Gwerz

Gwerz (Breton: [ɡʷɛ̞ʀz], "ballad", "lament", plural gwerzioù) is a type of folk song of Brittany. In Breton music, the gwerz tells a story^[1] 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. Though historically sung unaccompanied,^[2] some modern musicians use limited instrumentation with the gwerz.

Some of the most famous performers in current gwerzioù are Érik Marchand, Yann-Fañch Kemener, and Denez Prigent.^{[citation needed]}