English Dance and Song Summer 2018
This article was published in English Dance and Song, the magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. The world’s oldest magazine for folk music and dance, EDS was first published in 1936 and is essential reading for anyone with a passion for folk arts.
Join the conversation about traditional song: Martin Graebe celebrates 20 years of the Traditional Song Forum
We are in a sort of golden age when there is more information available about traditional song than singers in the 1960s could ever have dreamed of. When the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs was published, it was a revelation, not just for the wonderful songs that it contained, but also for the quality of A L Lloyd and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ writing about them. That groundbreaking book has been followed by many others that have added to the information it contains, particularly by exploring the lives of the singers.
The backstory of our traditional songs has been teased out by a small company of researchers and writers: Roy Palmer, Frank Purslow, Georgina Boyes, Bob Copper, Vic Gammon and Steve Roud, to name only a few. Their knowledge is available through their publications and they could be contacted by letter or phone to ask for advice. But opportunities for them, and others like them, to spend time in a group where they could talk about their ideas with others were limited.
Steve Roud recognised the opportunity this golden age presented 20 years ago when, in a basement room of Cecil Sharp House, he arranged a gathering of people with an interest in traditional song and singing, to share their ideas and experience. The discussion threw up a number of ideas about the future of research into traditional song and how to make sure that, in an increasingly digital world, the songs make their way to the people who want to hear, learn and sing them. Perhaps the greatest interest was in what could be achieved if the knowledge in the room could be shared more widely, and if the contacts made on the day could be continued.
In January 1998 the group met again in Sheffield, and the Traditional Song Forum (TSF) was born. TSF has no permanent home and we were determined to have the minimum of bureaucracy. The three officers then chosen by the group were Steve Roud as chair, Doc Rowe as treasurer and myself as secretary. We still hold those positions, though we have been joined by Steve Gardham, who acts as chairman for meetings in the North, and Shan Graebe, who is the membership secretary. There is also an informal advisory group to whom we can turn when we need advice.
TSF has a set of ‘aims’ which can be summarised as being to encourage research into traditional song, to provide support for individuals and organisations working in the field, and to help in making archive and other important material easily available for present and future enthusiasts. These aims can be seen on our website, www.tradsong.org, where you can also find news of TSF and related events. There are many other matters of interest, as well as some useful resources. The online discussion group, Tradsong, is where anyone can ask questions and, often, get a rapid answer from an expert in the field.
There are usually three TSF meetings each year, in different parts of the country. Past venues have included Aberdeen, Dublin, Lewes, Liverpool, King’s Lynn, London, Manchester, Sheffield, Stroud, and Edinburgh. As the location changes, so does the audience, and no two meetings are quite the same. We rely on local organisations to host the meeting and to help plan a programme for the day. Even though having a way for ‘the workers’ to get together and compare notes was the starting point, we quickly realised that there were many performers and others who were also interested in finding out more about traditional song, and our meetings are designed for them as well. The pattern for the day is that we will spend the morning in a networking session, sharing projects and enthusiasms. In the afternoon session we are often joined by a local audience to hear presentations on aspects of traditional song. Occasionally, we will have special themed days, an example being the annual Broadside Day, which has become so popular that it is now organised as an annual event in association with EFDSS.
Anyone who wants to know more about traditional song will benefit from joining the TSF. We recently took the decision to do away with a membership subscription and to make membership of TSF free of charge. If you join, you will be added to the mailing list and will get the information sent exclusively to members. Details of how to join can be found on the Traditional Song Forum website – www.tradsong.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
