Cultural History reader releases new book
20 November 2009
Gerry Smyth, Reader in Cultural History, is releasing a new book entitled 'Music in Irish Cultural History.' The official UK launch takes place in London on Friday, 27 November.
The book is a collection of essays on the subject of music and Irish identity. A number of different musical genres and periods are covered, with the main essays discussing the establishment of music as a key object of Irish cultural studies, the theoretical limitations of traditional musicology and the development of new methodologies specifically designed to address the demands of Irish music in all its aspects.
With chapters ranging from the politics of betrayal in the songs of Thomas Moore to the use of music in the award-winning film 'Once', Gerry's book offers a provocative and very readable analysis of key moments from Irish cultural history considered from the perspective of music.
Professor Martin McLoone, of the University of Ulster, commented: "This is an important and innovative study of music in Ireland that considerably extends the concerns of Irish Studies and offers an analysis of the role of music in the construction of a sense of Irish identity. It is that rare thing - a learned book about music written by someone who is both an accomplished musician and an experienced academic."
