Derekthered's Corsica blog

I'm pleased and excited to have received through the post a copy of Caroline Bithell's new book Transported by Song - Corsican Voices from Oral Tradition to World Stage.

The author is a lecturer in ethnomusicology at the University of Manchester, and this is a meaty work. With 344 pages, and costing 27 GB pounds (Scarecrow Press) it's not the sort of book you'd flip through in an evening or take with you to read in the dentist's waiting room. What appeals to me about the book is that it looks at the phenomenon of Corsica's vibrant and unique musical scene and puts it in its historical, cultural and (perhaps most importantly) musical context.

I expect I will write more about its finer points when I've finished reading it. For now, I felt I had to share with you this short extract from the introduction, which transported me by words: Through my open window, I was serenaded by Canta u Populu Corsu, Alte Voce, A Filetta, Voce di Corsica and Canta again, their voices mingling with the more timeless sounds of the swallows circling over the ruined rooftops, the breeze in the trees, the children playing around the fountain and the older residents who, each evening, took their chairs into the street to observe and comment on life's affairs into the small hours." I'm back in Corsica.

I strongly believe that Corsica's music is one of the main contributions the island has to offer the rest of the world. How great to read a book - in English - about it! You can buy it from Corsicaholiday.com's books page.