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 71-4
Winter 2009

Festivals list!

71 4 Winter 2009

There’s a seasonal flavour to some of the features in this issue. Plus, a full list of Folk Festivals in 2010, which is also available on the website

The Singer, Song and Source feature is Bella Hardy, whose song is ‘All in the Morning’ from her latest CD, In the Shadow of Mountains. The song is from Derbyshire’s Castleton Carol Tradition, which Ian Russell writes about in The Source.

Continuing the seasonal theme, there’s a feature on The Drayton Wassail song custom from Somerset, which Cecil Sharp visited a hundred years ago. And news of the re-publication of Percy Maylam’s book about The Hooden Horse of Kent.

In Never on Sunday in Widecombe, Rollo Woods examines a unique manuscript collection of tunes from the famous village in Dartmoor, Devon.

There’s a feature on the remarkable dance and music group, The Fosbrooks, from Stockport in Cheshire: The Fosbrooks Phenomenon.

Fellside Recordings are the latest in our series on independent record labels.

There’s a feature on the EFDSS’s latest publication, The Fallibroome Collection, a new edition, by Nic Broadbridge, of Bernard Bentley’s classic collection of English country dances.

An article focuses on the Take 6 Education Project, written by Education Director, Rachel Elliott.

EFDSS Matters celebrates Library Director, Malcolm Taylor’s 30 years at the EFDSS, and the continuing party for Cecil Sharp’s 150th birthday.

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

Sound Files

‘All in the Morning’ sung by Bella Hardy, from her CD In the Shadow of Mountains, with thanks to Bella. www.bellahardy.com

‘The Drayton Wassail’ sung by The Drayton Wassailers in January 2009, recorded by Bob Patten. With thanks to Bob.

Please support our Winter 2009 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