A Bit About Manx Music from The Isle of Man

WCHE Radio Interview

Steven Brodsky of the WCHE Entertainment and Culture Show 1520AM Radio interviewed me in June, 2011. This 27 minute segment describes how my passion for playing the Mountain Dulcimer led to my study of Manx Music and development of the Book and Music CD.

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Manx Radio Interview

I was interviewed by Catherine Nicoll on Manx Radio in early November, 2010. I've included the full program which runs about 25 minutes -- my portion takes place during the first 7 minutes -- I think you'll enjoy listening to the entire program which is done in both English and Manx Gaelic.

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Here is a small portion of my book, "Tailless Tunes - Traditional Music from the Isle of Man" that talks a bit about The Isle of Man and the origins of its beautiful Manx Music.

• Many folks have no idea where this place is, myself among them before discovering Charles Guard's book but some may have heard of it for a couple of reasons: the tailless Manx Cat and the TT motorcycle races. I confess to knowing only about the cat...
• This smallish island (13 miles wide and 33 miles long) is located in the middle of the Irish Sea, a three-hour ferry ride from Liverpool. It is a place of varying and contrasting beauty, with rocky shorelines, mountains, moors, forests, beaches, and castles. Its capital city, Douglas, boasts a four-mile crescent-shaped promenade facing the sea, its entire length filled with guest houses and hotels built during Victorian times to entice wealthy vacationers to its shores to see and be seen. It is still a popular tourist destination, with a year-round temperate climate, and activities for everyone.

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• Manx Gaelic was spoken there at one time, but now everyone speaks English ~~ the last of the native Manx Gaelic speakers died in 1974. The Manx language has been described as the "Cinderella" of the Gaelic languages, and has long been overshadowed by the Irish and Scottish dialects. In recent years, however, it seems to be enjoying a resurrection of sorts, and is being reintroduced to the young children in the schools through songs and musical games.
• The earliest known published collection of Manx tunes was the "Mona Melodies," which appeared in 1820. ("Mona" is a term of endearment, referring to the Isle of Man, and is derived from the Latin root word for mountain.) This book of airs had verses added by a poet who preferred to remain anonymous. The only known copy still in existence is housed in the Manx Museum.

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• Toward the end of the 19th century, four men stand out as leaders in the process of collecting Manx tunes. It was their mission to ensure that this music would not die with the musicians who were performing it, and set about this project by visiting the folk around the Island, writing down the tunes as they went. The fruits of their labors appear in several collections, published in the 1890's.
• Among these four collectors was Dr. John Clague, (1854-1908), a physician and a violinist....Dr. Clague's manuscripts, containing almost 300 tunes and dating from 1893, are in the Manx Museum.

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• A most amazing bit of trivia...The fiddle is such a popular instrument on the Island that it could be nick-named the Manx National Instrument. While their Scottish and Irish neigbors were jigging to the bagpipes, Manx musicians were fiddling the night away! - I was absolutely fascinated to learn that the Medieval Manx fiddles, which were still being played in the 1600's, before the introduction of the Italian violins, were set up with only three strings. The melody was played on the top string, while the other two strings sounded as drones! ~~ Sound familiar? The modern mountain dulcimer was destined to play Manx music! Who knew!

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Websites from The Isle of Man:

• www.ManxHeritage.org
• www.ManxHeritageMusic.org
• www.IsleOfMan.com
• www.Gov.im
• www.IOMGuide.com

See my Isle of Man Photo Gallery

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