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 71-2
Summer 2009

Award-winning Bellowhead is the subject of the Singer, Song and Source feature, with the song
‘The Rigs of the Time’
– dating from Napoleonic times, the song has a contemporary relevance.

Leaders of the three morris organisations reflect on morris dancing in the twenty-first century,
and there’s a feature on the rapper sword competition, DERT.

There’s a double feature on walking and singing – Oysterband’s John Jones’s Feet Don’t Fail Me tour,
and Ed, Will and Ginger’s Walk Around Britain.

There’s a selection of dances and tunes from a 1745 manuscript, now known as Kitty Bridges, in the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library;
a feature on WildGoose Records; and the EFDSS Gold Badge citations for Beryl Marriott and John Heydon.
 
There are features on the Flash Company exhibition at Cecil Sharp House and the Singing Histories books,
plus future EFDSS initiatives, Cecil Sharp House events, and reports on the recent St George’s Day events.

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

Sound and Video Files

'The Rigs of the Time', sung by John 'Charger' Salmons,, from the CD East Anglia Sings, with permission.

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‘The Rigs of the Times’ sung by Bellowhead on YouTube

‘The Merry Councellor’ from the CD Kitty Bridges’ Pocket Book, with permission of Bob Shatwell and the other musicians on the CD.

Please support our Summer 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 Unsolicited reviews will not be published.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