Saturday 12 October – Lecture 3: Archetypal Themes in Celtic Traditional Music
(In-person or Online Attendance)
Abstract
Lecture 3 consists of two sessions and offers a journey into music, archetype and psychoanalysis.
There have been many studies into archetypal themes in mythology and fairy tales. However, there are almost no studies into the archetypes within traditional song and music. Music would have certainly accompanied many mythic retellings and ritual. These two seminars will attempt to redress this imbalance.
Lecture 3: Part 1
Archetypal Themes in Celtic Traditional Music: Traditional Song
In this seminar we will explore archetypal themes in a number of traditional songs from the English, Irish and Scottish cannon. The songs will be John Barleycorn, Twa Magicians, The Selkie of Skule Skerry, the Cruel Mother, and Her Mantle so Green.
Themes discussed will include Death-Rebirth, the relationship with the imaginal realm, the Death Mother and the hieros gamos, the marriage of opposites.
Lecture 3: Part 2
Archetypal Themes in Celtic Traditional Music: Irish Traditional Instrumental Music
This seminar will focus on Irish instrumental music. The nature of the important components of this music genre will be examined, for example modes, rhythm, drones, repetition and harmony.
These aspects will be linked to the role of music in psychotherapy, early mother-infant interaction, and further explorations into the nature of the acoustic image.
We are privileged to have the participation of two local musicians deeply steeped in this musical tradition, namely Caroline Blundell and Cathy Tuck. They will provide live performances of the material with psychological commentary by Stephen Bloch.
About the Presenter
Stephen Bloch is a clinical psychologist and Jungian analyst. He is a founding member of SAAJA and has served on many of its committees. He has presented seminars on a variety of subjects (including, among others, Ethics, Music and psychoanalysis, and psychoanalytic mysticism). He has co-edited two books Music and Psyche (with Paul Ashton, 2007) and Living Moments: Essays in Honour of Michael Eigen (with Loray Daws, 2015).
About the Artists
Caroline Blundell discovered the guitar and folk songs at the age of 11 and has never looked back. Her professional music career spans over 40 years – singing, song-writing, performing, and also teaching guitar, ukelele and banjo. Caroline has a pure voice that moves the soul, and her beautiful melodies and stories in song are a varied reflection of her journey through life. Since the 1980’s she has performed regularly in Folk Music Festivals, and at various popular acoustic music venues in the Cape. Caroline’s father, Keith Blundell, was a legendary figure in the South African folk scene and she now plays with her siblings in the band FINTRY. Her two albums of original material Flying Visits (2012) and Telling Tales (2017) are available on iTunes and Spotify. (http://www.carolineblundell.com)
Cathy Tuck is an Irish traditional fiddle player and singer who has been playing with The Cape Town Irish Session since 1996. She has a great love for Celtic cultural heritage, Celtic legends, songs and language. She plays with the Session weekly, at The Wild Fig restaurant in Cape Town, Thursday nights, from 6:30pm. As a Traditional Chinese Medical practitioner, she is able to draw unique parallels between Taoist cosmology and Celtic Archetypal imagery, bringing a different cultural perspective on universal themes. Her recording The Ruse (2015) is available on Spotify, Bandcamp (proceeds to Rape Crisis) and Apple Music (www.shiatsucapetown.com)
Zoom participants, please ensure you join the Zoom link at least 10 minutes prior to the lecture start time. The lectures will start promptly at their allotted times.