and 3.13 for mailing lists
dealing with one particular instrument.
2.4 How do I get information/recordings/other about/by band X?
If you have WWW access then almost every band has either
an official WWW page, and unofficial WWW page (maintained
by a fan of the band) or a page at a record company site.
These sites often have the most up to date information
available and should be the first place you look for information.
The best way to find the page is to use one of the search engines
on the net. These let you type in some words and
then search the whole of the internet. A few to try are:
Lycos - http://www.lycos.com/
Alta Vista - http://www.altavista.digital.com/
Excite - http://www.excite.com/
If that fails you can try looking in the extended WWW FAQ
under the list of artists or try any of the sites listed
in section 3.1
It is also worth searching previous articles on newsgroups
by using Deja News:
http://www.dejanews.com/
If you don't have WWW access then some mailing lists and
newsgroups dealing with specific artists are listed
in section 3.2
3.0 On-line Information
Many more links are given on the FAQ WWW page:
http://www.collins-peak.co.uk/rmc/
3.1 WWW starting points
These are few good starting points for looking at celtic music
on the internet. They provide up to date links to many
different sites. Most celtic sites will be linked to from
one of these. Suggestions for other up to date starting points
are always welcome.
Ceolas : http://celtic.stanford.edu/ceolas.html
Provides informations and links to information on virtually
everything to do with celtic music.
Every celtic thing : http://celt.net/og/
A huge list of celtic related site.
soc.culture.scottish : http://www.scot.demon.co.uk/scotfaq.html
Lot of info on traditional Scots music and also Gaelic
songs in it, as well as some lyrics.
Celtic Peak : http://www.collins-peak.co.uk/celtic/
A site with a bias towards modern scottish music including
links to artists and the WWW sites for some record companies.
Dirty Linen : http://www.dirtynelson.com/linen/
Folk Roots : http://www.cityscape.co.uk/froots/
Two of the magazines with celtic content. Lots of links to
other sites.
3.2 Mailing Lists
These are automatic mail systems which allow a basic
discussion on specialised subjects. You are advised to
subscribe and read a list for a while before you post
to it, to get the feel of its contents and style.
(Note if it's a listserv then just mail the command
SUB list_name your_name, otherwise you send a message
to the contact)
Irish Traditional Music
Mailing list on Irish traditional music, oriented towards players
and traditional, as opposed to popular, music. Membership is about
250, with an average of about half a dozen messages a day. A
digest form of the list, with summaries of the most important
messages, comes out every month.
Subscription address: listserv@irlearn.ucd.ie
List address: irtrad-l@irlearn.ucd.ie
List address: irtrad-d@irlearn.ucd.ie (digest)
Maintainer: Paul McGettrick (ARAR6013@iruccvax.ucc.ie)
* Some people have been having problems with the addresses for
this list. Let me know of any updates - Graham
Folk Music radio shows
This is primarily for hosts of folk/bluegrass/celtic radio shows,
but all are welcome to join. Runs about 5-10 messages per day
usually, includes playlists, band information, Folk Alliance news
and chat. Very much US-based.
Subscription address: listserv@psuvm.psu.edu.
List address: folkdj-l@psuvm.psu.edu
Maintainer: Tina Hay, tmh1@psuvm.psu.edu
(if you are on Bitnet, use the addresses listserv@psuvm and
folkdj@psuvm)
Accordion
Covers all kinds of accordions and concertina. 10-15 messages a
week, discusses contemporary accordion music of all sorts,
instrument building and repair. The archive has lots of
information on magazines, builders, tutors and tips.
***** NOTE: This is now supplanted by the newsgroup *****
REC.MUSIC.MAKERS.SQUEEZEBOX
WWW Archive:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu:8001/afs/cs/user/phoebe/mosaic/accordion.html
Bagpipes
Discusses all kinds of bagpipes, including Scottish, Irish
(uileann), Northumbrian, Spanish, Macedonian, Swedish and others.
Covers technical issues and news mainly of interest to players.
