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Hello All

Hi David, from a namesake! What's your interest in folk music? I'm currently involved (with others) in playing Welsh folk dances for a traditional dance group, which is a lot of fun, and a challenge for a mediocre player like me :). David A
 
Welcome David!
 
Welcome David,

Folk music is a fascinating subject, however there are many aspects to be considered so please explain yourself by explaining your personal interests. Which flavour of folk music are you interested in? Where are you in your musical life? Are you an advanced player or just starting? This should be a great topic.
 
Thank you all for your welcome and comments I'd describe myself as an intermediate player - self taught - good enough to entertain people but certainly not advanced. I have played in a 3 piece local barn dance band but that folded when we lost one of the members a coupe of years back.
I play (and dance) for East Surrey Morris Men, am chair of Dorking Folk Club and present a monthly folk show on Surrey Hills Community Radio.

I'm particularly (but not exlusively) keen on English traditional music - not least as there is a real body of outstanding music and song, but often overshadowed by Irish, Scottish and Welsh music where folk (and particularly the media) seem to value their heritage more.
 
Thank you all for your welcome and comments I'd describe myself as an intermediate player - self taught - good enough to entertain people but certainly not advanced. I have played in a 3 piece local barn dance band but that folded when we lost one of the members a coupe of years back.
I play (and dance) for East Surrey Morris Men, am chair of Dorking Folk Club and present a monthly folk show on Surrey Hills Community Radio.

I'm particularly (but not exlusively) keen on English traditional music - not least as there is a real body of outstanding music and song, but often overshadowed by Irish, Scottish and Welsh music where folk (and particularly the media) seem to value their heritage more.
Hello David, I'm sure that you are a great entertainer and you should never discount your musical abilities. There are many musicians who are technically competent however can't play for an audience in a way that draws them in.

Your connection to the folk club and the Morris Men keeps you deeply involved with English Folk music. You say that you are self taught and I was wondering about your ability to read sheet music. Reading music can greatly expand your repertoire and Improve your performance. Keep at it and I can see that this hobby gives you great pleasure and wishing you success and I hope that you expand your knowledge and your ability.
 
Thanks for the update, David. Prior to moving to Wales in 2015 we had lived for 15 years in Boxhill (which, for the benefit of those forumites not familiar with the geography of Surrey, is about two miles from the Surrey town of Dorking). I have to admit that I had no knowledge of either Dorking Folk Club or Surrey Hills Radio. In my defence, I wasn't an accordion player then. I was playing drums with Ewell-based Fitznell's Wind Band, and bought my first accordion just before we moved. But as I'm writing this I'm "listening again" to yesterday's edition of The Surrey Folk Show. I think you will have a new regular listener!

There are some good tunes to be found on the East Surrey Hills Morris Men's website, I notice.

There certainly is a connection between English and Welsh folk tunes - similar melodies crop up, sometimes with similar names, sometimes not, though the history is not always clear. Our Welsh traditional dance group, Tipyn o Bopeth, often performs with local Morris sides, and shares some members with them too.
 
David A, I'm Welsh born but of what I describe as European mongrelry ;)
Bits of ancestry from seemingly everywhere West of Prague.
Now based in the SouthWest of Australia.
I'm always intrigued by the similarities in so many folkloric musical and dance traditions which exist in apparantly separate regions; I spent some time in France, Italy and Greece in 2000 - 2004 wandering at will and found bits of dance routine and phrases of music which popped up to remind me of my West Wales upbringing: there were even bits of Greek/Balkan performance which raised memories of local Preseli tradition.
Generally we seem not to recognise that artistic endeavours have always travelled, rubbing off on and mixing with the customs of the new places in which they find themselves, and evolving into new local traditions.
The small town where I presently live has only existed as such for about 100 years when it was established as a timber harvesting and milling centre in the hardwood forests of the region, but even in such a short time, it has blended the incursion of British/Italian/Polish/Slavic workers' traditions into a peculiar local 'norm' which is itself now being heavily influenced by the more recent incursion of the internet carried 'memes' etc.
I have neither the wish nor energy to pursue academic study into the topic, but I'm intrigued by it nevertheless.
 
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