Gwerz

Lyrics and sheet music for the gwerz "Ar Roue Gralon Ha Kear Is" ("King Gradlon and the City of Ys", 1850)

Gwerz (Breton: [ɡʷɛ̞ʀz], "ballad", "lament", plural gwerzioù) is a type of folk song of Brittany. In Breton music, the gwerz tells a story[1] which can be epic, historical, or mythological. The stories are usually of a tragic nature. The gwerz is characterised by an often monotonous melody and many couplets, all in the Breton language. Though historically sung unaccompanied,[2] some modern musicians use limited instrumentation with the gwerz.

Some of the most famous performers in current gwerzioù are Erik Marchand, Yann-Fañch Kemener, and Denez Prigent.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Sean Williams (2010). Focus: Irish Traditional Music. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-99146-3.
  2. ^ "Denez Prigent". Retrieved 26 Dec 2013.