It is odd that collective music-making has now become such a parcelled-off activity
A good few years ago, when my parents were alive and my children were still children, we had a family gathering at which one of my sons played a tune on the recorder.
When I was a child, I’d seen him play the tin whistle, and mess around with a mouth organ, but I had never seen him play a recorder.Pushing the envelope – Alison Healy on the heroes and eccentrics of the Irish postal serviceMoreover, I hadn’t seen him play anything for years and had all but forgotten about his ability to play an instrument when he surprised us all with his lively performance.Her mother – whose name was granny – was my only living grandparent when I was a child.
My older siblings say she would sometimes take a low stool out to the front of the house in the evenings and play to the fields and the stars.Humans have evolved a capacity for, and appreciation of, music. Not once did my father, or my mother, who had a lovely singing voice, ever shout up the stairs that they couldn’t take it anymore.You could say that was a positive for humanity, but the thought that the experience is commonplace is surely a sad one.
On our first summer camp, in Gormanston, Co Meath, our platoon went on long afternoon marches down country lanes, chanting a bawdy responsorial tune about the thoughts of two old ladies in a bed . Such responsorial singing, it seems, is common among hunter gatherer people as they move about.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Colm Boyle: What sort of competition has players debating if they'll go for it?Surely something is fundamentally wrong if the holders aren’t particularly interested in defending their title?
Read more »
Colm Lauder: Why was the Irish housing minister not at Mipim to drum up investment?Ireland, from national to local level, ignored the opportunity to pitch itself at Europe’s biggest deal show despite the lack of capital in the country
Read more »
Connacht welcome return of four players from long-term injuriesColm Reilly, Shane Jennings, Diarmuid Kilgallen and Oisín McCormack could play against the Lions
Read more »
FG MEP Colm Markey withdraws from European electionFine Gael MEP Colm Markey has withdrawn his name from the party's European Election selection convention for the Midlands North-west constituency.
Read more »
Fine Gael rocked by another resignation as MEP announces plan to step downColm Markey has withdrawn his name from the selection convention for the Midlands-North-West constituency
Read more »
Fine Gael MEP Colm Markey says he will not contest European electionsMr Markey replaced Mairead McGuinness as MEP in 2020 following her appointment as EU Commissioner
Read more »