Repertoire in relation to social context

Subject: BS: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: Glynis
Date: 26 Feb 04 - 08:22 AM

Hello,

I'm doing a research project on song repertoire in relation to changing social and historical context and would be grateful for any help you could give me.

I'm interested in the folk club scene and the session scene in the UK generally, from the early sixties to date. My particular focus is Birtley Folk Club and the folk scene in County Durham, but I'd like to compare information I get from my focus area, with information from the rest of the UK too. Birtley was started and is still run by the same family, the Elliotts, which is a particular reason for my interest. There is a (possibly unique?) continuity at Birtley and the family themselves hold a lot of information.

Aspects I hope to study include:

    Balance of songs of local derivation and more general material

    Industrial/work songs in a climate of changing employment and industries

    Protest songs - in relation to wars, industrial action, politics

    Politics - how the politics of the country, country, local area and individual people might have affected repertoire

    The changing role of women as reflected in songs and gender politics generally

    The changing attitudes of society, eg. in relation to hunting, etc.

    The changing composition of club membership and particularly of singers, e.g. women in clubs, women as singers (I have followed the thread started by Fay last year, but there might be new opinions out there worth reading.)

    The way in which repertoire has been influenced by the lives or the interests of the singers – particularly clubs' most influential members or 'characters'.

    The balance of traditional and contemporary material.

As is the way of things, my focus may change as information comes in and my research develops, so please feel free to stretch the boundaries of my areas of interest.

Thanks,

Glynis

Subject: RE: BS: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Feb 04 - 10:20 PM

Glynis, this particular "repertoire" would probably attract more attention in the Music section of this forum.

---

Agreed. "BS" designation changed to "General Music."
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: Glynis
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 06:47 PM

My initial request for information is really much too vague, I think.
I don't want you to write the project for me, but I hoped that putting down all the aspects I want to cover, would ring some bells with people.

What I REALLY want to know from singers, and especially from women, is whether their own personal repertoire has changed much over the years, and why.

Are there songs that you don't sing any more, because they aren't p.c. or socially acceptable anymore; songs that are about a struggle you used to care about, which has now ended.

Are their songs that you now sing, which you previously didn't sing, or didn't feel comfortable singing, and why?

Subject: RE: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: Glynis
Date: 02 Mar 04 - 06:42 PM

Do you sing? Do you go to folk clubs in County Durham? Has your repertoire of songs changed over the years? Why and how?

Subject: RE: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: Glynis
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 04:06 AM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: GUEST,KB
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 06:55 AM

On a personal level the songs I sing tend to be whatever resonates with my feelings at the time - which will be affected both by personal and general environment & events.
For example - I tend to be moved to sing more of the "war is a terrible thing" songs (High Germany, Bonnie Light Horseman, Benjamin Bowmaneer, Shipbuilding etc) when there is some high-profile conflict involving UK. So that is a political influence.
As regards women as singers - I've found there tend to be more women singing at the local folk club than there are in the local pub sessions - whether that is because the club is a more protected & supportive environment??
will add more if I think of anything..

Subject: RE: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: Gervase
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 09:30 AM

I've often sung songs deliberately to be provocative - mining/industrial stuff in bourgeois pubs and clubs, and hunting songs in bunny-hugging environments.
As for feeling uncomfortable singing songs, the trad repertoire has such a canon of incest/rape/murder/skullduggery songs that concern for social niceties would rather limit one's range!
As for changing times, some of the stuff we sang on CND marches in the early Eighties now makes me cringe - more for the naffness of the lyrics than for the sentiments expressed. The problem seems to be that, while dramatic events attract songwriters, much of what gets written is pretty banal and doesn't stand the test of time.

Subject: RE: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: Glynis
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 12:08 PM

Thanks for the messages so far. If anyone wants to PM me with lengthier replies, please feel free.

Does anyone tend to research the songs they sing, and/or try to find local versions of traditional songs - often versions of the same song crop up in different counties.

Subject: RE: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: Felipa
Date: 10 Mar 04 - 05:52 PM

I should think that a lot of Mudcatters do research song background, and do take an interest in different versions of songs. That is part of the reason we participate in this forum. Have you noticed the popularity of "origins" threads?

the scope of your research seems very broad!

Subject: RE: Repertoire in relation to social context
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 10 Mar 04 - 09:48 PM

"F=ck" the masses....most is asses.

If thae don lik de poltek let dem trink elsware.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle