Sean Nòs Singing

By: Margaret Stewart

"Some of you have written to ask what the definition of 'sean nos' singing is. Well now! that certainly is a loaded question, and I'm not really sure if I am able to answer by way of this medium, particularly without the help of musical examples, but I'll certainly do my best.

Firstly, the term 'sean nos', means 'the old style', although this doesn't adequately describe traditional Gaelic singing. It is a form of singing which has been passed down via oral transmission and is still as relevant and modern today as it was in the past, and although becoming rare, it is still a living and unbroken tradition in some areas of Gaelic Scotland.

There is a world of a difference between just singing a Gaelic song in any style and singing a Gaelic song in the 'seann nos'. Any singer can sing in Gaelic if they learn the words and tune well enough, but singing in the 'sean nos' is a more complex form of singing altogether. There are many different kinds of it; regional styles and different styles of ornamentation exist from the Butt of Lewis in Scotland, down to the tip of Co. Kerry in Ireland.

The singing of 'sean nos', is unaccompanied, and the Gaelic words always take precedence over the music. The technical quality of the voice is not as important as it is in classical singing. Having a tuneful, natural voice with a regional style, is crucial and its essence is its totally un-trained, natural, free and relaxed quality. Singers are completely comfortable with their language, their song and their singing style, having been exposed to it in their home or community since childhood.

The stress pattern of the poetry dictates the rhythm for the singer, so that no two verses are the same with regard to note values. Rhythmic freedom is one of the most important aspects of sean-nos singing and is the one least easily understood by those not brought up with it.

Younger singers should therefore take time to learn the poetry in the song before learning the tune, in order to fully understand what they are communicating to their audience. There is a tendency nowadays for singers to be heavily influenced by regularity of rhythm, and even native Gaelic speakers are nowadays subject to this influence.

The tempo of a song may also vary according to the degree of ornamentation used. In the Scottish Gaidhealtachd, melismatic singing was more common in Lewis and in Harris, but nowadays there are fewer singers who ornament naturally in the old style. Many, however, wherever they come from, feel that ornamentation is a requisite of any traditional singing; this results in the introduction of a very artificial and contrived form of ornamenting in some performances.

When one is brought up with a certain style of singing it will sound natural but as real 'seann-nos' singing is now rarely heard in our Gaelic communities, younger singers often pick up their songs from recordings which, although attractive in sound and quality, are based on techniques and styles outside of their own region and culture and usually from a variety of sources. A type of singing which has been nurtured since childhood will always sound natural. A singer should not have to think about when to ornament, it should be as natural as breathing.

Another phenomenon attached to proper traditional singing is that you may find that the singer makes changes in the song each time it is sung. I know I do this myself, through my ornamentation or by making other slight changes in the melody notes, but it happens unconsciously. It will depend on how one feels at the time, on one's familiarity with the song, on the atmosphere, on how relaxed one is and on the state of one's voice at the time.

Unsympathetic musical accompaniment has had an adverse effect on the performance of traditional Gaelic song over the past 70 years or so. Songs which should be unrestricted in their rhythm are often forced into measured time because of unsympathetic musical arrangements When certain Gaelic songs are forced into a strict, and what is in fact an alien rhythm, many of the words are stretched out unnaturally and the piece therefore loses authenticity. At times the meanings of the words are altered due to distortions of rhythms to match thoughtless instrumental accompaniment.

I have given a lot of thought to this definition and I have to admit that I have found Seann Nos singing is hard to explain because I was brought up with it, and I didn't honestly see it as a 'different' sort of music until I left the island's Gaelic environment. This style of singing was always there and always around us, it was part of our lives, just as the language was. When one is immersed in something it is much harder to explain its intricacies.

This definition is, I suppose, a work in progress, but I hope it goes some way to helping you understand how different it is from 'just singing a Gaelic song' - Any singer can do that.

I hope this encourages debate and I would welcome any feedback, either positive or negative with regard to any of the statements I have made.”

Margaret Stewart is a Gaelic singer from the Island of Lewis, in the Western Isles of Scotland. For more information about Margaret Stewart and her work, please visit: http://www.margaretstewart.com/