British Forum for Ethnomusicology

Review: [untitled]
Author(s): Peggy Duesenberry
Reviewed work(s):
The Imagined Village: Culture, Ideology, and the English Folk Revival by Georgina Boyes
The British Folk Scene: Musical Performance and Social Identity by Niall L. Mackinnon
Source: British Journal of Ethnomusicology, Vol. 5 (1996), pp. 155-156
Published by: British Forum for Ethnomusicology
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3060871
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BRITISH JOURNAL OF ETHNOMUSICOLOGY
Re v i e w s
books
GEORGINA BOYES, The
i magi ne d v i llage :
culture , i de ology,
and the
Engli s h folk
re v i v al. Manche s te r Uni v . Pre s s , 1993.
xi v +285pp., bi bli og.,
i nde x. ISBN 0-
7190-4571-1
(pb).
NIALL L. MACKINNON, The Bri ti s h
folk
s ce ne : mus i cal
pe rformance
and s oci al
i de nti ty. Bucki ngham, UK/Phi lade lphi a:
Ope n
Uni v . Pre s s , 1994.
v i i i +151pp.,
table s , bi bli og.
ISBN 0-335-09773-1
(pb).
The s e tw o s tudi e s
may appe ar
to cov e r the
s ame
topi c,
but
the y comple me nt
e ach othe r
i n both
s cope
and
me thodology. Boye s 's
i mportant
book
gi v e s
a de tai le d cri ti cal
account of the re v i v al that
be gan
w i th the
bi rth of the
Engli s h
Folk
Song Soci e ty
i n
1898; he r
cov e rage
of the
pe ri od
afte r World
War II i s s ome w hat
curs ory-i t
i s
mai nly
de s i gne d
to de mons trate the
conti nui ty
of
e li te i nflue nce -and e nds i n the
e arly
1960s .
Macki nnon, on the othe r hand, has made a
ri gorous s oci ologi cal s tudy
of w hat he te rms
"the mus i cal
ge nre " know n155ri ng
the
1950s to the late 1980s .
Boye s prov i de s
a us e ful ov e rv i e w of the
late Vi ctori an atti tude s and
as s umpti ons
re gardi ng
the
di s appe arance
of the "folk"
and the
the ory
of cultural s urv i v als . She the n
pre s e nts
abundant mate ri al to i llus trate
conne cti ons be tw e e n the acti v i ti e s of
i mportant
re v i v al
fi gure s
and more
ge ne ral
as pe cts
of
conte mporary Engli s h
li fe and
poli ti cs .
It i s a me as ure of the
maturi ty
of
s cholars hi p
i n thi s fi e ld that s he has be e n
able to
place
Ce ci l
Sharp
i n a w orld of
uppe r-clas s
di s tre s s and fe ar due to
de cli ni ng
e mpi re ,
rural
de populati on
and the
grow i ng
populati on
of urban
poor,
and to as s e s s hi s
w ork i n te rms of nati onali s ti c and arti s ti c
goals
he s e t for hi ms e lf. She als o make s a
tre me ndous contri buti on i n
prov i di ng
a
clos e r e xami nati on of the w ork of
Sharp's
compe ti tor, Mary Ne al, and i n
looki ng
at
ge nde r i s s ue s more
ge ne rally.
Is s ue s
ari s i ng
from the noti on that the
"folk" hav e
di s appe are d
ari s e i n both
books . Ce ci l
Sharp manage d
to colle ct a
large
numbe r of mus i cal i te ms be fore the
"folk"
s uppos e dly
di e d out i n
England;
Boye s 's
di s cus s i on of hi s me thods , hi s
re lati ons w i th mus i ci ans and the fi nanci al
i s s ue s
ari s i ng
from colle cti on and
publi ca-
ti on s hould be re ad
by e v e ry
s tude nt of
e thnomus i cology
w i th
any
conce rn for
e thi cs i n fi e ldw ork.
