Issues in Tracing the History of Traditional Music in School Settings in the Faroe Islands

The paper will discuss issues and challenges in tracing the history of traditional vocal music in the Faroe Islands, especially regarding the transmission of traditional music in schools and communities. Traditional singing has been a regular feature of Faroese society for centuries, but limited sources exist on the specific subject of traditional singing. The Faroese Chain Dance (“føroyskur dansur”) and the ballads (“kvæði”) constitute the longest lasting intangible cultural heritage in Faroese society and are regarded as a continuous living tradition. The earliest written source referring to the Ballads is from the late 17th century and the Chain Dance is speculated to be even older. Much has been written on literary aspects of the ballads, and there are several collections of ballad texts, including scholarship in Faroese, Danish, and English. However, while most scholarly attention to traditional music in the Faroe Islands has been from a literary perspective, the Chain Dance and Ballads are a combined expression of both oral literature and traditional singing. Throughout the 19th century various efforts were made to write down and collect ballads but it was not until the introduction of the phonograph that song recordings began
to be collected. The earliest phonograph recordings featuring ballads and other forms of traditional singing in the Faroes are from 1902. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries more detailed studies of traditional vocal music in the Faroe Islands were completed but challenges persist for scholars who aim to trace the history of this vocal music. Deepened understandings in this field will likely contribute to enriching music education generally and the teaching of traditional singing in particular, both locally and regionally, as well as internationally.