5 Facts About British Folk Music

1. British folk music has a long and rich history.

2. The music is often reflective of the culture and history of the British Isles.

3. Folk music has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity in recent years.

4. There is a wide variety of British folk music, from traditional ballads to modern interpretations.

5. British folk music is enjoyed by people all over the world.

What is British Folk Music?

British Folk Music is a genre of music that is traditionally rooted in the music of the British Isles. It covers a wide range of styles, from the ancient ballads of England and Scotland to the more modern folk pop of the 1960s. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in folk music, with many young people rediscovering the old songs and dances of their ancestors.

Here are five facts about British Folk Music:

1. Folk music has been around for centuries. The first recordings of folk music date back to the 16th century, when William Shakespeare wrote about it in his plays.

2. Folk music was traditionally passed down from generation to generation, orally or through sheet music.

3. Many famous classical composers have been influenced by folk music, including Frederick Delius and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

4. In the 20th century, folk music was collected and preserved by organizations such as the English Folk Dance Society and the BBC.

5. There has been a recent resurgence of interest in folk music, with many young people rediscovering the old songs and dances of their ancestors.

The Origins of British Folk Music

Folk music has been part of British culture for centuries. In the early twentieth century, folk music was collected and preserved by a group of enthusiasts known as the Cecil Sharp team. They went to rural parts of Britain and asked people to sing songs that had been passed down from generation to generation. These songs were often about love, loss, work, and daily life.

Some of the most well-known British folk songs include “The water is wide”, “She moved through the Fair”, and “Scarborough Fair”. Folk music was traditionally played on acoustic instruments such as guitars, fiddles, and drums. However, in recent years there has been a resurgence in interest in folk music, with many young people playing traditional instruments and writing their own folk songs.

Here are five facts about British folk music:

1. Folk music has been part of British culture for centuries.
2. The Cecil Sharp team collected and preserved folk songs in the early twentieth century.
3. Folk songs often tell stories about love, loss, work, and daily life.
4. Folk music was traditionally played on acoustic instruments such as guitars, fiddles, and drums.
5. There has been a resurgence of interest in folk music in recent years, with many young people playing traditional instruments and writing their own folk songs.

The Instruments Used in British Folk Music

Folk music is often associated with acoustic guitars and the like, but in Britain, the traditional folk music instruments include the accordion, fiddle, melodeon, and concertina. These instruments are often used in combination with each other to create a unique sound that is distinctly British.

The accordion is a portable musical instrument that is played by pressing buttons or keys that cause bellows to expand and contract, forcing air through metal reeds. The fiddle is a stringed instrument that is played with a bow; it is most commonly used in folk music from Ireland and Scotland. The melodeon is similar to an accordion but has only one row of keys and is played with the right hand only. The concertina is another type of accordion that has two sets of bellows and buttons, one set for each hand; it was particularly popular in Victorian England.

The Different Genres of British Folk Music

British folk music has a long and varied history, with different genres developing in different regions and over different periods of time. Though there are many different types of British folk music, some of the most common genres include:

Celtic music: This type of folk music originated in the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. Celtic music is often characterized by its use of traditional instruments such as the fiddle, bagpipes, and harp, as well as its characteristic Celtic melody.

English folk music: English folk music has a long history dating back to the medieval period. Over time, various regions of England developed their own distinct styles of folk music, which can be broadly divided into three main categories: southern English folk music, northern English folk music, and East Anglian folk music. Southern English folk music is particularly characterized by its use of the violin; northern English folk music often features the accordion or ‘ squeezebox’; while East Anglian folk music is known for its use of the concertina.

Scottishfolk msuic: Scottishfolk msuic is primarily influenced by Celtic traditions but has also been shaped by other genres such as Highland bagpipe music and Border ballads. Some of the most common instruments used in Scottishfolk msuic include the fiddle, bagpipes, accordion, and piano.

Welshfolk music: Welshfolk music has been strongly influenced by both Celtic and English traditions. The most commonly used instruments in Welshfolk msuic include the fiddle, harp, accordion, and piano.

The Popularity of British Folk Music

British folk music has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, with a number of young people taking an interest in the genre. This is perhaps unsurprising given the rich tapestry of folk music that exists in the UK, with a wide variety of traditions and styles to choose from. Here are five facts about British folk music that may surprise you:

1. The earliest examples of British folk music date back to the medieval period, when troubadours and minstrels would sing songs about chivalry and courtly love.

2. Folk music enjoyed something of a golden age in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when a number of important collections were made of traditional songs from across the country.

3. Many of Britain’s most popular traditional songs were actually written by professional songwriters, often for commercial purposes. For example, ‘The Keel Row’ was written by Newcastle-based songwriter Jimmy Norman for a local coal merchant.

4. While most traditional British folk songs are artistically simple, some are surprisingly complex and technically challenging. For example, ‘The Unquiet Grave’, which is traditionally sung in three parts, is said to be one of the most difficult songs to sing correctly.

5. British folk music has been heavily influenced by other genres over the years, including jazz, blues, and even rock and roll. For example, many contemporary folk musicians use electric instruments and amplification techniques that would have been unthinkable a few generations ago.