Boye s
furthe r di s cus s e s
the
i mportance
of the lack of "folk" for
Sharp
i n
mai ntai ni ng
hi s
he ge mony
as the
only i mportant
colle ctor i n
England:
w hi le
the "folk" w e re cons i de re d to be non-
e xi s te nt, all othe r re v i v ali s ts had to de fe r to
Sharp
as the
e xpe ri e nce d
fi e ldw orke r. Both
Boye s
and Macki nnon note that afte r World
War II the "folk" w e re di s cov e re d to be s ti ll
e xtant, le adi ng
to ne w
colle cti ng
e fforts .
Boye s prov i de s
a v aluable
compari s on
of the
role of the
Engli s h
Folk Dance and
Song
Soci e ty
be fore and afte r the War, fi ndi ng
conti nui ty
i n the e li te
pos i ti on
of s cholar/
colle ctors i n both
pe ri ods .
Boye s 's
book i s
e njoyable
to re ad. He r
e xcurs i ons i nto
pocke ts
of fas ci s m and
mi s ogyny alongs i de
the more
e xpe cte d
di s cus s i ons of romanti c
nos talgi a,
raci s m and
Marxi s t
analys i s prov i de
a
fas ci nati ng
pi cture
of the
place
of
s ong
and dance i n
noti ons of
Engli s hne s s . Although
mos t of
he r
e xample s
come from the
pre -War pe ri od,
he r di s cus s i on of the role of tradi ti onal
mus i c i n cons tructe d i de as of
Engli s hne s s
i s
s ti ll
ge rmane .
Macki nnon has s tudi e d the s oci al make -
up
of folk clubs , fe s ti v als and s e s s i ons i n
both
England
and Scotland.
Chapte r 1,
"The s oci al i n mus i c", prov i de s
a li te rature
re v i e w that i s of li ttle i nte re s t to a
re as onably
w e ll-re ad
e thnomus i cologi s t. Chapte r
2
gi v e s
a bri e f account of the
de v e lopme nt
of folk
clubs out of the s ki ffle craze i n the 1950s .
Compari ng Boye s
and Macki nnon on thi s
pe ri od
i s v aluable i n that
Boye s 's
account i s
155
VOL. 5 1996
156 Bri ti s h Journal
of Ethnomus i cology,
v ol. 5 (1996) 156 Bri ti s h Journal
of Ethnomus i cology,
v ol. 5 (1996)
de ri v e d from
docume ntary
s ource s w hi le
Macki nnon
e mphas i s e s
oral
hi s tory.
Macki nnon the n
pre s e nts
a
fas ci nati ng
s oci ologi cal s urv e y
of folk club me mbe rs ,
re lati ng
hi s s tati s ti cal
fi ndi ngs
to i s s ue s
i ncludi ng clas s , s oci al
mobi li ty, poli ti cs ,
church atte ndance and le v e ls of acti v e
parti ci pati on
i n folk clubs . He
poi nts
conv i n-
ci ngly
to the s oci al
as pe cts
of the folk club
e v e nt as
hav i ng
at le as t as much
s i gni fi cance
as mus i cal
re pe rtoi re
and
s tyle
i n te rms of
re v i v al. What i s
be i ng
re v i v e d i s not
ne ce s s ari ly
the mus i c s o much as the s oci al
atmos phe re , hi gh
le v e l of
parti ci pati on
and
broad tole rance for
be gi nne r pe rforme rs .
Macki nnon als o e xami ne s the te ns i ons
be tw e e n
i nformali ty
and i nclus i v e ne s s as
oppos e d
to the
profe s s i onal
s tatus of s ome
mus i ci ans i nv olv e d i n the folk s ce ne . Re late d
to the s e i s s ue s i s hi s di s cus s i on of the care ful
organi s ati on re qui re d
i n orde r to achi e v e the
s uppos e d i nformali ty
of a folk club e v e nt.
