Folk music
The word folk music first appeared in print during the 19th century, yet its meaning has shifted repeatedly over time. English antiquarian William Thoms coined the term folklore in 1846 to describe traditions of uncultured classes. Johann Gottfried Herder and German Romantics later applied Volk, meaning people as a whole, to popular and national music. Scholars have struggled for decades to pin down what exactly qualifies as folk music. Some define it simply as old songs with no known composers. Others argue that oral transmission is the key factor, where communities fashion and re-fashion music across generations. The International Folk Music Council offered a definition in 1954 or 1955 stating that folk music evolves through cultural processes rather than abstract musical types. Charles Seeger described folk music as associated with lower classes in culturally stratified societies. Percy Scholes noted that observers often find precise definitions elusive despite centuries of study. Cecil Sharp and Béla Bartók both felt there was a sense of country music distinct from town music. One widely used definition remains simply that folk music is what the people sing.
For most of human history listening to recorded music was not possible. Common people made music during work and leisure as well as religious activities. Manual labor often included singing by workers which served practical purposes like reducing boredom or keeping rhythm during synchronized pushes and pulls. Planting weeding reaping threshing weaving and milling all had their own rhythmic songs. In leisure time singing and playing instruments were common forms of entertainment even more so today when electric technologies compete for attention. Different cultures have different notions concerning division between folk music on one hand and art or court music on the other. In preliterate societies cultural transmission requires learning by ear although notation has evolved in some cultures. Western musical notation was originally created to preserve lines of Gregorian chant taught orally in monastic communities before its invention. Traditional songs such as Green grow the rushes O present religious lore in mnemonic form alongside Christmas carols. Work songs frequently feature call and response structures enabling laborers to coordinate efforts according to song rhythms. Professional sailors made similar use of sea shanties while American armed forces preserve jody calls sung while soldiers march. Love poetry tragic or regretful nature figures prominently in many traditions alongside nursery rhymes used to amuse children.
Francis James Child collected texts of over three hundred ballads in English and Scots traditions late in the 19th century. These became known as the Child Ballards with some predating the 16th century. Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould and Cecil Sharp worked to preserve great bodies of English rural traditional song under what became the English Folk Dance and Song Society. Sharp campaigned to have English traditional songs taught to school children though his versions were heavily edited. Bertrand Harris Bronson published an exhaustive four-volume collection of variations between 1960s and mid-1970s advancing theories about oral-aural tradition. Krišjānis Barons published six volumes between 1894 and 1915 including texts of 217,996 Latvian folk songs stored in Cabinet of Folksongs. Ludvig Mathias Lindeman's work was extensively used by Edvard Grieg for piano Lyric Pieces. Percy Grainger Ralph Vaughan Williams and Béla Bartók carried out fieldwork on traditional music while making arrangements into original classical compositions. The Library of Congress worked through collectors Robert Winslow Gordon Alan Lomax and others during 1930s and 1940s to capture North American field material. John Lomax published Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads in 1911 becoming most prominent US scholar of his time. Cecil Sharp recorded Appalachian Mountain songs 1916, 1918 collaborating with Maud Karpeles and Olive Dame Campbell.
African lamellophone or thumb piano appears across vast continent with distinct regional traditions. North African music follows different history from Sub-Saharan African traditions. Asian civilizations distinguish between art court styles and folk music exemplified by late Alam Lohar classified as South Asian singer. Archaeological discoveries date Chinese folk music back 7000 years based largely on pentatonic scale. Han weddings include suona oboe and chuigushou percussive ensembles descended from imperial temple music. Nanyin ballads sung by women accompanied by xiao and pipa deal with love-stricken people in southern Fujian and Taiwan. Sri Lanka derives music dance from Buddhist environment using few instruments including six common drum types. Indigenous Australian music incorporates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander styles alongside European fusion. Waltzing Matilda became unofficial national anthem after collectors like John Meredith catalogued bush ballads during 1950s. Celtic traditions include Irish Scottish Manx Cornish Welsh Breton forms revitalized by groups like The Clancy Brothers Tommy Makem and The Dubliners. Polka originated mid-19th century Bohemia remains popular throughout Europe Americas Latin America especially Mexico. Nordic countries share traditions diverging significantly like Psalmodicon of Denmark Sweden Norway while Sami maintain unique culture.
