english dance & song

English Dance & Song is the longest-established magazine devoted to folk music, dance and song in the country. First published in 1936, it has appeared at least four times a year ever since.

Issue 72-1
Spring 2010

Festivals list!

72 1 Spring 2010

This issue has quite an emphasis on dance, in all its forms, and also focuses on Cecil Sharp, in continuing
celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth.

The Singer, Song and Source feature is Hannah James & Sam Sweeney, whose song is ‘William Taylor’
collected by Cecil Sharp in 1903 from the two sisters, Lucy White and Louie Hooper.

John Messenger of Leominster Morris describes how they celebrated the centenary of Cecil Sharp’s visit to Herefordshire,
when he noted tunes from John Lock and watched the Brimfield Morris Dancers. An earlier EDS article on Brimfield, by Roy Dommett,
published in 1969, is available HERE for you to read.

And 2010 is the centenary of Sharp’s first visit to Sheffield’s Grenoside Sword Dancers.
The present-day team decided to celebrate in a novel way.

Cecil Sharp’s diaries from his collecting trips to the southern Appalachians of America are now available on the web.
Mike Yates introduces this fantastic resource.

There’s a feature on the National Youth Folklore Troupe of England (NYFTE) by Sherry Neyhus.
And there’s a celebration of Swindon Folksingers’ Club and its organisers, Ted and Ivy Poole.
There’s also some comment on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in the Branching Out column.

Jackie Toaduff was a superb clog dancer in the 1950s and 60s. Chris Metherell and Alex Fisher recall his dancing,
Ron Smedley remembers his impact then, and Demon Barbers clog dancer, Laura
Connolly, talks about his impact today. Jackie’s autobiography has just been published.

Caller Cat Kelly has started a scheme to encourage new dance callers. Roger Nicholls’ Gold Badge citation is published.

Plus all the regular features – festive round-up, EFDSS Matters, news, reviews and dance events.

Sound and Video Files

‘William Taylor’ sung by Hannah James & Sam Sweeney, specially recorded for EDS. With thanks to Hannah and Sam. www.hannahandsam.co.uk

Watch Jackie Toaduff dancing. A clip of Jackie Toaduff’s encore display at the EFDSS Royal Albert Hall Festival in 1964 can be seen at
The Farne Archive This is the only known film clip of Jackie dancing from this era.

Please support our Spring 2010 advertisers:

English Dance & Song exists to interest, inform and stimulate the membership of the EFDSS, as well as the wider folk music and dance community. 

English Dance & Song aims to publish contributions of the highest quality.

The range of interests include traditional song, traditional dance (social, display, ceremonial), traditional music, custom and children's games. The geographical spread is not confined to England, but may also include Scotland, Wales and Ireland; as well as the USA, and other areas of the world which may be appropriate. 

Potential contributors are asked to read the Contributor's Style Sheet. htm rtf pdf

Items for review should be sent to the Editor. Unsolicited reviews will not be published.

The Editor of eds is Derek Schofield, author of The First Week in August: Fifty Years of the Sidmouth Festival, published in 2004 to celebrate the festival’s Golden Jubilee.

He has also written biographies of William Kimber and Fred Jordan, as published in their recent CDs, Absolutely Classic: The Music of William Kimber (EFDSS, 1999) and A Shropshire Lad (Veteran, 2003). Derek has also contributed to The Guardian, The Independent and The Times, as well as to the Folk Music Journal and fRoots.

Contact the Editor at: Editor, English Dance and Song, EFDSS, Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Road, London, NW1 7AY.

By email write to

eds.editor @the domain name efdss.org