Correction: Puirt a Beul

Subject: Correction: Puirt a Beul
From: Kiwi
Date: 13 Jul 98 - 05:22 PM

Heyla -

I was flipping through the database looking for "Puirt a Beul" 'cos I'm supposed to memorize it and my memory works better visually than aurally. Anyway.. I found it under "Sileas Puirt a Beul" and wanted to let you know that it's actually "Puirt a Beul", sung BY Sileas.

Slán, Kiwi

Subject: RE: Correction: Puirt a Beul
From: Benjamin Bodhra/nai/
Date: 13 Jul 98 - 11:06 PM

I think that it is sometimes called Sileas Puirt a beul to distinguish it from other P a B's, as that just means jig of the mouth. Puirt a beul would be that type of song rather than the name. I guess it should actually be calle Gan Ainm as there does not seem to be any particular name There is another one made famous by Capercaillie on there Crosswinds album, the first track also called Pyuirt a beul, though it is sometimes called 'S iomadh rud a dhith orm, or Domhnaill dubh an Domhnallach.

Any way that's my thinking of it.

Still waiting for Wolfgang's stuff to arrive.

Slán

Benjamin

Subject: RE: Correction: Puirt a Beul
From: Kiwi
Date: 14 Jul 98 - 10:44 AM

Aha! Now I think I understand. Thanks. :)

Speaking of the stuff arriving.. when it does, could you please type me out a quick cheat-sheet before you snail mail it to me? I'm memorizing a bunch of stuff for a LARP and I'd dearly love to have that one in my head when I go to practice with the soprano. :)

Thanks much!

Slán, Kiwi

Subject: RE: Correction: Puirt a Beul
From: Benjamin Bodhra/nai/
Date: 15 Jul 98 - 08:42 AM

Do you realise just how many threads this conversation is going thru'?

We should really stop wasting the nice people's bandwidth:^p

The email should be to you within 24 hours

Subject: RE: Correction: Puirt a Beul
From: Bruce O.
Date: 16 Jul 98 - 12:08 AM

In JFSS, #16 (1911) Frances Tolmie gives 'Vocal Dance Music' as the translation for 'Puirt-a-Buel', and gave 3 examples. She also noted publishing others in 'The Gesto Collection' and in 'Puirt-a-Beul'. The latter, she said, are 4 without the music (which she gave in JFSS #16).

Subject: RE: Correction: Puirt a Beul
From: Benjamin Bodhra/nai/
Date: 16 Jul 98 - 03:41 AM

Bruce,

What is JFSS? for us unknowledgeable ones (or maybe non- North American?)

Interestinly in my Scots Gaelic Dict. port (what puirt comes from, I think being used as a plural) port is dance music or a reel, and a jig is port-cruinn or damhsa -cruinn, basically a round dance.

Now in Irish the word port is used to describe a jig, and ríl is used to describe a reel. The reason I automatically went for the literal translaion of "mouth jig" is because I speak Irish not Scots, and the one purt a beul I know is jig. Strange how the languages have diverged over the type of dance described. So yes, Scots would either think of it as vocal dance music or vocal reel.

Benjamin

Subject: RE: Correction: Puirt a Beul
From: Bruce O.
Date: 16 Jul 98 - 07:59 AM

JFSS = Journal of the Folk Song Society (London). In total there are 105 Scots Gaelic songs from Frances Tolmie's collection in #16.

Subject: RE: Correction: Puirt a Beul
From: Benjamin Bodhra/nai/
Date: 16 Jul 98 - 08:41 AM

Thank you Bruce. That could be an interesting place to delve a little further.

Subject: RE: Correction: Puirt a Beul
From: Cuilionn
Date: 17 Jul 98 - 01:53 AM

At least amang th' singers o' Hielands an' Islands, Puirt a Beul isnae jist vocal music for dancin' tae. Some o' th' pieces dinnae suit th' rhythms o' ony dance at a', an' are put tae use for th' single purpose o' showin' aff a singer's level o' skill. But I hae seen folk whae sing while th' dancers are gaein' at it, an' it's verra impressive tae see th' claise match o' steppin' an' syllables. There are some whae wuid tell ye " I cannae lairn th' Puirt th' noo, for I didnae stairt lairnin' airly eno'...ye must stairt afore ye're ten!" When ye set eye on those whae can really dae it, th' precision an' skill are inspirin' o' awe, an' can near exhaust ye wi' th' hearin' an' seein' o' it.

--Cuilionn