It is often pointed out that people in the folk revival, whether the old Sharp/Vaughan Williams collectors, or the more modern 60's folkies with guitars, have been guilty of pinching the words and tunes from the tradition, but ignoring the social context, in fact the whole background of the music and the musicians. I'm not pointing the finger at others, I've been as guilty of this as anyone in the first flush of youth.
But now I'm trying to pay my dues, as are many other people, and having a bash at getting a little more under the skin of what made the music. One of my research areas has been northwest English music, since back in the 60's. And here is a bit of the result, which I hope is a reasonably in-depth look at an English traditional musician, the 19th century Langdale fiddler William Irwin. I would be grateful for any feedback on ways it might be improved, and also for any links to similar serious looks at folk/traditional/source musicians (whatever term you prefer to use).
    By the way, you won't find much about the music as such. That is because this article is for general consumption, and it is also a pitch for TV/radio programmes etc. So the technicalities of jigs and reels and Dorian modes I am dealing with in a separate article, as they are a bit of a turn-off for most non-specialists.
   So, if you would like to know more try
The Life and Times of William Irwin