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Pianos In Folk Music
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: sleepyjon Date: 03 Oct 08 - 02:27 PM Jack Campin had it (several posts ago). I'm sure it's a temperamant thing (that's the temperament of the piano, not of the people hearing the songs!) - just gives the typical trad tune a completely different feel - compounded by all the overtones and upper harmonics from the multiplicity of strings on the piano. John-in-Kansas had some very erudite stuff on temperament in this forum some years ago which I'd like to read again if only I knew how to find it. I think it's the basis of many interesting things - eg why an "a capella" folk trio such as Coope Boyes and Simpson sound like more resources than the Huddersfield Choral Society, and exactly why tunes of a certain character - especially a modal character sound so different on the piano. I'd challenge anyone to accompany "Gathering rushes in the month of May" on the piano without totally changing the feel of it. Also explains why so many sub-classifications of "folk" sound absolutely ok on the piano - they are harmonically based, so are comfortable in equal temperament. Just guessing really. SJ |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 03 Oct 08 - 12:45 PM ....ain't no fuss, just a friendly debate! |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Ian Carter Date: 03 Oct 08 - 11:57 AM As a piano player, I suppose I'm biased, but I really can't see what all the fuss is about. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Goose Gander Date: 02 Oct 08 - 02:00 PM The Field Recorders Collective has released a CD of Appalachian piano playing by Heywood Blevins (FRC 508). I haven't heard it (beyond the sound clip), but it looks like quite a tracklist . . . FRC508 - Heywood Blevins 1. Cacklin Hen (4:12) 2. Listen to the Mockingbird (2:18) 3. Old Molly Hare (2:04) 4. Fishers Hornpipe (2:10) 5. Sourwood Mountain (0:43) 6. Goodbye Liza Jane (1:33) 7. Wildwood Flower (1:49) 8. Down Yonder (1:53) 9. Lonesome Road Blues (1:39) 10. Molly Put the Kettle on (0:52) 11. The Old Marine Hymn (1:49) 12. Sally Ann (1:15) 13. Sally Goodin (1:06) 14. In the Sweet Bye and Bye (1:52) 15. Precious Memory (1:10) 16. Sweet Hour of Prayer (1:40) 17. What a Friend We Have in Jesus (1:18) 18. Lonesome Road Blues (1:59) 19. Wildwood Flower (1:30) 20. Dance All Night with a Bottle in Your Hand (2:53) 21. Old Jimmy Sutton (1:17) 22. Molly put the Kettle on (1:02) 23. Cacklin Hen (2:05) 24. Don't Let Your Deal Go Down (1:35) 25. Old Joe Clark (1:19) 26. Girl I left Behind Me (1:19) 27. Casey Jones (1:18) 28. Flop Eared Mule (1:58) 29. The Preacher and the Bear (1:46) 30. Little Liza Jane (1:39) 31. Fishers Hornpipe (1:35) 32. Roundtown Gals (1:26) 33. Sally Goodin (1:17) 34. Cripple Creek (1:09) 35. Wildwood Flower (1:29) 36. Wabash Cannonball (1:34) 37. Cacklin Hen (2:35) 38. Sally Ann (1:38) 39. Liza Jane (1:58) 40. Alabama Gals (2:09) Notes: FRC508– Heywood Blevins –(From the collection of Peter Hoover) $15 per disc This recording is an infrequent glimpse into Appalachian Mountain piano playing. Oddly enough, there were more than just a sprinkling of pianos in the mountains, a fact corroborated by Virginia pianists such as Hobart Smith, Clarice Shelor of Meadows of Dan and Mabel Dalton of Galax. John Hoffman, writing about Peter Hoover's recording trips, described Heywood's style; "Mr. Blevins, from Baywood, VA, said that he played piano the way that his father played the banjo. The tunes have that banjo bounce bearing some resemblance, or feel, to Hobart Smith's piano playing. What is interesting about Heywood's playing is the fact that many of the tunes are played in atypical mountain music tunings, F, E, G#, etc. Peter noted how often Haywood was playing on the black keys." These recordings come from two other sources beside Peter Hoover, including those of the late Blanton Owen and Carol Holcomb, whose father Howard Joines plays fiddle with Heywood on several tracks of this CD. - Ray Alden |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rasener Date: 02 Oct 08 - 01:34 PM Not Russ Conway is it? :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnIpQhDn4Zg&feature=related |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST,Russ Date: 02 Oct 08 - 12:55 PM Pianos In Folk Music Trivia There was rather obscure WV string band, the Tweedy Brothers, who were active in the 20s and 30s. They played traditional fiddle/dance tunes. The group included a pianist. They would load the piano onto the back of a flatbed truck and use it in concerts. Russ (Permanent GUEST and old time musician) |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 02 Oct 08 - 12:13 PM Thanks Les....takes more than a piano to spoil that song! Fab, I saw him in a barn behind the TanHill Inn (allegedly the highest pub in England) a couple of years ago.... got to have a chat and a fag with one of my heroes (I don't have many, Tony Benn is the only other one) and act like a starstruck teenager.....great stuff. Cheers Paul |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rasener Date: 02 Oct 08 - 11:48 AM Will this do for starters http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=66483350 And this one for effect http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG48Ftsr3OI&feature=related Saw him live at Cassies a couple of years ago, and he had me in tears. The git :-) |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST,Graeme, Brother Crow Date: 02 Oct 08 - 11:38 AM ...and if you find it, let me know too...! Graeme, Brother Crow. