The very first folk revival happened in England over 100 years ago when “collectors” started documenting the traditional songs passed down orally among the country’s working class. Many of these songs went on to appear in The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, first published in 1959 during (or on the cusp of) yet another folk revival and the book has long since become a starting point for people looking to explore the English tradition.
Just over fifty years later and a new version of the seminal folk text, appropriately titled The New Penguin Book Of English Folk Songs, has been published edited by Steve Roud and Julia Bishop. The book features 151 traditional songs (over twice as many as the original) complete with music and annotations on their original sources and meaning and was published in cooperation with the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
There’s a decent review of The New Penguin Book Of English Folk Songs over at Telegraph.co.uk and, according to the Angus and Robinson website, it should be available in Australia right now.
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Tim Cumming said,
July 4, 2012 at 22:26
My review of this beautiful book in the Independent.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-new-penguin-book-of-english-folk-songs-edited-by-steve-roud-and-julia-bishop-7899516.html
timberandsteel said,
July 5, 2012 at 10:41
Thanks for the link Tim – such a thoughtful review. I love that you referenced Sam Lee’s work; the man is doing so many interesting things with collecting and recording traditional music he definitely deserves a lot more exposure.