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LECTURE 4: Irish Folk Music (Part 3), Compare Two Versions of the Same Ballad and Take the Quiz


Comparing Two Different Versions of “Moorlough Mary”
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Objective: Compare two different versions of the same ballad and demonstrate an understanding of how and perhaps why they differ.

To complete this assignment, you will need to go to Spotify, which I also recommend as a good site for listening to and exploring music. (https://www.spotify.com/us/ Links to an external site.). Sign up and log in so that you will be able to reference the two versions of Moorlough Mary you are going to compare and contrast.

Once you have signed up, the site will let you in and you can begin to access the music. Browse the site’s collection using “Moorlough Mary” in the search window. 

Remember, ballads are learned and passed down orally, so often times variations can occur, as discussed earlier.

First listen to John Doherty’s version (4:39).

Note the use of melisma. Melisma is the technique whereby the singer sings several notes to one syllable, sort of like taking "la" and singing a tune to it. However, it is much more subtle. Note the tempo (the rate at which the beats pass).

Then listen to Paddy Tunney’s version (3:41).

  1. How does the tempo vary?
  2. Do the lyrics vary between the two versions? How so?
  3. Do you hear melisma in Paddy’s singing?

Here are the questions that will appear on the Module Exam. Answer them now and save the answers for when you take the quiz:

1. Paddy Tunney's version is faster in tempo (the rate at which the beats of the rhythm pass) than John Doherty's.
    a. true    b. false

2. The lyrics in Tunney's version are identical to Doherty's.

    a. true     b. false

3. Listen to the first 10 seconds of Tunney's version. What is the first word you hear the singer sing using the embellishment of melisma?

a. the
b. Mary
c. met
d. market

NEED HELP IDENTIFYING MELISMA? Whitney Houston is probably the one pop singer who used it the most. Go to the following site, read the short article that explains melisma, and listen to an example of Houston using melisma.

Trivia Question:  Where did melisma in pop music of today come from? It came from the black gospel tradition.
Link Links to an external site.