Subscription address: pipes-request@sunapee.dartmouth.edu
List address: bagpipe@cs.dartmouth.edu
Maintainer: wbc@quimby.dartmouth.edu <Wayne Cripps>
Archives and FAQ are available by FTP or Gopher at
cs.dartmouth.edu in the directory /pub/bagpipes
* Some people have been having problems with the addresses for
this list. Let me know of any updates - Graham
Harp
Subscription address: harp-request@mit.edu
List address: harp@mit.edu
WWW Archive:
file://tns-www.lcs.mit.edu/pub/mail-archive/harp/harp_archive.html
Boiled In Lead
Subscription address: leadheads-request@asylum.sf.ca.us
Maintainer: John Romkey
FTP archive: asylum.sf.ca.us /pub/leadheads
Oyster Band
Subscription address:
majordomo@shell1.best.com
Send a message which contains
subscribe oysters <your-email-address>
Wolfstone
Contact: wolfstone-owner@mystery.com
Subscription Address: Majordomo@mystery.com
with the message: subscribe wolfstone
Celtic language mailing lists:
In general, this area is covered by the SOC.CULTURE.CELTIC newsgroup,
which has its own FAQ. Postings on these subjects are probably best sent
there, but given the volume of traffic on translation of Gaelic lyrics, these
have been included for completeness.
Irish Emigrant (News from Ireland) list:
Subscribe: ferrie@iol.ie
Now a commercial company, but may still be free to academic sites
Celtic Linguist list: celtling@MIT.EDU
Contact: Andrew H Carnie <carnie@MIT.EDU>
Subscribe: via above
Irish Studies list: irish-studies@CC.SWARTHMORE.EDU
Contact: Michael Durkan
<mdurkan1@CC.SWARTHMORE.EDU>
Subscribe: Listserv@CC.SWARTHMORE.EDU
Ireland (Mostly politics) list:
ireland@RUTVM1.RUTGERS.EDU
Subscribe: Listserv@RUTVM1.RUTGERS.EDU
Irl-News (News and articles) list:
Irl-News@RUTVM1.RUTGERS.EDU
Subscribe: Listserv@RUTVM1.RUTGERS.EDU
Gaelic-M (Same as Gaelic-L except for MIME support)
Contact: Email me if interested
kelley@ede.sanders.lockheed.com
Gaelic-L List: gaelic-l@listserv.hea.ie
Language(s): Celtic, Goidelic; PB1201-PB1847
Irish, Scottish, & Manx Gaelic (GAELIC-L) (not
restricted to linguistics; also for learners;
contributions in a Gaelic language preferred)
Listserver: listserv@listserv.hea.ie
to send subscription and unsub commands etc
For questions, contact:
mgunn@irlearn.ucd.ie (Marion Gunn)
caoimhin@smo.uhi.ac.uk (Caoimhi/n O/ Donnai/le)
craig@scot.demon.co.uk (Craig Cockburn)
There's also at that address
gaeilge-b@listserv.hea.ie for learning Irish Gaelic and
gaidhlib-b@listserv.hea.ie for learning Scots Gaelic
NOTE: All the lists at irlearn.ucd.ie have been removed.
Contact me is this is incorrect.
4.0 Ordering recordings
4.1 Mail order/phone
There is a comprehensive list of mail-order vendors held in text
form at the Ceolas Celtic Music archives at Stanford University:
http://celtic.stanford.edu/mail-order/
Note that this includes several UK companies who may be able to
obtain recordings which are unavailable in the US or Canada - in
particular, Celtic Music and Tower Records are worth a try, but this
implies no endorsement of their services or pricing. Be warned that
UK prices of CDs are higher than in the US - usually 10+ pounds, or
around $15-17 before postage.
4.2 On the Internet
The Compact Disc Connection has a catalog of 80,000 CDs, including
some popular celtic ones. Prices are usually lower than in the
shops, and many listings have song titles and short reviews. They
do ship to non-US locations for a reasonable price, but for import
CDs refer users to Compact Disc Europe.
http://www.cdconnection.com/
Compact Disc Europe claims to have the world's largest online CD
catalog, with over 100,000 titles. Telnet to CDEUROPE.COM
http://www.cdeurope.com/
Music Boulevard has a huge catalogue of CD's including some
popular celtic ones (such as the Green Linnet catalogue). It also has
various charts, reviews, samples and articles.
http://www.musicblvd.com/
would be interested in hearing feedback about these and other
online ordering services.
4.3 General advice on mail order
When ordering from foreign countries, it is generally best to pay
by credit card. Although some may take International Money
Orders, this involves getting the IMO to them, with a letter
explaining what you want. In addition, many credit card companies
will insure your purchase automatically (useful if your dog eats
the rare vinyl which took 3 weeks to arrive...).
Think VERY carefully before sending cash. As well as being
unwise, it is also ILLEGAL in some countries (yes, I'm serious!).
Also watch out for the handling charge and commission when paying
foreign bills by credit card. If in doubt, check before paying,
as this can be non-trivial.
