I tried learning Irish a few years back, mainly to try to avoid butchering the titles of things. Later on, my friend Tom Standeven (the piper) insisted that if you wanted to truly understand Irish music, the key to the 'nyah' was in the language. I got a chance to hear a stunning variety of recordings he had from the old singers, many of whom he knew, and I still have a deep appreciation for the old songs. BUT...

While wrestling with the notion of trying to learn to sing in Irish, I came upon the one thing that drives me to learn a song in the first place. I love stories. I gravitate to the truly old ballads etc because of the amazing depth of tales they contain, and I almost always tell at least one story whenever I perform. If I am then singing in a language that very VERY few people understand, am I not defeating my own purpose?

To me it isn't about ainging in a language I understand, but singing in one the audience understands. If you are trying to pass on a part of a culture or tradition, isn't the first rule to be sure everyone understands what you are trying to say?

Robt. Mouland