English Folk Dance and Song Society

English Folk Dance and Song Society
Name	English Folk Dance and Song Society
Founded	1932
Headquarters	Cecil Sharp House, London
Predecessor	English Folk Dance Society, Folksong (via Folk-Song Society)
Country	United Kingdom

English Folk Dance and Song Society is a British organisation formed in 1932 through the merger of two earlier bodies to promote the performance, research and preservation of traditional English folk dance and folk song. The Society has been based at Cecil Sharp House in Camden, London, and has played a central role in movements associated with Cecil Sharp, Sabine Baring-Gould, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Lucy Broadwood and Maud Karpeles. Through collecting, teaching, publishing and archiving the Society connects to wider cultural networks including English Folk Dance Society, Folksong Society, BBC, National Trust and international partners such as EFDSS-linked bodies and prominent festivals like Sidmouth Folk Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival.

History

The Society emerged from the 1932 merger of the English Folk Dance Society founded by Cecil Sharp and the Folk-Song Society associated with figures like Lucy Broadwood and Sabine Baring-Gould. Early activity involved collaboration with composers and collectors including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, E.J. Moeran and Percy Grainger who drew on field collections for arrangements and compositions. During the interwar years the Society intersected with institutions such as the Royal College of Music, British Museum and broadcasting bodies like the BBC to disseminate repertoire. Post‑war periods saw associations with dance revivalists including Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and Cecil Sharp House-based teachers, while later decades connected to festival circuits exemplified by Sidmouth Folk Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival and international exchanges with bodies in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the United States. The Society’s trajectory reflects broader cultural histories tied to collectors such as Maud Karpeles, Peter Kennedy (folklorist), Frank Kidson and researchers like Katherine Bristow.

Organisation and Activities

Run from Cecil Sharp House in Camden Town, the Society functions as a membership organisation linking local groups, dance teams and song clubs across England and beyond. Its governance has involved trustees drawn from arts funders such as Arts Council England, representatives from festivals like Sidmouth Folk Festival and academics from institutions including University of Sheffield, University of Leeds, University of Oxford and University of Nottingham. Activities range from advising local bodies like English Heritage and the National Trust on intangible heritage, to partnerships with broadcasters such as the BBC Radio 2 folk programmes and collaborations with ensembles like The Watersons, The Albion Band and Fairport Convention. The Society liaises with international networks including International Council for Traditional Music and supports community groups in counties such as Yorkshire, Cornwall, Somerset and Norfolk.

Archives and Collections

The Society maintains extensive archives at Cecil Sharp House comprising manuscripts, field recordings, costume collections and dance notation assembled by collectors including Cecil Sharp, Maud Karpeles, Lucy Broadwood, Frank Kidson and Peter Kennedy (folklorist). Holdings include wax cylinders, acetate discs and digital transfers of performances by singers such as Harry Cox, Sam Larner, Fred Jordan and Mrs. Humphreys alongside tune manuscripts used by composers like Ralph Vaughan Williams and E.J. Moeran. The collections are used by researchers from institutions like British Library, Bodleian Library and V&A Museum and are made accessible through exhibitions at venues such as Cecil Sharp House and touring displays to festivals including Cambridge Folk Festival.

Teaching, Publications and Events

Educational programmes encompass teacher training, workshops for schools and accreditation linked with universities including University of Leeds and University of Sheffield. The Society publishes periodicals and collections that have featured editors and contributors such as A.L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Maud Karpeles, and produces tune and dance manuals used by teams across England. Annual and recurring events include concerts, dances, lecture-demonstrations and residential weekends that align with festival calendars of Sidmouth Folk Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival and regional gatherings in Devon, Cumbria and Lincolnshire. The Society’s publishing arm has issued songbooks, dance notation and research monographs consulted by scholars at King's College London and performers from ensembles like The Watersons.

Notable People and Leadership

Leaders, patrons and notable associated figures include founders and collectors Cecil Sharp, Lucy Broadwood, Maud Karpeles and Sabine Baring-Gould, alongside musical allies Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst and E.J. Moeran. Influential revivalists and teachers connected to the Society include Ewan MacColl, A.L. Lloyd, Peggy Seeger, Frank Kidson and field collectors such as Peter Kennedy (folklorist) and George Gardiner (folklorist). Administrators, directors and trustees have included representatives from Arts Council England, academics from University of York and cultural figures active in festivals like Sidmouth Folk Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival.

Impact and Influence on Folk Revival

The Society played a central role in shaping the 20th-century English folk revival by preserving repertoire that informed compositions by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst and performances by revival groups such as The Watersons, Fairport Convention and The Albion Band. Its archives enabled academic study at institutions including University of Oxford, University of Leeds and University of Sheffield, influencing ethnomusicology in bodies like the International Council for Traditional Music. Through teaching, publications and festival networks including Sidmouth Folk Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival, the Society contributed to the survival and adaptation of regional traditions from Yorkshire step dances to Cornish singer repertoires, while informing heritage practice at English Heritage and the National Trust.

Category:Music organisations based in the United Kingdom