Useless and extravagant? The consumption of music in the Irish country house

Despite being overlooked in much of the historiography of the European country house, music was a key facet of social and cultural life among regional landowning elites. In the medieval period it was an agent of hospitality and entertainment provided by feudal lords as public demonstrations of power and prestige; musicians and poets in return extolled the illustrious ancestry and munifi cence of their patrons. Music was also a component of Christian worship, supported by ecclesiastical authorities in devotional contexts ranging from monastic contemplation to congregational hymn-singing. Elaborate choral and instrumental styles of music were cultivated for performances in the context of solemn sacred ceremonies, the grandeur and spectacle of which was emulated in the secular sphere.1 During the age of ‘enlightenment’, civil authorities and intellectuals in Europe actively promoted music, rationalising their patronage by deeming it an appropriate means of celebrating human creativity, enriching education and elevating taste.2 Aristocratic patronage inspired the transmission of music among a broader section of the population during the 18th century, increasing access to this art form but ultimately encouraging its commodifi cation.3 In commercial centres across the continent, industries developed around the manufacture of musical instruments and the printing of sheet music for ‘private’ consumption by fashionable amateurs.4