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.

Martin Simpson

There’s a full list of the recipients of the Anniversary Awards, and a feature about Sam Lee.

Reviews – including recent EFDSS publications and collaborations, The Gloworms, Marrow Bones, Hardcore English and The Folk Handbook -- plus Martin Simpson, Marilyn Tucker & Paul Wilson, Skylark, Keith Summers’ recordings from Suffolk, The Hosepipe Band, Chris Stout Quintet, Steve Tilston, Horseplay, The Park Bench Social Club, The Gladly Solemn Sound, Julie Fowlis, Kathleen MacInnes, Ray Hubbard, The John and Mary Thurston Music Book, Herd Laddie o the Glen (Willie Scott), Graeme Miles song book and Gypsy Life in the West Country.
Regular Features:
Branching Out; Festive Round-Up; Lives Remembered, News; The Autumn Dancing Season (list of dance events); EFDSS Matters; and The Source (list of county folk contacts).
Sound Files
Sound files that complement the features are included here:
‘The Trees They Are So High’ sung by Ed Rennie.

‘Nineteenth Century’ and ‘Lady Nelson’s Reel’ played by Neil Brookes and Tony Weatherall.

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69 -3 Autumn 2007
48-page Full Colour issue!!!

The Imagined Village is the name of a concert tour and CD scheduled for this Autumn, featuring Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, The Gloworms, The Young Coppers and Chris Wood, as well as Benjamin Zephaniah, Sheila Chandra and Billy Bragg. Alan James explains what it’s all about.

The regular ‘Singer, Song and Source’ features Ed Rennie, former member of the Bismarcks, now performing with Housewives’ Choice and forging a career as a solo singer. The song is ‘The Trees they are so High’ from the Devon singer James Parsons, known to Sabine Baring-Gould as ‘The Singing Machine’. Martin Graebe writes about James Parsons.


There is also a piece on the Baring-Gould Folk Song School by Marilyn Tucker.

This issue’s tunes feature comes from Shropshire, and is entitled ‘The Shropshire Hero’. Neil Brookes explains the existence and contents of five tune books from north Shropshire.

Robbie Thomas suggests that there are lessons to be learnt from Cecil Sharp House’s regular Scottish dance events, The Ceilidh Club.

Christine Rogers examines the Dances in Jane Austen’s novels.

In ‘Lewes Favourites’, Gavin Atkin attempts to explain why this small Sussex town has so many folk song, music and dance activities.

There’s a feature on a nineteenth century painting, Rush Bearing, which is reproduced in print in full colour for the first time.

Gold Badge citations for The Yetties and the late Frank Purslow are printed in full.
The Yetties

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