Richard Bridge makes the point of the full official definition of folk music very well, and is counted among my many good friends in the folk community. He also will readily confirm that we disagree (amicably of course) about what folk music should be. I believe that a word was left out of that definition, which altered the essential meaning of the whole, that word being "traditional". The definition is complete and cohesive for "traditional folk music", but does that necessarily preclude the existence of "contemporary folk music". I think not.

Folk music has always reflected the life and times of the composers, their joys, sorrows, work, leisure, in short, their history. If current compositions on the same subjects, by individuals living in modern times are not folk music, WHAT ARE THEY?

Folk music, to me, is much like a language. It expands and evolves over time, or it dies, and I don't want to be part of a tiny minority who speak the musical equivalent of Latin. So, for me "traditional" and "contemporary" will remain two equally important facets of what I know and love as Folk Music.

Pompous or what? (before anyone else gets the chance to say it).

To get back to MurkeyChris:-


1.All of the above, and also gather some from the floor spots when you visit clubs. There are some gems to be found at local level

2.Can't help there. Too busy making musical noises to pick up books for lo these many years.

3. My writings are heavily influenced by traditional form and tempo, as Richard B would confirm, and most sound traditionalish. It can occasionally backfire. I sang, at a very well known London venue, a song with my original words, and tune, and was loudly interrupted by a local accusing me of bastardising a traditional song.

4. See above.

5.I think of such things as performers tricks, applied for effect, and though I don't do that myself, who am I to castigate others for their opinions.

6. That's one I'd rather leave to the many others who know a lot more about it than I.

7. Long may folk music continue to evolve and expand, and may all those contemporary writers be more appreciated by the traditionalist old guard. After all, surely it's time to stop relying on a century old authority, who was so concerned about keeping the tradition pure, that he bowdlerised most of it.