Specify your order in detail - if you want the most recent release
of an album at $15 rather than one of the last four of the
original release at $200, you'd better make it clear before
telling them to charge it to your credit card....[;-)] The best
way is to give full details of the label and catalogue number (see
3.1 for help in getting them).
Finally, some common sense - if you only want one record, get
together with some friends and order a lot, then share the postage
costs. Apart from anything else, this may get you a bulk discount
in some stores.
5.0 Favourite questions
5.1 Is Enya related to Clannad?
Yes - she is the sister of Maire Brennan, who is the sister of Pol
Brennan, etc. The whole band are related to each other in diverse
and Irish ways.
After leaving school she joined Clannad in 1980 and, credited under
her real name, provided keyboards and (mostly) backing vocals. She
appears on their 1982 album Fuaim.
It is often said that she also appeared on their 1980 album Crann
Ull although she is not listed in the credits. If so then her
presence is not obvious from listening to the album.
See 3.13.
5.2 Which part of Ireland are Capercaillie from, and which part of
Scotland are Altan from?
They do sound similar - most people can't tell the difference
between traditional Scottish music and traditional Irish music, so
they guess... In reality, Altan are Irish and Capercaillie
Scottish. The answer to all of these sort of questions is usually
"Lots of different places" (step forward Connor MacLeod...).
Although they started in one area (Taynuilt near Oban for
Capercaillie, and Donegal for Altan - more specifically Gweedore
in Donegal. About 10 mins drive from the pub where Enya and
Clannad started and which is still owned by their father.),
both had various musicians
leave/join, so that now they are very mixed. Capercaillie have a
famous Irishman in their line-up (Manus Lunny) and are produced by
his brother Donal. One of Altan comes from Newcastle, two from
Dublin, etc.
5.3 Is Enya dead?
No. This rumour has done the rounds several times, and is not
funny (it wasn't even funny when it first came round). Please
check all facts before posting news to the group, as declaring
someone dead when they aren't is anti-social.
5.4 When is the Clan Alba album coming out?
After a long wait, the album is available from selected outlets.
In the UK, Celtic Music in Harrogate is the sole distributor to
my knowledge, and your best bet is to contact them direct:
2-4 High Street
Starbeck
Harrogate
North Yorkshire, England
HG2 7HY
5.5 Is there a translation of <song name> by Clannad?
Yes (mainly). Most of their Gaelic songs are traditional, and
translations of the lyrics can be found on several archive sites.
Try Ceolas at http://celtic.stanford.edu/ (See 3.4) or UWP at
ftp.uwp.edu (see 3.3).
5.6 Who wrote <song name> and where can I find it?
This sort of question is very common, and accounts for much of the
repeated traffic on the news group. It can normally be avoided
either by reading the sleeve notes on an album which has the song,
as the writer will be credited or the track noted as Traditional,
or by searching for the song in the Digital Tradition and other
online databases (see above). Although most of these databases hold
non-copyright material, some songs have been submitted with
permission, and at least you will be able to confirm that it isn't
traditional. The most common questions will be answered below:
a) No Man's Land (Green Fields of France/Willie MacBride) -
Eric Bogle
5.7 Which song should I have played at my wedding?
This is obviously a very personal thing, but its always best to use
something you're familiar with rather than take suggestions from
someone else. If you're determined to have something but can't
think of a tune or song you really like, Craig Cockburn suggests:
'There are two songs on my homepage below "An cluinn thu mi mo
nighean donn" and "Mairi bhan og" which we're using at our
wedding - both are Gaelic love songs.'
Craig's page can be found at http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~craig/
(http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~craig/songs.html is the songs page,
although if you're talking about weddings
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~craig/weddings.html
has these songs and more information)
5.8 Would anyone like to swap tapes with me?
This has been raised on R.M.C. several times over the past year.
It always provokes a massive response, which is split between those
who hate to read anything promoting taping, and those who are all
for it, and want more in their collection. In most countries,
taping of recorded material is a breach of copyright, and is
illegal. Taping of live performances is often breach of contract
(your ticket is the contract, and may contain clauses about
taping).
In order to keep the volume of postings in RMC under control, and
to prevent a flame-war between normally rational people, it is
porposed that subscribers should not post any requests to trade
tapes, any offers to sell tapes, or any articles about the
morality of taping to the group. This should be treated as
off-topic, until a clear majority of the subscribers can decide
whether it is valid or not.
