Language, the singer and the song : the sociolinguistics of folk performance / Richard J. Watts, Franz Andres Morrissey.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Watts, Richard J., author.

Morrissey, Franz Andres, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Music--Performance--Social aspects.

Music.

Music and language.

Folk songs--History and criticism.

Folk songs.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvii, 372 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Summary:

The relationship between language and music has much in common - rhythm, structure, sound, metaphor. Exploring the phenomena of song and performance, this book presents a sociolinguistic model for analysing them. Based on ethnomusicologist John Blacking's contention that any song performed communally is a 'folk song' regardless of its generic origins, it argues that folk song to a far greater extent than other song genres displays 'communal' or 'inclusive' types of performance. The defining feature of folk song as a multi-modal instantiation of music and language is its participatory nature, making it ideal for sociolinguistic analysis. In this sense, a folk song is the product of specific types of developing social interaction whose major purpose is the construction of a temporally and locally based community. Through repeated instantiations, this can lead to disparate communities of practice, which, over time, develop sociocultural registers and a communal stance towards aspects of meaningful events in everyday lives that become typical of a discourse community.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 17 Jan 2019).

ISBN:

1-316-99933-5

1-316-99845-2

1-316-28565-0