▁rem nant ▁historical ▁trad itions ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁there ▁are ▁substantial ▁surv iving ▁authentic ▁musical ▁documents ▁that ▁con cur ▁with ▁a ▁living ▁tradition ▁of ▁performed ▁re per toire , ▁providing ▁a ▁ground ing ▁for ▁any ▁debate ▁over ▁author itative ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁tradition . ▁ ▁Har p ▁preced ents ▁for ▁p ib ro ch ▁ ▁Most ▁p ib ro ch ▁are ▁commonly ▁assumed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁written ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁to ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries . ▁ ▁The ▁entire ▁re per toire ▁compr ises ▁approximately ▁ 3 0 0 ▁t unes . ▁ ▁In ▁many ▁cases ▁the ▁composer ▁is ▁unknown , ▁however ▁p ib ro ch ▁continues ▁to ▁be ▁composed ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁day . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁research ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁orn ament ation ▁in ▁p ib ro ch ▁points ▁to ▁earlier ▁orig ins ▁in ▁wire - str ung ▁G ael ic ▁har p ▁music , ▁in ▁particular ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁rapid ▁desc ending ▁ar p eg g ios ▁as ▁g rac en otes . ▁ ▁The ▁wire - str ung ▁cl ars ach ▁was ▁tradition ally ▁the ▁primary ▁high ▁status ▁arist ocr atic ▁instrument ▁in ▁G ael ic ▁Scotland ▁and ▁Ireland . ▁The ▁art ▁music ▁performed ▁on ▁the ▁wire - str ung ▁har p ▁was ▁passed ▁down ▁through ▁or al ▁transmission ▁and ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁re per toire ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁lost . ▁A ▁diverse ▁range ▁of ▁historical ▁manuscript