Gwerz (, " ballad", " lament", plural ''gwerzioù'') is a type of folk song of Brittany. In Breton music, the ''gwerz'' tells a story 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 Breton (, ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic language still widely in use on the European mainland, albeit as a member of t ...

. Though historically sung unaccompanied, some modern musicians use limited instrumentation with the gwerz. Some of the most famous performers in current gwerzioù are

Erik Marchand Érik Marchand (born 1955) is a Breton traditional singer and player of the treujenn-gaol (Breton clarinet). Although born in Paris, his family was of Breton origin, hailing from Quelneuc, Brittany. Influenced by the music of Manuel Kerjean, ...

, Yann-Fañch Kemener, and

Denez Prigent Denez Prigent (; born 17 February 1966 in Santec, Finistère) is a Breton folk singer-songwriter of the ''gwerz'' and ''kan ha diskan'' styles of Breton music. From his debut at the age of 16, he was known for singing traditional songs ''a capp ...

Notable gwerzioù

*''

Gwerz Skolan "Gwerz Skolan" is a ''gwerz'' with a long tradition in Lower Brittany, especially Léon- Trégor and Cornouaille. Its story is found in Old Welsh texts also, and the oldest extant Welsh version is found in the 13th-century ''Black Book of Carma ...

'' *''

Gwerz Santes Enori The ''Gwerz Santes Enori'' is a Breton ''gwerz'', a type of folk song that combines literary with musical characteristics. The song, which is preserved in many versions and fragments, tells a story that resembles a saint's life, a 14th-century ve ...

'' *Gwerz Ker is *'' Gwerz Fañchig kemper *Gwerz ar vezhinerien *Ar Roue Gralon ha Kear Is

References

Breton music {{music-genre-stub