I know the article we were discussing was mainly about Irish music, dancing and sessions, and I've no problem with that; I just get a bit weary with the uninformed dismissal of any notion that Irish tradition and culture could be just as closely related to English as it is to Scottish/Breton/Welsh (or indeed that England even has any traditional culture).

For anyone who's the least bit interested in the origins and background of Irish music, dance and sessions, the connections and overlaps with English musical traditions, both now and in the past, are hugely significant, and to suggest otherwise or omit to mention such connections is very misleading. I can only suppose the motivation is socio-political, but there's really no rational excuse for the constant insistence that words like "session" and "crack" are ancient "celtic" words and concepts, or that many thoroughly and typically English tunes are in fact completely Irish.

It would have been helpful, for instance, when he was explaining the difference between single and double jigs, to point out that double jigs are much the commonest type of jig in Irish music, whereas single jigs are more typical of English music, but there seems to be some kind of taboo on mentioning anything English.


Marje