I've started preparing a talk for our Music Group, and I'm looking for suggestions for tracks to illustrate the talk. The title in the programme is:

Dance Tunes and Airs of Britain - A look at the traditional music of England and her Celtic neighbours, and the instruments on which it was played.

I don't want to re-open discussions on what is traditional music, or how it should be performed. This talk will present my view, and the main parameters are already decided. This is the third in a series of talks I'm giving to a Music Group which was set up primarily for 'Classical Music and Opera'. I'm stretching them a bit towards the 'folk/blues/traditional' side - others are doing the same towards jazz.

My earlier talks were on The Guitar and Voices a Capella, and so I won't be including any guitar or unaccompanied singing in this one. (I can break my own rules, though - I'm starting by giving them one solo verse of 'All Hail to the Days' to show a link between dance tunes and song tunes.)

I'm mainly looking for suggestions for the instruments to be included, performers and tunes. I can use a maximum of about 40 minutes music in total, and no more than 20 tracks (including short excerpts).

I'd like to represent the main classes of instrument - in the words of a classical player friend, those you bang, scrape, pluck, blow or squeeze. I would also welcome opinions on whether the difference between various types of concertina, for example, would be heard by a non-expert audience.

I'll try to keep up with any discussion - I'm around until next Monday, at least.

Over to you!

Phil