"that Kodaly thought both 'Bert' and MacColl were 'pop stars' or 'pop singers' at any rate."
I go for all my information on the British folk song to long dead Eastern European Classical composers all the time - why wouldn't I!
Kodaly's heirs in Hungary welcomed us, feted us and fed us for our association with Ewan
Both Bert and Ewan are recognised worldwide as respected experts on British folk music
It really is refreshing to be now living in a country which largely escaped the backbiting and handbag swinging and accept and respect people for their creativity a nd contribution rather than their supposed reputations

One of the greatest frustrations for me is that MacColl and the Critics spent nearly ten years examining folk song under their microscopes, as a cultural phenomenon, a performed art and an important part of our social history
The mechanics of singing was examined and experimented with, exercises were devised, as were methods of making the songs the singers
Using the older songs to make new ones war a major part of the Group's work and actually managed to create some fine new songs
Most of these workshops were recorded and I have a copy of them (several hundred tapes) -
I am unable even to discuss them. let alone give them to someone who will use them and guarantee their survival thanks to the fact that any attempts to do so flounder on 'name changes' and 'war records'.
All because the lady cant recognise the uniqueness of folk song

THe present academia appears to be pandering to commercialism by attributing the creation of our folk songs to it
Never thought I'd live to see the day
Jim Carroll