We mark the election of Shirley Collins MBE as the new President of the EFDSS.

A theme of this issue is the singer, folklorist, broadcaster and writer A.L. (Bert) Lloyd in the centenary year of his birth. Bert Lloyd was well-known as a great mentor and encourager of younger singers, often re-working songs from the manuscripts and books for performance.

In this spirit, the Singer, Song and Source article features Brian Peters whose recent CD of ballads includes several songs that have been newly adapted. Brian also contributes an article on his approach to working with the ballads, with a number of references to Bert Lloyd.

Continuing the Bert Lloyd theme, there’s a personal memoir by film-maker Barrie Gavin who worked on several projects with Bert, and a report on the Tribute to Bert event held in mid-November.

Gordon Philips has written about his project teaching molly dancing in Fenland schools and there’s a report on October’s Big National Ceilidh.

There’s a feature on an intriguing mummer’s costume, possibly from Bellerby, that has turned up in New York, and Robbie Thomas writes about some new style dance events, Sets in the City.

There’s a report of the RVW event held at Cecil Sharp House in October.

This issue marks the 50th anniversary of the death of the composer and folksong collector, Ralph Vaughan Williams.

The Singer, Song and Source article features exciting young singer, Lisa Knapp, written by Joan Crump, and the song Wild and UndauntedYouth. The source is Robert Hurr of Southwold, whom Ralph Vaughan Williamsvisited to collect songs in 1910, contributed by Katie Howson.

Thereis a feature on Vaughan Williams’ folk song collecting by editor Derek Schofield, with additional contributions from classical music writerand Vaughan Williams expert Michael Kennedy, author RoyPalmer, singer and author Shirley Collins,filmmaker Tony Palmer and singer Jim Moray.

HaddenhamCeilidhs celebrate their 35th season, and organiser John Heydonand resident Haddenham caller Hugh Rippon explain thephilosophy behind this long-running ceilidh series.

The recent visit to Britain of Australian dance and song band Wongawilli is an opportunity for Jenny Coxon to show the links betweenthe tunes and dances of the two countries.

In The Seeds of Love, EFDSS CEO Katy Spicer previews the visual art exhibition at Cecil Sharp House by David Owen and also writes about the new Education Director,Rachel Elliott.

There is a report on the EFDSS’s Take 6 project event at Redriff School in south London, new developments with LondonLinks and plans for future EFDSS fund-raising.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lucy Broadwood, folk song collector, singer and editor, the Singer, Song and Source article features the song ‘The Sweet Nightingale’ from Broadwood and Fuller Maitland’s 1893 collection, English County Songs. The singers are Lancashire’s Trio Threlfall – sisters Jane and Amanda Threlfall and instrumentalist Roger Edwards. The source is Lucy Broadwood’s singer, Mr Grantham.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Ralph Vaughan Williams, his 1948 tribute to Broadwood is re-printed, with an introduction, showing that there was no single view about folk song in the early twentieth century. The issues raised still have relevance today.

Ian Russell on the centenary of Cecil Sharp’s visit to Derbyshire’s Winster Morris Dancers,

Dance and concert band, Boldwood, are featured, revealing the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library as the source of some of their tunes, two of which are printed in the article.

There are 580 more tunes in The Great Northern Tune Book, which has just been published in a new edition by the EFDSS and the Northumbrian Pipers’ Society: Alistair Anderson and Colin Ross give their personal views of this important collection.

To celebrate Liverpool European Capital of Culture, Songs of a Seaport looks at Liverpool’s maritime heritage, with a ‘new’ version of the well-known song The Leaving of Liverpool. Jack Coutts writes about the International Shanty Festival, The importance of Irish music in the city is explained by Chris Boland, and Clive Pownceby looks at the long-running Radio Merseyside Folkscene programme.

The ‘Singer, Song and Source’ feature looks at the Young Coppers, the song Come All Bold Britons, and Derek Schofield looks back at previous generations of the Copper family.

Gavin Atkin investigates a new tune book from East Anglia, Before the Night was Out, and there are two versions of the tune Oh, Joe, the Boat is Going Over, from Oscar Woods and George Craske.

Caller Cat Kelly is interviewed by Joan Crump and contributes a new dance.

In Sam Bennett – the Film Star, Elaine Bradtke describes an amazing film of the traditional Warwickshire fiddle player – a ‘talkie’ that pre-dates The Jazz Singer.

Ron Smedley draws on his experience as a dance teacher with the Royal Ballet School in the article Teaching Billy Elliot, to explain the use of folk, morris and rapper dance in the training of the young ballet dancers.

The EFDSS has a new Chief Executive, Katy Spicer, and this issue has a feature article about her.