Good reading about the British folk revivals?

October 2, 2014 2:22 PM

I'm looking for recommendations of books and articles on the British folk revivals of the 20th c.

I'm especially interested in information about festivals, musical forms, foods, and crafts that were either in the process of dying out or had been abandoned prior to the revivals, and that survived as living art forms as a result (e.g. Combe Martin's Hunting of the Earl of Rone).

I have a few bibliographies to work from, but am curious to hear about books that MeFites found especially readable, evocative, and well-researched.

posted by ryanshepard to Media & Arts (2 answers total)

Best answer: Raphael Samuel's Theatres of Memory sets the folk revival in the wider context of 'history and heritage' and the postwar rediscovery of the past. Rob Young's Electric Eden is essential on the folksong revival. Ronald Hutton's The Triumph of the Moon is essential on neo-paganism. (If I were you I'd steer clear of the ideological wars over Cecil Sharp and his legacy, but the Wikipedia page gives you the basic reading if you want to follow this up.)
posted by verstegan at 3:40 PM on October 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Singing from the Floor was a book I bought my husband , which he found entertaining and informative.
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 5:41 AM on October 3, 2014