The Gaelic harp tradition is an extinct oral tradition. The old harpers never wrote their music down, and the tradition died out in the 19th century.

There are, or rather were, many indigenous traditions like this from all over Europe. However the Gaelic harp tradition is unusual, if not unique, amongst them, for a combination of reasons: its age (over 1000 years), its high status (patronised by kings and aristocrats), and its recording (repertory noted down over 200 years from c.1620 to early 1800s, as well as extant old instruments and other information)

The European context: the Gaelic harp traditions have Progressive connections with mainstream European musical life, as well as conservative connections as fossilised primal repositories. As with other medieval arts, the early Gaelic harp has accumulated much detailed and esoteric lore.

Writing down an oral tradition: the old traditions did not use writing, but were high status oral traditions. Yet, everything we know about the repertory and performance was written down before the tradition became extinct in the 19th century.

...and reviving it from the written record: Since the old traditions died out in the 19th century, they need to be reconstructed and recreated. As well as repertory, we can study the old Playing techniques. I have published a Tutor book to explain the practical aspects of what we have discovered so far.

Simon Chadwick