Living the Tradition: An Enchanting Journey into Old Irish Airs

Exploring the tapestry of Ireland’s culture, history, and tradition, the 2014 film "Living the Tradition: An Enchanting Journey into Old Irish Airs," directed by Maarten Roos, takes audiences on a deeply intimate journey through the magical landscape of Ireland’s rich musical heritage.

The intriguing narrative follows the eminent cellist Ilse de Ziah, an Australian native who has adopted Ireland as her second home, as she embarks on a quest to unravel the origins and meanings of ten ancient Irish melodies. The film’s title, “Living the Tradition,” is a vivid testament to Ilse de Ziah's commitment to maintaining and revitalizing the age-old musical traditions of the Irish people, breathing new life into old airs and preserving them for future generations.

Siobhan Armstrong, an internationally revered early Irish harpist, and Matt Cranitch, a respected fiddler and music scholar, also provide enriching insights into the significance of these traditional melodies. Their thoughtful dialogues and performances contribute to the film's enlightening exploration of Ireland's cultural legacy.

"Living the Tradition" delves deeply into the heart of each melody, tracing the personal, historical, and geographical context from which the tunes arose. The selections cover a wide chronological range, highlighting the stability and continuity of musical tradition in Ireland across centuries. The filmmakers meld archival research, anecdotal narratives, personal accounts, and live performance to present a multi-faceted understanding of each air's function within the greater narrative of Irish history.

What makes "Living the Tradition" particularly compelling, is how beautifully the film manages to imbue a classical instrument like the cello with the spirit of traditional Irish music. At the hands of Ilse de Ziah, the cello transcends its classical connotations, transforming into a vessel for timeless Irish melodies. Indeed, part of the film’s mission is to overcome perceptions of the cello as strictly a classical instrument and to illustrate its incredible versatility.

The film boasts an impressive cinematographic representation of Ireland, with sweeping aerial shots of the country's dramatic cliffs, serene coastal villages, and rolling green landscapes. It thoughtfully uses the natural beauty and distinct sense of place inherent in every corner of Ireland not only as a vivid backdrop but as an intrinsic part of the music's identity.

"Living the Tradition" does not merely focus on presenting and preserving the airs. Rather, it contextualizes them within Ireland’s broader social and political history. The airs serve as historical documents of a sort, providing a unique perspective of Ireland's past—its trials, tribulations, resilience, and spirit—through the universal language of music. The film thus offers an endearing tribute to Ireland's resilience and the critical role of music in aiding the nation to write, remember, and understand its own story.

Ilse de Ziah’s genuine intrigue and appreciation for these traditional melodies serve as the film's beating heart. Her journey is definitely not that of an outsider coming in to simply reproduce what has been done but of a sincere apprentice, humbly learning from the keepers of the tradition. Like the very air, she breathes life into, the process is slow, deliberate, respectful, and deeply immersive.

With its focus on cultural preservation and re-imagining, "Living the Tradition: An Enchanting Journey into Old Irish Airs" is an engaging, charming, and highly insightful watch for anyone interested in traditional music, history, or anthropology. It is a loving tribute to Ireland’s rich cultural heritage and a testament to the staying power of traditional music's immediately understood emotional language.

In its essence, "Living the Tradition" isn’t just about old Irish music—it’s about an ongoing dialogue between the past and present and the power of music to preserve and shape cultural identity. The film stands as a beautiful testament to how traditional Irish airs, like Ireland itself, have evolved and endured through centuries, carrying the stories and spirit of a nation within each melodic turn.