Sound Recording, West Yorkshire

Description

Loreto Todd, recorded at the University of Leeds; talks about the organisation of singing and storytelling in Ireland [informant born in Coalisland, ?studying in the School of English at Leeds at the time of the interview]; randomness, spontaneity of sessions in houses; ceilidhs - social event, not necessarily involving dancing; sharing, generosity; specific dates/occasions when ceilidhs would be organised (St. Patrick's Day, wakes); storytelling - involvement of all; singing and repertoire; informant's aunt's love of singing; learning through listening; expression and actions in song; Irish elements in songs; informant's mother; sings song in Irish; audience comments and the singer; importance of the melody; being sung to bed as a child; comments on songs for children and those sung at ceilidhs; sings part of a song which begins My countrymen I take my pen... [said to have 93 verses]; rebel songs; use of old tunes; the IRA in the 1950s; the tune to 'Kevin Barry'; foot tapping; male, female singers; employment situation and men's search for work in England; little gendering of songs (laments usually by women); English/Irish versions of 'Barbara Allen' [informant sings], and discussion of the song and its tune; respect for singers; compliments paid during a song. Loreto Todd talks about singing and singers - correction of, criticism, audience response; sings and talks about a song which begins How came the blood...; ballads always recited, rather than sung; recites I'm living in Drumlister; recitations always in full dialect; identifying with a reciter; talk of Indian bags (grain sacks, used for clothing) - recites (ballad) lines which refer to these, and discusses the ballad (where heard/learned); song types (rebel, factory, old, Irish); ceilidhs and wakes - use of kitchen, involvement of children, storytelling (some child-orientated); ghost stories and supernatural beliefs; local legend used to keep children away from an arms cache in 1916; supernatural spirits in bottles, bad luck, haunted houses; supernatural personal experience narratives; ghost stories and the telling of; importance of darkness.

Metadata

Identifier	djbnjqz5
IRN	414677
Class Mark	LAVC/SRE/A626r
Level	Item
Type of Record	Archives - ISAD(G)
Peristent Link	http://prototype1.library.leeds.ac.uk/djbnjqz5
Collection(s)	Leeds Archive of Vernacular Culture
Category	Archive
Parent Record	Audiotape Sound Recordings
Creator(s)	Green, Anthony E
Date	23 November 1971
Size and Medium	1 x 12.7cm open reel spool, Duration: 96' 08".

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