Puirt-a-beul—the Scottish Gaelic term for mouth music—is a toe-tapping, tongue-twisting genre of song that parallels the Celtic instrumental dance tune tradition. Though puirt-a-beul are popular with both Gaelic-speaking and non-Gaelic-speaking audiences, Heather Sparling’s survey of Gaelic puirt-a-beul offers a new perspective on a subject about which relatively little has been written, and that mostly from the perspective of the Scottish side of the Atlantic. Reeling Roosters and Dancing Ducks considers how puirt-a-beul compare to other forms of mouth music and examines its origins, its musical and lyrical characteristics, and its functions. Dr. Sparling brings together years of research, including an array of historical references to puirt-a-beul, interviews with Gaelic singers in both Scotland and Nova Scotia, observations of puirt-a-beul performances on both sides of the Atlantic as well as on recordings, and analyses of melodies and lyrics. Her Nova Scotia viewpoint allows her to consider puirt-a-beul in both its Scottish and diaspora contexts, a perspective that is too often absent in studies of Gaelic song.

HEATHER SPARLING is Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (Musical Traditions) at Cape Breton University. Heather teaches a range of ethnomusicology and Celtic music courses. A Gaelic speaker and teacher, she is actively involved with both local and international Gaelic organizations, sharing her expertise in Cape Breton Gaelic song. Her publications have addressed genre theory, Bourdieu's theories of social distinction, language attitudes, and oral and print transmission. Her current research focuses on disaster songs of Atlantic Canada, including their role in processing grief, nationalism and commemoration.

Heather Sparling's profile page