Aires
Sue Richards (sukijosh@ix.netcom.com)
Tue, 6 Aug 1996 22:02:40 -0700
u wrote:
>
> I have enjoyed the dialogue regarding airs and strathspeys. Can
someone
>remind me (probably, teach me for the first time, is more accurate) what
>musical forms constitute and/or distinguish an air and a strathspey?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Thalia Martin
>
I just sent the harplist a long description of strathspeys.
An aire is just a slow tune. It is usually played very freely, so
that the phrases flow and pause and flow again. They are usually heavily
ornamented, but sound slightly different in Ireland and Scotland. In Ireland
many of the aires stem from the vocal tradition of "sean-nos" singing, a term
you might want to look up and find some recordings of. It's pretty cool. In
Scotland the aires are very diverse. Many are from the fiddle tradition, and
the composers are known. Many are from the pipe tradition and may have come
from piobrach, the "classical" or serious pipe music.
In the Scottish competitions we accept almost anything as an aire as
long as it is slow, including songs and court music.
Hope this helps. Sue Richards