An Gorta Mór: The Soundtrack of the Irish Famine

An Gorta Mór: Music & Songs Tied to the Irish Famine.

This lecture and recital concert explores the history of the great Irish famine in relation to songs and music that are inextricably tied to it. The combination of historical discussion paired with the raw emotional quality of Irish music and the revealing nature of Irish lyrics in song provide for a powerful sensorial exploration of a devastating period in Irish history that re-shaped the globe.

Colin Harte earned his PhD in Ethnomusicology at the University of Florida’s School of Music and his Master’s in Ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick. As a NYC Teaching Fellow, he received a master’s in education from Lehman College-CUNY while serving at Bard High School Early College-Bronx where he teaches a world music curriculum for student percussion ensembles, keyboard lab, ethnomusicology courses, and music technology courses. A Fulbright Distinguished Teacher, he has been awarded Fulbright grants to India, Peru, and Ireland. 

As a professional pianist, vocalist and percussionist, Colin is active in the New York jazz, Latin and Irish traditional music communities. He wrote An Bodhrán: Experimentation and Innovation, published by the Indiana University Press and has been published in The Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, ICTM-Ethnomusicology Ireland, SAGE Encyclopedia of Ethnomusicology, Smithsonian Folkways, New Hibernia Review, Folk Music Journal, Journal of American Musical Instrument Society, Chasqui: Revista de Literatura Latinoamericana,, and the Bardian.

He has presented at numerous conferences including the Society for Ethnomusicology, American Conference for Irish Studies, Brazilian Studies Association National Conference, International Conference for Traditional Music-Applied Ethnomusicology, the Suncoast Music Education Research Symposium, amongst many others.

The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art  is able to offer today’s program through the support of the New York City Council Cultural Immigrant Initiative Discretionary Grants provided by City Council Member Joseph Borelli and City Council Member David Carr.