Songs of the Irish Poets

Notes on the Program

by Steven Blier

The traditions of poetry and theater run deep throughout Europe, but Ireland may lead the pack when it comes to the love of literature and the passion for storytelling. The Irish honor their writers in ways unknown to North Americans; I was reminded recently that it is poets’ faces that adorn the currency in Ireland, while here in the States we manage to commemorate our celebrated writers only on the occasional postage stamp. The sparks of Irish literary culture turned into a blaze at the end of the nineteenth century when writers like Yeats and Synge led their country into a glorious Literary Renaissance, celebrating Ireland’s history and the mysticism of Gaelic poetry. These two writers were among the founders of the Irish Literary Theater, which later became the world-famous Abbey Theater. The vitality of Gaelic writing is now a vital part of American popular culture. Irish plays like The Weir, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and Our Lady of Sligo have recently played to packed houses in New York City, while Angela’s Ashes has endeared Frank McCourt to millions of American readers.

It’s no mystery why Irish poetry has been such a magnet for song composers. The literary traditions of Ireland have always emphasized lyrical, sound-based poetry which brings out the sensuous beauty of language. This could be the way Irish writers have bridged the gap between the hard, logical sounds of English and the liquid flow of Gaelic. And anyone who has visited Ireland knows that the lilt of the Irish accent can turn the most prosaic utterance into something resembling song. The Irish speak in music. It’s no wonder that so many composers have tried to capture that music in their own style.

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