No, a history dept does not include any element of performance Richard. But then I have thirty years of experience of performing and 'unofficial' researching under my belt already, so that wasn't what I was looking for. My point was simply that a degree course doesn't need to be LABELLED 'English Traditional Music' to include English traditional music.

I would certainly have no objection to anyone starting a degree course called that though. It just so happens the Newcastle degree course isn't one of them ... perhaps because Universities have to attract as many students as possible, so cover as many bases as possible? In actual fact I know that Northumbrian music is a very important element of the course, but if they advertised it as a 'Traditional Music of the North East' course then they'd be really limiting their market at the outset. Students specialise after that.

The fact that Scottish and Irish universities have UG courses on musics of their respective countries is presumably because they've done their market research and think they can get enough students to run the courses, but it's also a political thing: those countries have historically needed to assert their identities as a response to perceived Anglicisation. Presumably, what you're saying is the English are now in that position? It's a very dodgy wicket though: tunes and songs don't necessarily recognise geographical borders in their travels. To quote theleveller, above "thinking about it, I'd be hard pressed to say what our national sound is."

That was why I started this thread really - as I think it's a much richer experience delving into different regions of England than trying to identify one English tradition, and in some respects makes more sense. The early collectors were set on finding a 'national music', but I really think we've moved beyond that now. As Greg says above, "never was any such animal as "English traditional music". Just various different kinds of "traditional music in England", quite a different concept altogether."

I'm really pleased I started the thread: there have been so many thoughtful and thought-provoking responses. Thank you.