Cristl Jerry explains her view of Manx music and its relation to Irish style and ornamentation, with particular reference to the Manx music revival of the 1970s and through to today.

This oral history interview with Cristl Jerry was recorded by James Franklin on 27 June 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/cristl-jerry-864801/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im /
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
x.com/CultureVannin
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/

Cristl Jerry: Manx music & Irish influence

A conversation with Cristl Jerry, about Manx language and Manx music.

Topics discussed include: learning Manx informally amongst friends, Manx language trips away (including to the Calf of Man and Ireland), recording Manx Radio programmes, Mona Douglas, the Lorient Festival in 1976 and for the next 20 years, the start of Yn Chruinnaght Festival, the discovery of the Clague Collection of Manx music, the transcription and production of publications like Kiaull yn Theay and Manx music performance practices.

This oral history interview with Cristl Jerry was recorded by James Franklin on 27 Jun 2024.
This was the second of three interviews conducted with Cristl Jerry in 2024. All are available as a part of the collection of nearly 200 oral history recordings freely available on the Culture Vannin website: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im /
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
x.com/CultureVannin
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/

Oral history interview with Cristl Jerry (27 June 2024)

A conversation with Dr Chloë Woolley on the 20th anniversary of her starting her job at Culture Vannin working to support Manx music and dance in the community.

Chloë grew up in a culturally rich environment in Maughold, surrounded by Manx customs, traditions, music and dancing. Her father was a piano teacher and composer, and her mother was a journalist for Isle of Man Newspapers and author of 'My Grandmother's Cookery Book'. After her musical education at Ramsey Grammar School, and involvement in the Manx Youth Orchestra and Ny Fennee, Chloë went to the University of Huddersfield, where she first began to realise the significance of Manx culture in seeking a sense of identity.

She achieved her PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 2004, with a thesis on ‘The Revival of Manx Traditional Music: From the 1970s to the Present Day.’ This, and her involvement in the traditional music scene in Scotland at that time, put her in the perfect position to take up the role of Manx Music Specialist at the Manx Heritage Foundation (the official name of Culture Vannin) that same year.

From the early days of the job, based in a ‘broom cupboard’ in Ramsey Grammar School, and through the following two decades, Chloë reflects on some of the important projects and initiatives which have helped to shape the development of Manx music and its appreciation, including: teaching resources, Bree, the Manx Folk Awards, Lorient Festival, Yn Chruinnaght and the Hop tu Naa educational pack.

An informative discussion on the changing landscape of Manx music and dance over the past two decades, which recognises some of the brilliant pioneers in the ever-evolving community of musicians and dancers in the Isle of Man.

This oral history interview with Dr Chloë Woolley was recorded by James Franklin on 15 November 2024.
This interview is part of the collection of nearly 200 oral history recordings freely available on the Culture Vannin website: culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
culturevannin.im/watchlisten/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/
www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

Oral history interview with Dr Cholë Woolley (15 Nov 2024)

Singing along teary-eyed to the 'Secret Island' cassette tape missing the Isle of Man when far away at university in the 1990s...

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Dr Chloe Woolley, recorded by James Franklin on 15 November 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/chloe-woolley-879278/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/
https://www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

Singing along to Manx cassettes

From 1999 until 2004 Dr Chloe Woolley worked on her PhD, with the title:
'The Revival of Manx Traditional Music: From the 1970s to the Present Day'

Chloe here gives a short overview of the work that was behind it and how it was created.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Dr Chloe Woolley, recorded by James Franklin on 15 November 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/chloe-woolley-879278/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/
https://www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

Studying the Revival of Manx Traditional Music

On the 20th anniversary of her taking up her job at the Manx Heritage Foundation (today better known as Culture Vannin), Dr Chloe Woolley describes how she first received the good news when around at a friend's house in Ramsey...

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Dr Chloe Woolley, recorded by James Franklin on 15 November 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/chloe-woolley-879278/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/
https://www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

Being offered the job at Culture Vannin

Dr Chloe Woolley recalls Veih'n Chree, the duo with Cinzia Curtis, which was the Manx entry to the Pan-Celtic Song Contest in 2007 in Letterkenny, Ireland, at which she became life-long friends with members of King Chiaullee.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Dr Chloe Woolley, recorded by James Franklin on 15 November 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/chloe-woolley-879278/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/
https://www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

The Pan-Celtic Song Competition & Veih'n Chree

A concerted effort to support and promote Hop tu Naa (as opposed to competing 31 October traditions) was launched in 2005.
An educational pack including history, folklore, crafts, recipes, Manx Gaelic and songs, this was one of Dr Chloe Woolley's first projects in her role at Culture Vannin.
Here she reflects on her work on the songs for this project, and the legacy it has left for the Isle of Man today in creating a regional understanding of the singing tradition.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Dr Chloe Woolley, recorded by James Franklin on 15 November 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/chloe-woolley-879278/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/
https://www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

Creating the Hop tu Naa pack, 2005

Founded in 2006, Bree is the open youth group created to bring together young people and create a community around the playing of traditional Manx music.
Dr Chloe Woolley, one of the founders, recalls those early days and explains more of why it was set up and how it works.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Dr Chloe Woolley, recorded by James Franklin on 15 November 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/chloe-woolley-879278/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/
https://www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

The story of the Bree Manx music youth group

The Manx Folk Awards is an annual friendly competition of Manx music, dance and more for young people.
Dr Chloe Woolley here recalls where it came from, why it was set up and how it runs today.

This is an extract from the oral history interview with Dr Chloe Woolley, recorded by James Franklin on 15 November 2024.
The full interview is available online here: https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/oralhistory/chloe-woolley-879278/

Culture Vannin exists to promote and support all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.
https://culturevannin.im/watchlisten/
www.facebook.com/culturevannin/
www.instagram.com/culturevannin/
https://www.youtube.com/@culturevannin8486

The story of the Manx Folk Awards

Promoting and supporting all aspects of culture in the Isle of Man.

Culture Vannin awards grants and initiates schemes whilst supporting the work of development officers for music and language. The work of Culture Vannin has been fundamental to the revival of interest and support for Manx language and culture over the last twenty years.

Culture Vannin is the trading name for the Manx Heritage Foundation, registered charity 333 in the Isle of Man.

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