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 02 Oct 08 - 11:23 AM "Think of it not as a piano, but as a banjo with 88 strings..." Plays havoc with your back though....... Les, There is a version of "The Bands Played Waltzing Matilda" where Eric has a piano and some wonderful clawhammer banjo backing. It actually works. I've only heard this version once.....anyone know where I can hear it again? Paul |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: The Greyt Hound Date: 01 Oct 08 - 06:28 PM Paul...tut tut, I read every one of your posts...it was a grand thread... ...Think of it not as a piano, but as a banjo with 88 strings... :-))))) See ya, Graeme, Brother Crow. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rasener Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:45 PM My favourite Tim is the Tenor Banjo. To be fair to Paul, I like the Banjo and Piano as long as they are played well. Ah well I suppose you are not going to change your opinion about piano's. I was going to put a Kate&Anna McGarrigle song on where a banjo and a piano were used, but it didn't sound very good. So I didn't. However Have A Drink On Me next time I see you. Notice that I am on it. Brother Les :-) |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:15 PM ....by the way Les, I'm sure Sam wouldn't be too bothered about my opinion, after all we have already shelled out for Cara's album on the strength of "There Were Roses" alone. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Tim Leaning Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:14 PM Ah but to the properly trained earhole banjo is the voice of the angels. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 01 Oct 08 - 05:09 PM Les, Each to their own mate! I'm sure Sam is a great piano player...... it is just not my cup of tea. There are plenty of people out there who don't like banjos..... a position I find very hard to understand, but there you go! Paul |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rasener Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:44 PM Bugger, I can't stop listening to June Tabor now. Still its really nice :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JjF9KnF-qU&feature=related She is on in Lincoln a week Thursday at the Peter O'toole theatre, North Hykeham. The only problem is that I am not sure if I would enjoy it, as I think it is slanting to modern Jazz which I am not very keen on. Thursday 9th October 2008 | 7.30pm UK Lincoln - North Hykeham | Terry O'Toole Theatre | NK Centre, Moor Lane LN6 9AX QUERCUS - June Tabor, Huw Warren (piano), Iain Ballamy (saxophones) 01522 883311 www.terryotooletheatre.org.uk/ |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST,Tunesmith Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:43 PM Villan: Thanks for that link. Great powerful backing by Sam. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: danensis Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:40 PM Is Beryl Marriott still around? I remember a brilliant workshop on Folk Piano that she led in the upstairs room at the Friary in Beverley. As someone said earlier, all those songs we sang in the school hall, sitting cross-legged on the floor around the piano on a rainy lunchtime, later turned out to be folk songs - amazing! Even more amazing is that the lady who played the piano was called Miss Tune! John |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rasener Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:20 PM Hmmm I don't know Paul, I don't think Cara Dillon's husband Sam Lakeman (who in my opinion is a lovely piano player) would be too pleased with your comments. Cara Dillon & Sam Lakeman - the_snows_they_melt_the_soonest oooh what a beautiful song with lovely piano playing from Sam. These Lakeman's are such gifted musicians. Why were they at the front of the qeueue :-) |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 01 Oct 08 - 02:03 PM Les, yes, absolutely beautiful song very well sung.....be even better without the piano. Maybe a nice bit of Uilleann piping or fiddle or even accordion...... Wendy has been known to sing it Occasionally (the full versionn not Cara's edited one)......with guitar rather than piano I'm pleased to say! Cheers Paul |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rasener Date: 01 Oct 08 - 01:29 PM Another lovely one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKCvFjuTT6Q&feature=related I have heard this live by Tommy Sands, but I still prefer Cara Dillon's version, piano and all. However and sadly they do not perform together anymore, but one of the very nicest versions I heard of this song was by Lucy Wright & Paul young. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 01 Oct 08 - 12:04 PM Graeme, Wound up....me? If you can be bothered (though I can undestand why you wouldn't!) to re-read my posts above you will see that I grudgingly admit to liking a lot of June Tabor (this is despite the piano not because of it though, I would like it better without!). I also don't mind (even like) piano in the right place....music hall, honky tonk, some blues etc etc. In my humble opinion it just doesn't sound right as part of British Isles trad and tradalike.....just my opinion, as with most things it just comes down to different tastes. I am dreading Brother Crow's "more tea vicar?" phase though......... Paul (who won't be playing piano in Blind Summat!) |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rasener Date: 01 Oct 08 - 11:55 AM LOL |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST,Graeme, Brother Crow Date: 01 Oct 08 - 11:35 AM I tend to use piano as an accompanying tool....there's an awful lot of songs Andy has written which we haven't performed live, simply because the mandolin doesn't sound right on them... ...perhaps I'll revisit them using the piano. I like the piano as an instrument, it was my first love really...I started playing when I was 7 (and I'm a 40-something now...) - I'm a little out of practice, but I've been working up the strength/co-ordination again whilst Andy has been out of action over the last couple of weeks. I've heard piano used in folk music very very inappropriately on a number of occasions so understand the objections, however, I've also heard it used very well...I referred to Rosie Doonan's Black Jack Davy earlier, which is great and I also like the June Tabor songs (sorry Paul)....as a rule, I'm not too keen to hear it used as a "session" instrument, though having said that, I thought it was used very well in the BBCs "celtic sessions" series' I guess a lot of North East songs (which often share music hall connections) would originally have been played on a piano (if there was any accompaniment at all), though I'm not sure that I would use this approach...preferring a more "gentle" accompaniment. I'm a big fan of barrelhouse as well, so perhaps a couple of Jellyroll Morton songs will make Paul change his mind... It's been an interesting discussion here though, which I stumbled across when doing some research... ...and hey, any excuse to wind up a banjo player ;-) Graeme, Brother Crow. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Colin Randall Date: 01 Oct 08 - 10:19 AM Having missed this thread in its earlier phase, I have found it fascinating to trawl through, June Tabor a renewed delight to hear and Johnny Handle a name to inspire great memories. I used to loathe piano in folk, but that was quite a while ago and may even have had something to do with being beaten up by a bunch of toughs at the age of 11 for carrying a briefcase for piano lessons (though wearing grammar school uniform was undoubtedly an aggravating feature). What has swayed me more than anything has been the work of pianists in Cape Breton/Scottish music. I also admire/d a number of individual musicians including Sandy Denny, Beryl Marriott, Huw Warren and Cara Dillon's part of the Lakeman family. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rasener Date: 01 Oct 08 - 09:42 AM Bagpipes is wicked man |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 01 Oct 08 - 09:41 AM No Les, I thought I'd bring the bagpipes instead....hope that is OK? Cheers Paul |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rasener Date: 01 Oct 08 - 09:25 AM Well Graeme, you are very welcome to bring your piano to Faldingworth live. We just have a ban on Banjo's, so hopefully Paul won't try to muzzle in with his banjo when Wendy Arrowsmith appears at Faldingworth Live. This should be the National Anthem for England as already mentioned by Geordie - Poegie in one of his posts above, but he didn't put a link up for it. For English and Piano lovers Click on the play button. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:45 AM Graeme, Franana ....yes, that's enough pianos for this decade then! Anyway Fran is much scarier than you and more importantly has the wonderful Amy Thatcher on accordion and the talented Chris Meredith on guitar to cover up the sound of the parlour music making machine! Fran is also very young....hopefully time for her to learn the error of her ways....(I'll be in for trouble if she reads this though!) Paul |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST,Graeme, Brother Crow Date: 01 Oct 08 - 04:30 AM Thinking back you know Paul, you did allow Frianna (apols if wrong spelling) to use a piano.... :-))) G. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 01 Oct 08 - 03:28 AM OK Graeme, The gig is back on, you know that you and your wonderful mandolin playing are welcome at KFFC anytime! But don't mention the P word. Paul |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Tim Leaning Date: 30 Sep 08 - 09:52 PM "Pianos my a**e! " Nice try,but if you think ANyone will fall for that old trick.... |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: The Greyt Hound Date: 30 Sep 08 - 04:31 PM OK, we promise not to bring it....honest....really....honest....it isn't red rag to a bull....oh no.......really..... ;-))) Graeme, Brother Crow |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Banjiman Date: 30 Sep 08 - 12:48 PM Graeme.....didn't I tell you that your KFFC gig is cancelled? Pianos my a**e! Not in our club!!!!! Paul |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Acorn4 Date: 30 Sep 08 - 12:41 PM Recently heard Mike and Ali Vass at Bromyard, - she does fine Rankins style folky interpretations of songs/tunes. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST,Graeme, Brother Crow Date: 30 Sep 08 - 11:15 AM P.S. Check out Rosie Doonan and Ben Murray's version of Black Jack Davy which is great on piano... Graeme, Brother Crow. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST Date: 30 Sep 08 - 11:10 AM "Most of my knowledge of electric instruments is second hand. For years, I've heard talk of the Fender Rhodes as the premier electric piano." I'm a bit of a latecomer to this thread...which I notice has been dead since February, so sorry for starting it up again... I actually have a Fender Rhodes electric piano, and a fine instrument though it is, it is a beast to move around (needing two, preferably four) people. Nope, it's not made any more... Having said that, the Fender Rhodesisn't really suitable for folk music (or indeed, for barrelhouse) as it sounds more like a vibrophone than a piano... ...there are, however, loads of "electric" pianos which feel and sound almost exactly like a "real" piano - even having graded key weights like a real piano (it's heavier at the bass end than the treble end of the instrument), but are very portable (and in tune!!!) Check out the Nord Stage 88, which is a fabulous instrument, though costs an arm and a leg at £2000... ...at the cheaper end of the scale is the MAudio Prokeys 88 at around £350, and a fine instrument it is...hopefully one may well be winging it's way into the Brother Crow household in the near future - though I'm known as a mandolin player in Brother Crow, my first instrument is actually the piano which I've been playing for 35 years... Now then Banjiman (starter of this thread in the first place), I'm just gonna have to bring this here piano with me when we play at KKFC in January to get my own back for all the times I've had to listen to the banjo... :-))) All the best folks, Graeme, Brother Crow. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rowan Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:00 PM The piano playing in American Contra Dance music has a superb style all of its own. When I read this in Alan's post I was transported, mentally, to some recordings I heard about 30 years ago with an ensemble that included hammered dulcimer, fiddle and piano; the pianist was Toby (Toni?) Hall, from memory. Lovely! And when I lived in SC I made sure I got myself a copy of the CD of the music from Ken Burns' Civil War docco. Jacqui Schwab's (have I got the spelling right?) playing of piano on it surely can't be criticised seriously; it's beautiful! Yes, I've heard examples where the lack of piano would certainly have improved the result but to generalise from that can't be credibly countenanced. Without knowing for certain, I suspect Richard's generalised attitude towards pianos might be attributed to an overexposure, early in life, to Liberace; that would be a sure turnoff for most folkies. Cheers, Rowan |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: terrier Date: 08 Feb 08 - 04:40 PM Now that's a long thread! I started playing piano when I was old enough to reach the keyboard (before that I sat underneath and poked my fingers under the keys to play). At that early age, most of the stuff I knew was folk song (although I didn't know it then). Now I've been playing piano and singing folk songs for more years than I care to own up to and in all that time, I can't think of one person who's approached me and said "I hate piano accompinament to folk songs". Where have I gone wrong? |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: PoppaGator Date: 08 Feb 08 - 03:40 PM My once-in-my-lifetime visit to Ireland included a one-time-only visit to a local ceilidh dance, where an electric piano was part of the featured 4-piece band. This was in a fairly rural area, but at a hotel ballroom in the center of town (a small town in Roscommon near Mayo). The dancing was pretty energetic and seemed to adhere very closely to sets of rules that the attendees all knew. To my mind, that was certainly an experience of real folk culture, and it definitely involved music. It sure seemed like folk music to me. A few nights later, at a pub in Doolin famous either for traditional music or for musician-tourists (depending upon who you ask), the adhoc group of players gathered around a table included a keyboard player along with the fiddlers and whistlers. He was using his electric instrument strictly as a bass; he could have played the simple little parts he was playing it with a single left-hand finger, although he probably used more ~ maybe his two index fingers. A real string bass, or even a washtub/tea-chest, might have seemed more aesthetically appropriate, but he kept his volume approproiately low and his playing simple but tasteful, and so fit in quite nicely. Less obtrusive, certainly, than another participant banging away on a more traditional instrument, the dreaded bodhran... |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Stringsinger Date: 08 Feb 08 - 03:20 PM Acoustic piano is more conducive to folk music because it can be played without sound equipment which is less folky than a natural ambient environment. Saying that Copeland or Vaughan-Williams arrangements of folk music is "crap" is pure folkie-snobbishness. Their arrangements of Greensleeves or Appalachian tunes are not folk music but arrangements of folk music done in musical and tasteful ways. It's this attitude about folk music that will