Echoes from an Archive: Giving voice to written notes

Music and song collected by Séamus Ennis in the 1940s and recreated by contemporary singers and musicians associated with the same locality.  Presented by Ríonach uí Ógáin, with thanks to the National Folklore Collection  and the Arts Council

Séamus Ennis is remembered for the most part as a piper par excellence. However he was also a collector, broadcaster, singer and raconteur. His appointment with the Irish Folklore Commission spanned the years 1942 to 1947 and the results of his fieldwork contain a wide variety of material, with an emphasis on traditional music and song. His work brought him to the west of Ireland and most of the material is in Irish. His collecting tools consisted of pen and paper although he made a small number of sound recordings according as sound recording equipment, primarily the Ediphone, was made available for some field trips. As a result, the bulk of the songs, tunes and airs from Ennis exist in manuscript form alone. The Ennis music transcriptions amount to some 600 songs and tunes, with songs accounting for around three quarters.  Ennis built relationships with singers and musicians inside and outside their homes, as people willingly gave their music and song to him. The dance music was transcribed from lilting and whistling for the most part with a small amount of instrumental music from accordion, fiddle and uilleann pipes. Following his initial documentation of the staff notation and words of tunes and songs, Séamus Ennis then transcribed the music from his field notes to the manuscripts now found in the the National Folklore Collection,UCD. 

This project, funded by the Arts Council, highlights the importance of understanding earlier fieldwork followed by an archival process. Crucially, it gives an insight into archival material which is the result of ethnographic fieldwork. Older transcriptions have been given new life and interpretation as contemporary performers engage with the work of Séamus Ennis as fieldworker and transcriber. The manuscript material provides a provenance and original performer. 

Singers and musicians have been invited to investigate and interpret some of the songs and music in the Ennis Collection. After the performers had chosen their particular transcriptions, they then engaged with tunes and songs collected at a given time and in a given place. Singers and musicians were then recorded. The transcriptions capture the exchange involved in fieldwork. The initiative allows for a combination of recognition of the work of Séamus Ennis, of the material itself and of the archive, while being also true to contemporary singers and musicians. It generates a fresh relationship of our current time to the archive. 

The project offered an opportunity for performers to interpret handwritten, archival transcriptions at will. They have given new insights and new life rather than imitation.  The transcriptions have provided a framework while at the same time enabling the artists’ innovation, interpretation and creativity. 

Ríonach uí Ogáin, May 2022

Le Buíochas / With thanks

Na ceoltóirí agus na fonnadóirí, the musicians and singers, An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Marty Curran, Adam Girard, Treasa Harkin, Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann, Leabharlann na Breataine, Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha, Peigí Ní Thuathail, Garry Ó Briain, Damien Ó Dónaill, Máire O’Keeffe, Gwyn Ó Murchú, JJ O’Shea, Tom Sherlock, Lisa Shields.  Séamus Ennis photograph courtesy of Anna, Mary agus Nóra Ní Chadhain.