Music: folk songs in the 21st Century

Subject: Music: folk songs in the 21st Century
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 07 Jun 24 - 01:42 PM

Should trad folk songs be preserved in aspic or reconstructed for the modern day? I don't mean lyrically, but melodically.
Think BellowHead as opposed to ?? finger in the ear

Subject: RE: Music: folk songs in the 21st Century
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 Jun 24 - 02:21 PM

Bit of both. Preserved so fans can hear and appreciate the root of the songs but most of the good ones will stand updating for modern tastes. Just IMHO of course!

Subject: RE: Music: folk songs in the 21st Century
From: Robert B. Waltz
Date: 07 Jun 24 - 02:41 PM

The obvious point here is that history matters. If you don't preserve them exactly, you'll lose the history.

On the other hand, people always modify songs in performance -- they sing them in their own accents, often with their own particular vocabulary words, and in ways that conform to their vocal and instrumental abilities. So you can't reproduce them exactly.

So I would say the true answer is, "Sing them your own way, but acknowledge your sources, and encourage people to look at those also."

That being said, I do think the greater value is in retaining as much of the old as possible, because it is history. If you aren't retaining the history, then what's the point?

Subject: RE: Music: folk songs in the 21st Century
From: GerryM
Date: 07 Jun 24 - 05:46 PM

We've been here before, haven't we? Maybe a dozen times?

Subject: RE: Music: folk songs in the 21st Century
From: Robert B. Waltz
Date: 07 Jun 24 - 07:42 PM

GerryM wrote: We've been here before, haven't we? Maybe a dozen times?

Probably a thousand times more than that, in the study of folk songs as a whole. :-) But it's easier to reply than to try to find all the earlier threads. :-)

Subject: RE: Music: folk songs in the 21st Century
From: Pappy Fiddle
Date: 08 Jun 24 - 12:41 AM

I'm not sure what I think of this. I wasn't even sure what the question was. I looked up aspic, and that led me to preserved in aspic. Then Bellowhead. I guess they were well known in Britain, I had never heard of 'em. Loving folk music as I do, I don't worry much about the latest, or about "Madonna, or the next thing she might do." The finger in the ear tho's got me scratching my head. I guess the question is, 'should we imitate the Old Ones, or forget them?

I think of a couple of things.

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought." -Matsuo Basho

"The superstars are no happier than the starving artists. The only thing that makes musicians happy is to make good music." -some old geezer

So I guess my answer is two-fold: 1) Don' worry 'bout it. We have recording and playback equipment now, the Old Ones won't be lost. 2) Make good music. Enjoy every moment of it.

Subject: RE: Music: folk songs in the 21st Century
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 08 Jun 24 - 10:47 AM

Some really great responses, thank you