More than Buzzing Bluebottles: New Contexts for Céilí Bands in Ireland

Though Irish traditional music is often referred to as a solo tradition, throughout the twentieth century various forms of ensemble playing emerged and developed. Affected by changing social contexts, audience preferences and even government legislation, the céilí band has become one of the most recognisable ensemble styles in Irish traditional music. Usually comprising of accordion, fiddles, flutes, concertina, banjo, piano and drums, the sound is defined by the performance of the group in unison with rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment from the piano and drums. Since its development in the twentieth century, the form and sound of the céilí band has arguably changed little but the contexts for performance, attitudes to and perceptions of céilí bands have changed greatly. Another important factor in the study of céilí bands today is the development of an understanding as to how and why céilí bands are formed and how this has changed over time, giving particular consideration in this paper to the role of competition. The study of céilí bands may be related to other aspects of the study of Irish traditional music including changes in the processes of transmission, the connection to place and perceived revivals in Irish traditional music