Macki nnon
goe s
on to
compare
folk club
e v e nts w i th s e s s i ons . It i s a w e akne s s of thi s
book that Macki nnon di d not
carry
out a
s oci ologi cal s urv e y
of s e s s i on
playe rs ,
nor
the
adjace nt
dri nke rs i n the
pubs
at w hi ch
mos t s e s s i ons are he ld, s o that
fi ndi ngs
could
be
compare d
w i th hi s folk club re s ults . Hi s
de s cri pti on,
w hi ch i s cons tructe d around a
good
colle cti on of
quote d i nte rv i e w s , ri ngs
true but doe s not
bri ng
ne w
i ns i ghts
at the
le v e l of hi s e xce lle nt e xami nati on of the
clubs . He als o e xami ne s the conte nti ous
proble ms
of PA
us age
i n folk clubs ; hi s
de s cri pti on
of i nnov ati v e us e s of
ampli fi -
cati on w i ll be v aluable
re adi ng
for club
organi s e rs .
Macki nnon, born and bre d i n
England
and
conducti ng
thi s
s tudy
as a PhD s tude nt
i n Abe rde e n, has v as t fi e ld
e xpe ri e nce
i n
both Scotland and
England.
It i s the re fore
di s appoi nti ng
that he has not addre s s e d the
i s s ue s of nati onali s m and
i de nti ty
w hi ch one
mi ght pre s ume
w ould
ope rate di ffe re ntly
i n
the tw o countri e s . If he found that
the y
do
not, i t w ould be v aluable to hav e a di s cus s i on
e luci dati ng
thi s s i tuati on.
Both books unde r re v i e w conti nue a
ti re s ome fas hi on i n s tudi e s of tradi ti onal
mus i c i n the Bri ti s h Is le s : a
s uppos e d
ov e r-
e mphas i s
on
mus i cologi cal
s tudi e s i s
me nti one d, and the
s tudy
i s
pre s e nte d
as a
w e lcome
re s pi te
from te di ous e xami nati ons
of mus i cal s ounds . It
may
be true that
Sharp
and hi s
conte mporari e s (i ncludi ng Vaughan
Wi lli ams and
Grai nge r)
conce ntrate d on the
de ri v e d from
docume ntary
s ource s w hi le
Macki nnon
e mphas i s e s
oral
hi s tory.
Macki nnon the n
pre s e nts
a
fas ci nati ng
s oci ologi cal s urv e y
of folk club me mbe rs ,
re lati ng
hi s s tati s ti cal
fi ndi ngs
to i s s ue s
i ncludi ng clas s , s oci al
mobi li ty, poli ti cs ,
church atte ndance and le v e ls of acti v e
parti ci pati on
i n folk clubs . He
poi nts
conv i n-
ci ngly
to the s oci al
as pe cts
of the folk club
e v e nt as
hav i ng
at le as t as much
s i gni fi cance
as mus i cal
re pe rtoi re
and
s tyle
i n te rms of
re v i v al. What i s
be i ng
re v i v e d i s not
ne ce s s ari ly
the mus i c s o much as the s oci al
atmos phe re , hi gh
le v e l of
parti ci pati on
and
broad tole rance for
be gi nne r pe rforme rs .
Macki nnon als o e xami ne s the te ns i ons
be tw e e n
i nformali ty
and i nclus i v e ne s s as
oppos e d
to the
profe s s i onal
s tatus of s ome
mus i ci ans i nv olv e d i n the folk s ce ne . Re late d
to the s e i s s ue s i s hi s di s cus s i on of the care ful
organi s ati on re qui re d
i n orde r to achi e v e the
s uppos e d i nformali ty
of a folk club e v e nt.
Macki nnon
goe s
on to
compare
folk club
e v e nts w i th s e s s i ons . It i s a w e akne s s of thi s
book that Macki nnon di d not
carry
out a
s oci ologi cal s urv e y
of s e s s i on
playe rs ,
nor
the
adjace nt
dri nke rs i n the
pubs
at w hi ch
mos t s e s s i ons are he ld, s o that
fi ndi ngs
could
be
compare d
w i th hi s folk club re s ults . Hi s
de s cri pti on,
w hi ch i s cons tructe d around a
good
colle cti on of
quote d i nte rv i e w s , ri ngs
true but doe s not
bri ng
ne w
i ns i ghts
at the
le v e l of hi s e xce lle nt e xami nati on of the
clubs . He als o e xami ne s the conte nti ous
proble ms
of PA
us age
i n folk clubs ; hi s
de s cri pti on
of i nnov ati v e us e s of
ampli fi -
cati on w i ll be v aluable
re adi ng
for club
organi s e rs .