6.0 Celtic Music radio shows
6.1 UK
Radio Scotland (MW= Medium Wave 810, FM = 92.4 to 94.7)
All the programmes below are FM and MW unless otherwise stated
Radio Scotland MW can be picked up as far south as London when
conditions are favourable.
E-mail: radioscotland@scot.bbc.co.uk
You can also find out information about Radio Scotland and Radio nan Gaidheal
from the BBC WWW page - http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Mon
Mr Anderson's fine tunes: 2:00-4:00
Live at the Lemon Tree 7-8pm
Tue
Mr Anderson's fine tunes: 2:00-4:00
Celtic Connections 7-9pm
Wed
Mr Anderson's fine tunes: 2:00-4:00
Thu
Mr Anderson's fine tunes: 2:00-4:00
Travelling Folk 7-9pm
Fri
Mr Anderson's fine tunes: 2:00-4:00
Sat
Take the floor 6:30-8pm
Travelling Folk 8-10pm
Celtic Connections 10-12 midnight
Sun
The Reel Blend: 10-12am MW & FM
Pipeline: 9:00-9:45pm
Radio nan Gaidheal
Radio nan Gaidheal also has a lot of music. Unsure of exact
times of music programmes though. (On 103.5 - 105 & 97.9 FM)
Na durachdan (6:05-7:30 on Fridays) plays popular request music.
The times for some Radio nan Gaidheal broadcasts are:
Radio nan Gaidheal an Dn ideann
(Radio nan Gaidheal in Edinburgh) 104.7FM.
DiLuain- Diardaoin/ (Mon- Thu):
7:30 - 12:00 & 17:00 - 19:30 (20:00 Diardaoin/Thu);
Dihaoine/ (Fri): 7:30 - 12:00 & 17:00 - 23:00
DiSathairne/ (Sat): 9:00 - 13:00
DiDomhnaich/ (Sun): 15:00 - 15:30 & 21:00 - 22:00
Other
Moray Firth Radio have a folk show on Thursday evenings 7:30 to 9:00.
They can be e-mailed at moray_firth_radio@cali.co.uk
Folk on 2, BBC Radio 2. Wednesdays 8-9pm.
Covers British Folk. Presented by Jim Lloyd
there are also frequent series of folk & features on Wednesdays
between 9pm and 9:30pm on Radio 2
On BBC Radio Ulster on Tuesday 10-11 pm british time, there is
a program called Folk Box, with Colin Sands. BBC Radio Ulster
broadcasts on medium wave, 1341 kHz. It can be heard in
south-western Norway, so I presume it may be heard in great
parts of the UK and Ireland.
6.2 USA & Canada
The Thistle and Shamrock. This is hosted by Fiona Ritchie.
There is an on-line list of stations carrying this programme -
ftp://celtic.stanford.edu/pub/thistle.list (old information)
http://celtic.stanford.edu/pmurphy/thistle.html (much more current)
or http://www.cstone.net/~pmurphy/thistle.html
The list is maintained by Pat Murphy ( pmurphy@nrao.edu ) and posted
regularly to the rec.music.celtic group
Ceolas carries another list, of over one hundred American
celtic music radio programs, and several in other parts of the world:
http://celtic.stanford.edu/pub/radio.list
6.3 Ireland
These programmes can be received on the US East Coast... All
times are GMT.
a. Mora Dhibh - RTE 1, Saturdays 06.37-7.30 MW 567
b. Ceili House - RTE 1, Saturdays 21.15-22.00 MW 567
c. Mo Cheol Thu - RTE 1, Sundays 8.05-8.55 MW 567
d. Both Sides Now - RTE 1
NOW REPLACED BY:
Sounds Traditional Mondays 9.15pm - 10.00pm, MW 567
Sounds Traditional Thursdays 9.15pm - 10.00pm, MW 567
6.4 Elsewhere
Spain - Asturias
Msica para raptar princesas.
Los 40 principales Asturias
Sunday 20:00-21:00
97.5 FM
I have no information on other countries. Please send me details
if you wish additional entries.
7.0 Acknowledgements
Paul Murphy (paul@ousekjar.demon.co.uk)
for maintaining the FAQ for several years.
Gerard Manning (ceolas@celtic.stanford.edu)
for the list of archive sites and mailing lists, plus the
on-line ordering information.
This document was originally a prettified, tidied
and expanded version of an
archive sources listing produced by Gerard.
Craig Cockburn (craig@scot.demon.co.uk)
for answering everyone's questions before the FAQ.
Jim Chokey (jchokey@leland.stanford.edu)
for getting r.m.c. started.
User Contributions:
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