Folk: New Trends?

Subject: Folk: New Trends?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 27 Mar 11 - 09:45 AM

When I started out in Folking about, back in the 1970's, there were loads of FC's & sessions.

Nowadays, FCs seem on the decline yet still plenty sessions about.

Way 'back in the day' [as it seems is the current term] the content of performance in my immediate area [ NW England] was mostly British music & song plus some N.American stuff.

Music seshes were mostly Irish.

These days, the sung content's remained fairly consistent but I notice increasing trends in music seshes to wider European influences, Klezmer, Brittanic & French dance tunes.

Also more 'English' sessions around,

The folk process?

What think you?

Subject: RE: Folk: New Trends?
From: Will Fly
Date: 27 Mar 11 - 09:53 AM

I can only speak for my particular patch of Sussex. The folk clubs are still fairly healthy on the ground - just around me there are clubs in Lewes (2), Horsham, Seaford, Chichester, Arundel - but sessions have certainly proliferated over, say, the last 30 years. And, as you say, the variety of music in sessions is much wider than in previous years. There's a monthly French session in a small, remote country pub just 10 minutes drive from me! Plenty of Irish sessions to be found in Brighton, and lots of mainly English tune sessions around Lewes. Open mics and singarounds - doing a bit of everything - all over the place.

Certainly one kind of folk process...

Subject: RE: Folk: New Trends?
From: Stanron
Date: 27 Mar 11 - 01:24 PM

Given the choice between a folk club, where I spend most of the night listening to others performing in exchange for 10 or 15 minutes performing where everyone listens to me, and a session where I can play all night if I know the stuff, chat quietly If I don't and not queue outside a closed door until a song ends my choice is the session. I'm not too picky over genre. I prefer a social occasion to generic worship.

Subject: RE: Folk: New Trends?
From: Tootler
Date: 27 Mar 11 - 04:34 PM

Plenty of folk clubs in NE England. Mostly singers clubs in my part of the region (Teesside) but from here you have to travel for sessions. I go a lunchtime one in Durham (mostly Northumbrian). There are plenty other sessions in the region, especially north of the Tyne.

Subject: RE: Folk: New Trends?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 08:37 AM

Anyone hazard a guess why French tunes becoming more popular?

Subject: RE: Folk: New Trends?
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 08:46 AM

Anyone hazard a guess why French tunes becoming more popular?

My guess would be because of the interesting melodic content?

Many French tunes are playable on instruments associated with English / British folk music but have a different harmonic structure, so are accessible yet different.

And if you then add in the very different sounds (to the customary instruments of the English / British tradition) of the gurdy and the French pipes, giving different tonal textures as well ... Hog Heaven!

Subject: RE: Folk: New Trends?
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 08:47 AM

the channel tunnel.....?

Subject: RE: Folk: New Trends?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 28 Mar 11 - 09:01 AM

Al,

LOL!