Macki nnon, born and bre d i n
England
and
conducti ng
thi s
s tudy
as a PhD s tude nt
i n Abe rde e n, has v as t fi e ld
e xpe ri e nce
i n
both Scotland and
England.
It i s the re fore
di s appoi nti ng
that he has not addre s s e d the
i s s ue s of nati onali s m and
i de nti ty
w hi ch one
mi ght pre s ume
w ould
ope rate di ffe re ntly
i n
the tw o countri e s . If he found that
the y
do
not, i t w ould be v aluable to hav e a di s cus s i on
e luci dati ng
thi s s i tuati on.
Both books unde r re v i e w conti nue a
ti re s ome fas hi on i n s tudi e s of tradi ti onal
mus i c i n the Bri ti s h Is le s : a
s uppos e d
ov e r-
e mphas i s
on
mus i cologi cal
s tudi e s i s
me nti one d, and the
s tudy
i s
pre s e nte d
as a
w e lcome
re s pi te
from te di ous e xami nati ons
of mus i cal s ounds . It
may
be true that
Sharp
and hi s
conte mporari e s (i ncludi ng Vaughan
Wi lli ams and
Grai nge r)
conce ntrate d on the
mus i cal i te m at the
e xpe ns e
of
e v e rythi ng
e ls e , but i t i s now ov e r 70
ye ars
s i nce
Sharp's
de ath. The s e tw o s tudi e s make s uch
i mportant
contri buti ons to our unde r-
s tandi ng
that s uch e xcus e s are unne ce s s ary
i n
any
cas e . Av oi dance of
mus i cologi cal
analys i s may
be an
unde rlyi ng
caus e for one
i mportant gap
i n the s e s tudi e s : ne i the r make s
any
me nti on of the re v i v al of Northumbri an
s mallpi pe s . Unde rs tandi ng
thi s turnm-of-the -
ce ntury re v i v al, als o re ne w e d more
re ce ntly,
w ould
undoubte dly prov i de i nte re s ti ng
com-
pari s ons
and
gi v e gre ate r de pth
to
any
conclus i ons draw n.
PEGGY DUESENBERRY
Royal
Scotti s h Acade my of
Mus i c and Drama
mus i cal i te m at the
e xpe ns e
of
e v e rythi ng
e ls e , but i t i s now ov e r 70
ye ars
s i nce
Sharp's
de ath. The s e tw o s tudi e s make s uch
i mportant
contri buti ons to our unde r-
s tandi ng
that s uch e xcus e s are unne ce s s ary
i n
any
cas e . Av oi dance of
mus i cologi cal
analys i s may
be an
unde rlyi ng
caus e for one
i mportant gap
i n the s e s tudi e s : ne i the r make s
any
me nti on of the re v i v al of Northumbri an
s mallpi pe s . Unde rs tandi ng
thi s turnm-of-the -
ce ntury re v i v al, als o re ne w e d more
re ce ntly,
w ould
undoubte dly prov i de i nte re s ti ng
com-
pari s ons
and
gi v e gre ate r de pth
to
any
conclus i ons draw n.
PEGGY DUESENBERRY
Royal
Scotti s h Acade my of
Mus i c and Drama
VEIT ERLMANN,
Ni ghts ong:
pe rformance ,
pow e r
and
practi ce
i n South Afri ca.
Chi cago/London:
Uni v . of
Chi cago Pre s s ,
1996.
xxv +446pp., photographs , bi bli og.,
i nde x, di s cography.
Introducti on
by
Jos e ph
Shabalala. ISBN 0-226-21721-3.
Thi s i s the mos t
compre he ns i v e s tudy
to date
on the Zulu a
cape lla
choral
s tyle ,
now
almos t a hous e hold te rm, i s i cathami ya.
