“An Irish Boy He May Well Be but He Spak Braid Scots When He Coortit Me”: Song Connections between Ireland and South West Scotland

Abstract

This survey paper makes a start at looking, through a series of specific examples, drawn from oral and printed song traditions. This paper looks at the song culture of South West Scotland and the way it relates to that of its near neighbour across the water, Ireland. The range of examples considers allows the writer to look at images from the nineteenth century to the present—many racist and unpleasant—and to show the influence of Irish area, more broadly, on both urban and rural Scottish musical and song traditions. The modern song culture of the area under consideration, in conclusion, bears lasting traces of Irish influence. This field would prove rewarding for further, in-depth research.

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Pregledni članek omogoča začetek analize niza značilnih primerov iz ustne in pisne pesemske tradicije. Prinaša pogled na pesemski izročili jugozahodne Škotske in sosednje Irske. Vrsta primerov je avtorici omogočila, da si je ogledala upodobitve ljudi – nekatere rasistične in neprijetne – in v širšem smislu pokazala vplive irske pesemske tradicije, tako na urbano kot ruralno škotsko glasbeno izročilo. V sklepu ugotavlja, da »sodobna« pesemska kultura raziskanega območja nosi sledove irskega vpliva. To področje bi bilo vredno nadaljnjih poglobljenih raziskav.