Traditional Music in Ulster — Arts & Culture Resource (NI)
A P3–P7 arts and culture resource on traditional music in Ulster — the instruments, the session tradition, the Orange and Green musical traditions, Fleadh Cheoil, and bringing trad music into the NI classroom.
Preview
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Ulster's two musical traditions
- 1 Irish traditional music (ceol traidisiúnta) The same tradition as in the Republic — reels, jigs, slow airs, sessions. Strongly associated with the nationalist/Catholic community but enjoyed across traditions. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is active throughout NI.
- 2 The Ulster-Scots musical tradition Fiddle music, country dance, and pipe music brought by Scottish settlers. Closely related to Scottish traditional music. The flute bands are a particularly visible form.
- 3 Flute bands A distinctive Ulster tradition — marching bands playing fifes and drums, predominantly from the unionist/loyalist community. Marching is a key cultural expression. The Twelfth of July parades feature hundreds of bands.
- 4 Fleadh Cheoil The annual traditional music festival run by Comhaltas. Derry/Londonderry hosted the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in 2013 and 2014. Attracted over 400,000 visitors.
- 5 Van Morrison Born in east Belfast (1945). One of the most influential rock and R&B musicians in the world — 'Brown Eyed Girl', 'Moondance', Astral Weeks. A proud Belfast son.
- 6 The tin whistle across traditions The tin whistle is one instrument that genuinely crosses cultural lines in NI — played in both Irish trad sessions and Ulster-Scots settings. A good classroom starting point.
Music in the NI classroom — practical ideas
Across the Arts Area of Learning
- ▶ TIN WHISTLE: affordable, portable, appropriate for all P1-P7 levels. Teach a simple Irish tune — Twinkle Twinkle in D to start, then a reel.
- ▶ LISTENING: the BBC has excellent free traditional music resources. Comhaltas Online has thousands of session recordings — all free to use.
- ▶ DRUMMING: basic rhythmic activity using bodhrán-style frame drums. Connect to pulse, metre, and rhythm in music.
- ▶ BOTH TRADITIONS: teach children to recognise both Irish traditional tunes and Ulster-Scots fiddle styles. Both are part of Ulster's musical heritage.
- ▶ VAN MORRISON BELFAST: play a Van Morrison track. Discuss: what makes it Belfast music? What can you hear?
- ▶ MAKING MUSIC: compose a 4-bar tune using only 4 notes. Play it on whistle, clap it, hum it. Simple composition accessible to all.
- ▶ CROSS-CURRICULAR: link music to PDMU (both communities' traditions deserve respect), to History (when was this music made and why), to Languages (Irish song words).
Learning objective
Identify two distinct musical traditions in Ulster; describe key instruments; listen to and describe traditional music; and plan music activities that draw on Ulster's musical heritage.
About this resource
Traditional music in Ulster
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Instruments and resources
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