Post World War II folk revival started new genre contemporary folk music bringing additional meaning to term folk music. Newly composed songs fixed form known authors imitated traditional music forms. Popularity of contemporary folk recordings caused appearance Folk category Grammy Awards 1959. Term dropped 1970 favoring Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording including Traditional Blues distinction between Best Traditional Folk Recording and Best Contemporary Folk Recording arrived 1987. By start 21st century term covered singer-songwriters like Donovan Scotland Bob Dylan United States emerged 1960s. British folk revival occurred approximately 1890, 1920 giving birth to modern folk genres. Composer Percy Grainger Ralph Vaughan Williams Béla Bartók made field recordings transcriptions folk singers musicians. Isaac Albéniz produced Suite Iberia 1906, 1909 reflecting Spanish heritage Enrique Granados composed zarzuela Danzas Españolas Manuel de Falla interested cante jondo Andalusian flamenco influence felt Nights Gardens Spain Siete canciones populares españolas. Nueva canción movement surfaced 1960s Chilean New Song Chile evolved socially committed music associated revolutionary movements Latin American New Left Liberation Theology hippie human rights movements gained popularity throughout Latin America precursor Rock en español.
Earliest United States folk festival claimed Mountain Dance and Folk Festival 1928 Asheville North Carolina founded Bascom Lamar Lunsford. National Folk Festival USA itinerant event run since 1934 by National Council for Traditional Arts presented 26 communities nation. Newport Folk Festival annual held near Newport Rhode Island ran most years 1959, 1970 1985-present attendance approx 10,000 people yearly. Four-day Philadelphia Folk Festival began 1962 sponsored non-profit Philadelphia Folksong Society hosts contemporary traditional artists genres World Fusion Celtic Singer-Songwriter Folk Rock Country Klezmer Dance held third weekend August hosts approx 12,000 visitors presenting bands six stages Feast Hunters Moon Indiana draws approx 60,000 visitors per year. Sidmouth Festival began 1954 Cambridge Folk Festival began 1965 noted wide definition invited folk musicians club tents allow attendees discover large numbers unknown artists present work ten fifteen minutes each. Australia's premier folk event National Folk Festival attended over 50,000 people Woodford Folk Festival Port Fairy Folk Festival similarly largest major annual events attracting top international performers local artists. Canadian Summerfolk held annually Owen Sound Ontario Stan Rogers lasting fixture main stage amphitheater dedicated Stan Rogers Memorial Canopy song Mary Ellen Carter sung all involved including audience medley acts. Canmore Folk Music Festival Alberta longest running folk music festival multitudes festivals across Canada Canso Nova Scotia hosted.
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Common questions
When did the term folk music first appear in print?
The word folk music first appeared in print during the 19th century. English antiquarian William Thoms coined the related term folklore in 1846 to describe traditions of uncultured classes.
Who defined folk music as what the people sing and when was this definition established?
One widely used definition remains simply that folk music is what the people sing. The International Folk Music Council offered a definition in 1954 or 1955 stating that folk music evolves through cultural processes rather than abstract musical types.
What are the earliest known examples of Chinese folk music and how old are they?
Archaeological discoveries date Chinese folk music back 7000 years based largely on pentatonic scale. Han weddings include suona oboe and chuigushou percussive ensembles descended from imperial temple music.
Which festival was the earliest United States folk festival and who founded it?
Earliest United States folk festival claimed Mountain Dance and Folk Festival 1928 Asheville North Carolina founded Bascom Lamar Lunsford. National Folk Festival USA itinerant event run since 1934 by National Council for Traditional Arts presented 26 communities nation.
When did the Grammy Awards introduce a specific category for folk music recordings?
Popularity of contemporary folk recordings caused appearance Folk category Grammy Awards 1959. Term dropped 1970 favoring Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording including Traditional Blues distinction between Best Traditional Folk Recording and Best Contemporary Folk Recording arrived 1987.