Classical Music Forum banner

Folk Music

7K views 21 replies 13 participants last post by  jenspen 
#1 ·
Don't see a folk music thread here anywhere...the influence of 'folk' music in its various guises has been such on many great composers that, without it, would we even have the likes of Vaughan Williams, Bartok, Britten, Dvorak, Schubert, very many others?... or at least they would have surely all gone off in very different directions!

So, to start, any of we keen amateur historians - at least in the UK - will I'm sure be aware of Simon Schama's epic 'History of Britain' TV series - the soundtrack is quite outstanding, much of it original music composed by John Harle, and also new arrangements, such as this, one of the pieces most closely associated with the series (particularly in the episode 'The Body of the Queen' detailing the lives of Elizabeth I and her cousin Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots)...I heard it again on the radio for the first time in a while yesterday, and thought its worth posting here, it's Harle's arrangement of the beautiful old English folk ballad 'The Three Ravens'...sung by Sarah Leonard...

 
#2 ·
I am amazed that no one has picked up on this thread. Folk music is a vital part of the musical heritage of many nations.

Here is a beautiful song which despite what many think is not a folk song. It only sounds like one, but no matter. It is a setting by Ralph Vaughn Williams of a poem by the Dorset poet William Barnes. The great Sir Thomas Allen sings Linden Lea.



Rob
 
#16 · (Edited)
When we first moved to seaside Norfolk, The Yetties came to perform at the Pavilion Theatre in Gorleston, where you sit at a table with friends in front of the stage. They introduced a song they were going to do - it was either 'Hey, All You New York Girls' or some other song involving a polka rhythm.

Up till then, they had asked several members of the audience up on stage, and whenever they did, I always avoided their gaze. This time, they launched into their song, then one of them leapt down on to the floor and unexpectedly hoiked me to my feet and off we went into a polka at the front of the stage.

As I'd been fairly caught, I co-operated, and I'll always remember the surprise in his voice as the song came to a close and he said, 'You really can do the polka!' :D

PS - It was a fab evening. We used to hear a lot of them on the folk programmes on the radio, and liked what they did, and they had great stage personalities too.
 
#15 ·
In as much as there are folk playing this I suppose by definition this, and all music, is folk music!:lol:
 
  • Like
Reactions: SixFootScowl
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top