Northern Ireland remains a divided community in which traditional culture, in all its manifestations, is widely understood as a marker of religious affiliation and ethnic identity. Since the outbreak of the most recent 'troubles' around 1968, the borders between the communities have often been marked by music. With the increasing espousal of a discrete Ulster Scots tradition since the signing of the Belfast (or 'Good Friday') Agreement in 1998, the characteristics of the traditional music performed in Northern Ireland, and the place of Protestant musicians within popular Irish culture, clearly require a more thoroughgoing analysis. David Cooper's book provides such analysis, as well as ethnographic and ethnomusicological studies of a group of traditional musicians from County Antrim. In particular, the book offers a consideration of the cultural dynamics of Northern Ireland with respect to traditional music.

Contents: Introduction; The geographical, historical and social construction of Northern Ireland; Song sources, traditions and ideologies; Performance practices in Northern Ireland; The process of collection, transcription and transmission; Music of the Northern Irish diaspora in America; Bibliography; Index.

David Cooper, Professor of Music and Technology in the School of Music and Dean of the Faculty of Performance, Visual Arts and Communications, University of Leeds.