Folk of the future

English Dance and Song Spring 2017

EDS, the magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, is the world’s oldest magazine for folk music and dance. First published in 1936, EDS is essential reading for anyone with a passion for folk arts. The following sample article is copyright. You are welcome to share it in the format supplied and accompanied by this title page, but you may not reproduce it, in full or in part, by any other means.

Folk of the future Folk of the future

Sarah Jones, Programme Manager for the National Youth Folk Ensemble, reports on EFDSS’ formation of a group designed to develop our next generation of folk instrumentalists.

The National Youth Folk Ensemble brings together talented young folk musicians from across England to participate in residential courses, create musical arrangements and give public performances – all under the guidance of the Ensemble’s Artistic Director, Sam Sweeney, and other leading folk musicians and educators.

Arts Council England funds a number of national youth music organisations but until now, there has been no equivalent for young folk musicians in England. After an in-depth consultation process with the folk music sector and a survey to audit youth folk music activity across the country, the National Youth Folk Ensemble was launched by EFDSS in 2016 with funding from Arts Council England. It aims to be a progression route for the next generation of folk performers, educators and leaders; raise the profile of folk music in England; and support the folk ecology by connecting and growing youth folk provision.

Recruitment for the 2016-17 cohort began early last year, and there was a positive response from young musicians and folk organisations across the country. We ran eight free Sampler Days across England, which included creative group workshops with Sam Sweeney, Rob Harbron and Miranda Rutter. The Sampler Days enabled young people to find out more about the project and play with other young musicians in their area. We met around 90 young musicians, 31 of whom were invited to a final audition and, from those, 17 were selected to form the Ensemble in its inaugural year.

Between them, this group of talented 14-18 year olds play fiddle, flute, piano accordion, melodeon, cello, viola, guitar, harp and uilleann pipes. They come from all over England, with a strong emphasis on the North West and Yorkshire. Most of them have developed as musicians through their local youth folk groups, but their musical interests and routes to traditional music are diverse and the Ensemble’s repertoire reflects these varied influences.

The members of the Ensemble met for the first time in October 2016 at Halsway Manor, a folk arts residential centre in Somerset. They spent five days learning from and making music with inspiring performers and educators Sam Sweeney, Rob Harbron, Saul Rose, Miranda Rutter, Becky Price and Ben Nicholls.

Ensemble members created music in small groups and as a full band, had one-to-one sessions on their instruments, wrote compositions, discovered repertoire in English tune books, performed to each other, danced in a ceilidh and had a taster session in morris dancing. They were encouraged to teach tunes to each other and actively listen to each other’s music. Their focus, commitment and enthusiasm during the course were infectious. It was wonderful to watch them get to know each other musically and socially, and begin to establish the sound of their Ensemble.

The 2016-17 National Youth Folk Ensemble will meet twice more this year and their first full-length performance will take place at Cecil Sharp House on 12 April, followed by an appearance at Shrewsbury Folk Festival in August.

“I’m one of the lucky few…” Daniel Horne, 16, from Stocksfield, Northumberland, describes his journey so far as a member of the National Youth Folk Ensemble.

Last July myself and many young musicians from around England travelled to London and through the bustling streets of Camden to the brick walls of Cecil Sharp House, nestled neatly in a fork in the road.

Greeted warmly at the reception desk, we set up instruments and prepared for the second audition awaiting us all. It wasn’t long before we were all sitting in a circle sharing in the music that had brought us together and after a quick practice slot for each (aided by Miranda Rutter), we gave our individual auditions to a panel consisting of Sam Sweeney, Katy Spicer and Rachel Elliott. It was scary, but also friendly and educational. It seems hard to believe that that was the first time I met some of the wonderful people I had the privilege of later sharing a week with.

I’m Daniel, one of the incredibly lucky few to be chosen to participate in the 2016-17 National Youth Folk Ensemble. I play the fiddle and have done so since I was seven. I came to music through family friends involved in the folk scene but I was swept up by the more classical side into a school programme and so was trained through a classical style. However, I still attended the famed Folkworks Summer Schools and was eager to return to the more liberating, improvisational and, often, more emotional style of music that is folk.

Eventually I joined several bands – Folkestra, The Stocksfield Stompers and 4th Generation – and was fortunate enough to be there when leaflets were handed out about the Ensemble. Figuring I had little to lose, and much to gain musically from the fantastic programme on offer, I signed up for the first round of auditions and was astounded when I got through to the second round.

After passing the auditions, October came along with a flurry of emails about the upcoming residential trip to the scenic Halsway Manor in Somerset. The day was approaching. And fast. Bags packed and instruments readied we met at the meeting place, the tiny café in Taunton station… And so off to Halsway we were whisked.

The week itself was filled with music and learning set in the beautifully carved rooms and great dining hall of the manor. I’m sure I speak for everyone in saying we had a great time and the group bonded incredibly tightly in a short amount of time. This was helped by the numerous activities such as listening-club, composition, morris dancing and some amazing sessions. All this was organised by the fantastic pastoral staff and the incredible tutors. Truly, this wasn’t a week any of us are likely to forget. It was astounding.

As for the next residential? It’ll certainly contain even more amazing music and fun. Can’t wait!

Young musicians can apply to join the National Youth Folk Ensemble 2017-18 by attending one of the following free Sampler Days:

SAT 27 MAY Colston Hall, Bristol

SUN 28 MAY Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester

MON 29 MAY Sage Gateshead 

TUES 30 MAY University of Sheffield

WEDS 31 MAY Stamford Arts Centre

FRI 2 JUNE The Anvil, Basingstoke

SAT 3 JUNE Cecil Sharp House, London

SUN 4 JUNE mac Birmingham

Sign up at www.efdss.org/nationalyouthfolkensemble