The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #119490 Message #2630231
Posted By: Spleen Cringe
12-May-09 - 04:38 PM
Thread Name: What makes it a Folk Song?
Subject: RE: What makes it a Folk Song?
"How reliable are the collectors and how scruplous their methods."
Depends whether we judge them by early 21st century standards or the standards of their own times. There is an interesting discussion on this very point in Georgina Boyes' "The Imagined Village" which I would recommend to you, Gluem.
Meanwhile, looking at contemporary(ish) collectors, my understanding is that people like Jim Carroll were entirely reliable and scrupulous, and more centrally ethical in their approach. Go to the Musical Traditions and look at the bit about the singers in the booklet notes for the "Around the Hills of Clare" CD of recordings Jim made of traditional singers. His respect for and affection for the singers he recorded comes across very strongly and genuinely.