Download or read book On a Rock in the Middle of the Ocean written by Lillis Ó Laoire and published by Europea: Ethnomusicologies and. This book was released on 2005 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Individual desire and overcoming the rigors of social scrutiny are important factors in the development of an active public performer. In a special study of one song, Lillis O Laoire shows how the song itself emerges as a mediator of dilemmas and tensions of island life. In a meticulous exposition of the links between music, text, and performance, the vicissitudes of island life are revealed, while these tensions are alleviated by singing humorous ribald items to provide a deliberate contrast.