Sheffield Carols Research

Subject: RE: Sheffield Carols Research
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 11 Apr 12 - 12:51 PM

Drugcrazed wrote : '@Paul: had no idea there were people who'd dropped out of such fun...'
It never strikes the 'folk community' that the event they're supporting doesn't need or even want them. They just blunder in there and impose their ideas and ideology on a community that was doing fine, thank you very much.
I attended a traditional Maypole festival a few years ago. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It had more in common with 'The Wicker Man' than anything I'd ever experienced. The pubs shut at 9.00pm 'because of the violence' and the police presence would have been more appropriate to a political demo. I'll not reveal the name of the village concerned but there wasn't a 'folkie' in sight. We were not make unwelcome, but I'll not be going there again. In the case of this thread its worth pointing out that the carols were once demonstrations of community identity. Carols were often unique to that locality. Now they are an homogenous singsong with the same or similar repertoire appearing in all venues. The folkies have a lot to be ashamed of.

Subject: RE: Sheffield Carols Research
From: JohnB
Date: 10 Apr 12 - 11:48 PM

I filled it in from our Canadian version of the Sheffield Carols.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Sheffield Carols Research
From: Surreysinger
Date: 10 Apr 12 - 07:54 PM

Paul - having just looked at that questionnaire out of interest, the other thing that strikes me is that the content seems to make the assumption that if you are attending the carols you are from the locality. It doesn't ask which part of the country you come from / why you are attending if you are not local etc - surely just as important a factor as the matter of why, if you are a local, you have dropped out ?
Last year I noticed articles in national press referring to the carols, and in recent years they have featured heavily in radio programmes etc,and that must affect attendance ... and possibly ,as a result, the drop out levels?

Subject: RE: Sheffield Carols Research
From: DrugCrazed
Date: 10 Apr 12 - 08:27 AM

I'll give this a bump.

@Paul: had no idea there were people who'd dropped out of such fun...

Subject: RE: Sheffield Carols Research
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 08:53 AM

Just sent her an email on this subject. The survey doesn't take into account a very significant group; those people who live locally but don't attend their own traditions anymore. There are a number of these and their reasons give cause to consider the whole 'revival' thing.

Subject: Sheffield Carols Research
From: DrugCrazed
Date: 09 Apr 12 - 07:56 AM

A student at Huddersfield is currently researching the Sheffield Carols, and would be grateful if anyone who is a regular would do this survey. Took me about 5 minutes to fill in.

Linkypoo