A one-day course led by Steve Roud for people who have an interest in English Folk Song and would like the opportunity to learn more about its roots, development, and the essential part it played in communities in this country in the past.

The focus will be on the historical, social and personal contexts of folk singing rather than its technical musical attributes. No musical ability is necessary, and no singing required. There will be the opportunity to hear rarely-played archival field-recordings of singers from up and down the country, as well as the chance to see archival film.

This course is aimed primarily at those with little or no prior knowledge English Folk Song, but intermediate students will also find plenty to interest and entertain them.

NOTE: Folk Song in England Study Day runs from 10am – 4pm. Ticket price includes lunch.

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Course Leader: Steve Roud has been researching folk topics for over thirty years. His publications include: The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, The Penguin Guide to Superstitions of Britain & Ireland, The English Year and London Lore and Lore of the Playground. Steve is also the creator of two online database indexes, Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, which are used by folk song scholars and enthusiasts across the world.

Guest Speaker: Sue Allan began singing in folk clubs from the age of 15, co-founding Carlisle Morris and Throstles Nest women’s morris teams. Sue also played English concertina, melodeon and alto sax with the Ellen Valley Band for 22 years and is currently studying a PhD at Lancaster University looking at how folk song and dialect have been used to express Cumbrian identity.