turn so many who would be interested completely off. Bartok did the same for his collections of folk music, he arranged them in a so-called classical manner. Acoustic pianos are great when accompanying in folk dance bands. They are great for dancers because you can feel the vibrations in the floor. Frank Hamilton |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: mattkeen Date: 08 Feb 08 - 03:06 PM Sminky… Thunderclap Newman's "Something In The Air"? I just canNOT get it out of my head at the moment! Was that solo Rabbit Bundrick? Pete Townshend produced and played a lot on it including bass - so I suppose it could have been Pete, he is a pretty good piano player |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: mattkeen Date: 08 Feb 08 - 02:52 PM Agree wih you about garth hudson beibg a fantastic musician - he played a Lowrey by the way as opposed to the more common Hammond or less often used Farfisa |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST,The Mole Catcher's Apprentice Date: 08 Feb 08 - 02:47 PM "vintage" instrument?" some of the Moog synths and The Melotron Charlotte (the view from Ma and Pa's Moog stool) |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: PoppaGator Date: 08 Feb 08 - 01:18 PM Most of my knowledge of electric instruments is second hand. For years, I've heard talk of the Fender Rhodes as the premier electric piano. When I read above that "now it's only Yamaha and Roland I think," I have to ask: does Fender no longer make/market their excellent piano? Is it now a "vintage" instrument? Or is it just prohibitively expensive for the average person? Drifting slightly to discussion of other electric keyboards: The all-time favorite electric organ, of course, is the Hammond B-3. (If I'm not mistaken, the B-3 has become a "vintage" item, no longer in current production. Please correct me if I'm wrong.) However, the player who is arguably the greatest folk-rock/art-pop organist who ever laid hands upon an electronic keyboard, Garth Hudson, preferred another brand of electric organ, one best-known for a rather unimpressive line of "home" organs. Can't remember the brand name... |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Jack Campin Date: 08 Feb 08 - 12:58 PM One thing a piano (or harpsichord, and some electronic keyboards) has got going for it over the guitar: it can be tuned in non-equal temperament. I think this is sometimes done in Cape Breton piano accompaniment; I've heard it done with 18th century Scottish tunes, and it makes the accompaniment relate much more musically to the fiddle. With a guitar you're stuck with what the frets give you, barring an occasional blues bend (impossible to use for voicing chords to pure intervals). |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Alan Day Date: 08 Feb 08 - 12:25 PM Much of the early concertina music had piano accompaniment and most of the early concertina recordings feature a piano. The piano playing in American Contra Dance music has a superb style all of its own. Al |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: Rockhen Date: 08 Feb 08 - 09:48 AM I agree with there being some pretty disappointing piano sounds o keyboards. I have a Casio, (yes, Casio!) Privia which compared very well with piano sound, to the Roland's and Yamaha's I tried. I preferred it's basic piano sound to any others I tried within the price range I could afford. I also remember the piano being part of my childhood experience of music with others. My family passed down tunes via the piano, which I learnt and which my daughters, subsequently learnt and hopefully, so on... |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST,Edthefolkie Date: 08 Feb 08 - 06:49 AM "Electric pianos that really sound like pianos are much rarer than cheesy-sounding keyboards, unfortunately..." Very true. We bought a really good Technics digital piano about fifteen years ago though, and it was given the thumbs up by my then neighbour, who was a composer, pianist, arranger, choirmaster, and blagger of Steinways. I must say however that the harpsichord and string settings are distinctly cheesy, and the organ sound is closer to a fairground than a church. So of course what happened - Technics gave up and now it's only Yamaha and Roland I think. |
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Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music From: GUEST,Black Hawk Date: 08 Feb 08 - 06:27 AM GUEST,Walkaboutsverse - I'm not certain on this issue...but singing around the piano is, of course, a strong tradition in itself. .......singing Christmas carols around .....piano is always enjoyable. As I have posted in the past, as a youngster I used to join my family standing around the (front room) piano singing whilst my mother played. She played everything from folk (raggle taggle etc),country (ghost riders) music hall & classical. Christmas time she was always in demand for carol concerts. From this I gained my love of music & learnt a lot of songs which I now sing in local clubs. This is the only 'oral tradition' I can believe in therefore to me it is folk. My father played banjo-mandolin & joined my mother in playing scottish dance tunes. Very popular at dances etc. in the 40's & 50's. I love guitar but realise this is a relative newcomer to 'home grown' music. |
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