The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #166089   Message #4169286
Posted By: Big Al Whittle
05-Apr-23 - 06:17 AM
Thread Name: uk revival and Agents
Subject: RE: uk revival and Agents
With respect I think the problem with what you're proposing is that trad folk music in England has a very solid middle class base which is wedded to obscurity.

There is very little of that missionary zeal evident of the kind that must have energised things like the Singing Together programmes for children.
Because MacColl and AL Lloyd were involved there was that socialist/we are building a new jerusalem post war spirit that you get in dramatists of the 1950's - Wesker, John Arden, Henry Livings etc.

Has it occurred to anybody for example to produce a nice book of British folk songs for children - with pictures - just so parents might sing well known folksongs with their children.
Instead we are talking about how we must embrace modal instrunents and scales. In short you've played this movie before and the audience walked out. Think of the Carthy/Swarbrick version of Byker Hill with all it rhythmic complexities. I can remember the OLd Crown in Digbeth trying to sing that en masse.....weird.