The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #164285 Message #3930271
Posted By: Jim Carroll
11-Jun-18 - 08:48 AM
Thread Name: lilting / diddling / jigging / tuning
Subject: RE: lilting / diddling / jigging / tuning
In Ireland it was used to provide music to accompany dancing, often when musical instruments were too expensive for poor families
It came into its own when the priests took against the "unchaperoned" crossroads danced and broke them up forcibly, often destroying instruments they found
It developed into an art form in its own right
In Scotland, Cainntearachd was used to memorise pipe tunes in detail - MARY MORRISON was a true virtuoso at this (though only recorded when she was part her best)
Not related, but not a million miles away was the Genoan Tralaliri singing tradition in Genoa
According to Lomax, this originated when, during the Garibaldi Revolutions, the singing of revolutionary songs wa banned, so the men used to sit at the pavement cafes, la-laing the tunes each time a soldier or policeman passed.
This too developed into its own ART FORM
Jim Carroll