The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #108475 Message #2265125
Posted By: Jim Carroll
18-Feb-08 - 03:02 AM
Thread Name: Folk clubs - what is being sung
Subject: RE: Folk clubs - what is being sung
Richard,
I go along part of the way with your argument, but any changes that might be happening to the songs appear to me to be happening within the context of the clubs, not communities as a whole, and are deliberate, self-conscious ones. I don't believe that this counts, (but I'm willing to be persuaded) unless you believe that the clubs are communities - an argument which has been put forward by some American folklorists, who also include work-places such as offices in their definition.
If we accept this, should we then not include in our definition the works of Butterworth, Vaughan Williams, Grainger, Britten and Kodaly as 'folk', all of whom changed songs and tunes and had their work accepted by large groups of people.
Jim Carroll