The main focus of Reeling Roosters is puirt a beul (pronounced “poorsht uh bee-uhl”), a form of vocalization practiced primarily in Scotland and Cape Breton in which intelligible lyrics—usually in Gaelic—are sung to such dance tune genres as reels, strathspeys, and (to a lesser extent) jigs. Puirt a beul can be distinguished from other forms of vocalizing to Celtic dance tunes that employ only meaningless vocables such as fa-la-la or deedle-deedle dum, known variously as diddling (Scotland), jigging (Atlantic Canada), lilting (Ireland), and canntaireachd (a stylized form used by Scottish pipers for transmission of melodies and ornamentation).
This book may well be the first of its kind, and indeed Sparling notes that in the early stages of her research many colleagues and informants tried to deflect her from her subject matter, fearing that she would be unable to find enough on the subject to carry a full-length project. On the contrary, by pulling together material from dozens of dissertations and published works, supplemented by observations gleaned from scores of personal interviews, she has managed to create a detailed portrait of this engaging and colorful art form.
Among the topics covered are origin theories, tune structure, analysis of lyrics, use of puirt a beul for dance accompaniment, and its once important role in transmitting repertoire and performance style to instrumentalists, notably pipers and fiddlers. In terms of the latter, Sparling explores the merits of a notion—apparently widespread in Cape Breton—that fiddlers can never learn the proper accents and ornaments of the Cape Breton idiom unless they are brought up in Gaelic-speaking households and enabled thereby to achieve a thorough mastery of the puirt a beul idiom.
All these subject areas are well illustrated by dozens of puirt a beul lyrics in Gaelic, accompanied by English translations. Although these sets of lyrics may seem perfunctory at first glance, Sparling’s detailed analysis informs us that many of them are not only well-composed (replete with such poetical devices as alliteration and assonance) but are often cleverly humorous through the use of puns, the interjection of local satire, or what the author politely refers to as “bawdry” (direct sexual or scatological references or innuendo).
In the hands of a skilled practitioner who has mastered the rhythms and subtle accents of
Scottish and Cape Breton dance, a cappella performances featuring puirt a beul singing can be quite compelling to witness, even for modern audiences who are largely unfamiliar with the genre’s cultural and historical context. In consequence, after generations of decline, the art of puirt a beul singing has seen a resurgence in recent years. In fact, among contemporary Celtic bands it has become almost de rigeur to include at least one example of the art during concert performances or on CD projects.
Sparling’s style of presentation makes this work an excellent introduction for newcomers to the field of Celtic music scholarship. She brings together materials from diverse sources ranging from eighteenth-century travel diaries to CD liner notes and internet websites. She introduces the reader to past and current scholars in the field, summarizes portions of their work, and often offers extensive quotations therefrom. Detailed digressions offer a thorough grounding in such areas as Scottish cultural history, Celtic tune genres, and the history of Scottish and Cape Breton dancing.
I did feel that Reeling Roosters could have benefited from more visual and musical illustration. For example, I would have liked to see a few photographs depicting practitioners of this art, or the settings in which it has been practiced. In addition, I often found myself longing for more musical notations than the few provided, wishing for a companion CD, or at the very least being directed to specific on-line selections. Finally, as a non-Gaelic speaker, I would have dearly loved to see phonetic renderings of the Gaelic puirt a beul lyrics, or—at the very least—a pronunciation guide with a particular focus on navigating Scots-Gaelic consonant clusters.
To sum up, Sparling’s pioneering work on Celtic mouth music would be a valuable addition to any private or educational library with a focus on traditional-music scholarship.
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[Review length: 676 words • Review posted on April 15, 2015]