The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #111625   Message #2355005
Posted By: Saro
02-Jun-08 - 07:38 AM
Thread Name: English Folk Degree?
Subject: RE: English Folk Degree?
Well, it may be "the English one" meaning the one that was collected in England and therefore being sung in England at a specific time. But to claim an exclusive and sole identity for a song is not easy or nor is it always wise. I sing "the Hampshire Version" of a Night Visiting song - it was collected in Hampshire by Gardiner, so it is reasonable to call it a Hampshire version. However, it also mentions travelling over the mountains, which suggests that it originates elsewhere, unless the Hampshire terrain has altered a lot since 1906! Even what collectors say about songs is not always the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, there are embroideries, politica bias, and plain honest mistakes in there as well to contend with and we many have to accept that some stuff is "probably" or "possibly" of a certain origin, but only after some pretty solid research!