Inhalt:
Ulster's marching bands form perhaps the most vibrant participatory
folk music tradition in contemporary Europe, and are one of the
most significant and visible elements of working-class loyalist
culture in the divided society of Northern Ireland. Their significance
springs largely from the central place they have assumed in the
lives of their members.
This book presents an ethnography of three County Antrim flute
bands from the very different genres of 'part-music', 'melody' and
'blood and thunder'. The author explores the emotional rewards
of communal music-making and the way that identities are formed
through the acquisition of tastes, competences and skills within
specific communal contexts, paying particular attention to the
impact of class position. These issues are examined in the context
of the competitions, concerts and street parades that are central to
the social lives of thousands of band members and supporters in
Northern Ireland.