It i s
the culmi nati on of Erlmann's fi e ldw ork i n
South Afri ca
dati ng
from 1981 to 1987. The
w ork i s
brought
forw ard to 1993 w he n he
re v i s i te d the
country
to hav e fri e nds and
colle ague s
comme nt on the
manus cri pt
s ome
s i x months be fore the e le cti on of Ne ls on
Mande la as the fi rs t black
pre s i de nt
of South
Afri ca, and to 1994 i n a
pos ts cri pt
bas e d on
comme nts from
Jos e ph Shabalala, le ade r of
the
i nte rnati onally
acclai me d
i s i cathami ya
choi r, Ladys mi th
Black Mambazo.
Although i s i cathami ya
re ce i v e d a re la-
ti v e ly large
amount of me di a
s upport duri ng
the 1960s and '70s -a
gre at many groups
w e re re corde d
by
v ari ous
compani e s
i n
South Afri ca for s ale and for broadcas t on
the South Afri can Broadcas t
Corporati on's
Afri can s e rv i ce s -and s ome i nte rnati onal
atte nti on i n the mi d-1980s w i th the re le as e
of Paul Si mon's controv e rs i al album Grace -
land, li ttle has be e n
publi s he d
on the form as
a
li v i ng
tradi ti on. Is i cathami ya
"re mai ns
e s s e nti ally
a li v e
ge nre
w hi ch i s anchore d i n
s mall, clos e -kni t communi ti e s w hos e s urv i v al
de pe nds
on the
abi li ty
of the
pe rforme rs
to
mai ntai n the i r
autonomy
i n
s e lf-s upporti ng
as s oci ati ons " (xxi v ).
Erlmann looks to the
VEIT ERLMANN,
Ni ghts ong:
pe rformance ,
pow e r
and
practi ce
i n South Afri ca.
Chi cago/London:
Uni v . of
Chi cago Pre s s ,
1996.
xxv +446pp., photographs , bi bli og.,
i nde x, di s cography.
Introducti on
by
Jos e ph
Shabalala. ISBN 0-226-21721-3.
Thi s i s the mos t
compre he ns i v e s tudy
to date
on the Zulu a
cape lla
choral
s tyle ,
now
almos t a hous e hold te rm, i s i cathami ya.
It i s
the culmi nati on of Erlmann's fi e ldw ork i n
South Afri ca
dati ng
from 1981 to 1987. The
w ork i s
brought
forw ard to 1993 w he n he
re v i s i te d the
country
to hav e fri e nds and
colle ague s
comme nt on the
manus cri pt
s ome
s i x months be fore the e le cti on of Ne ls on
Mande la as the fi rs t black
pre s i de nt
of South
Afri ca, and to 1994 i n a
pos ts cri pt
bas e d on
comme nts from
Jos e ph Shabalala, le ade r of
the
i nte rnati onally
acclai me d
i s i cathami ya
choi r, Ladys mi th
Black Mambazo.
Although i s i cathami ya
re ce i v e d a re la-
ti v e ly large
amount of me di a
s upport duri ng
the 1960s and '70s -a
gre at many groups
w e re re corde d
by
v ari ous
compani e s
i n
South Afri ca for s ale and for broadcas t on
the South Afri can Broadcas t
Corporati on's
Afri can s e rv i ce s -and s ome i nte rnati onal
atte nti on i n the mi d-1980s w i th the re le as e
of Paul Si mon's controv e rs i al album Grace -
land, li ttle has be e n
publi s he d
on the form as
a
li v i ng
tradi ti on. Is i cathami ya
"re mai ns
e s s e nti ally
a li v e
ge nre
w hi ch i s anchore d i n
s mall, clos e -kni t communi ti e s w hos e s urv i v al
de pe nds
on the
abi li ty
of the
pe rforme rs
to
mai ntai n the i r
autonomy
i n
s e lf-s upporti ng
as s oci ati ons " (xxi v ).
Erlmann looks to the