Grade 8 Examination
In the Grade 8 examination, selections of two tunes are required in both the Performance and Repertoire
components. Three selections of two tunes should be presented in the Performance component and an additional five
selections of two tunes should be presented in the Repertoire component – all three Performance selections will be
performed and the examiner will ask the candidate to play a number of selections from the Repertoire component. A
‘selection’ must include two tunes, and one of the Performance selections should begin with a slow air and be followed
by a dance tune – it is important that a ‘slow’ air is presented, rather than an ‘air’. At Grade 8 the inclusion of a wide
range of ornamentation is required throughout, and the candidate should include forms of ornamentation which are
appropriate to their instrument. All three Performance selections and all five Repertoire selections should include
some simple melodic variation. A wide variety of tune types should be included in a Grade 8 examination and more
demanding examples of these should be performed – there is a requirement that at least one dance tune of three or
more parts should be included in at least one Performance selection. A Grade 8 performance should be fluent, well
phrased and from memory, and each tune should be played twice through with repeats observed where appropriate. In
addition, the candidate will be expected to demonstrate a mature and individual playing style.
The Supplementary Tests component is slightly more demanding than that at Grade 7: the candidate will be
expected to (i) identify any tune type performed by the examiner (ii) describe simple variations performed by the
examiner (iii) play, lilt or hum from memory two phrases of any tune type after the examiner has performed them
twice, and (iv) discuss with the examiner any one prominent player of the candidate’s own instrument and any
prominent group of Irish traditional musicians, at the candidate’s choice. The discussion should refer to aspects of the
player’s style, career and repertoire, and the history, personnel and repertoire of the group. Tunes associated with the
player and group should also be demonstrated.