The Japanese Hornpipe: Creative Alteration and Palimpsestic Identity in the Whistling Tradition of Ireland
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Irish traditional music is typically characterised as an ‘oral tradition’ which has been handed down from one generation to the next. Though the process of reworking has been considered central to its transmission, little consideration has thus far been given to the ways in which the music develops diachronically and what factors influence these performance decisions. Cottrell considers the act of performance as a palimpsest where traces of earlier renditions can still be identified in any given performance. Taking the example of ‘The Japanese Hornpipe’, this article will consider the ways in which individual actors and regional styles can reshape fundamental melodic characteristics through creative alteration in successive performances as the melody passed from circus performance act through the Donegal fiddle tradition and the whistling competition at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
Source: Arts
DOI: 10.3390/arts15020040
Author: Robert Harvey
Institution: Dublin City University
Language: English
Subfield: Music
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,689
OpenAlex ID: W7128780770