What songs do you sing? What stories do I tell?

We sing primarily folk music. Folk music is not defined by a particular sound. It does not mean fiddles or bagpipes, koras or mbiras. It is defined by the way it is learned and shared. Folk music is music shared person to person, simple and repetative enough that people can join or create it themselves without extensive training. That way folk music can encompass anything from from Delta Blues and Irish Jigs to Samba and Mongolian throat singing. In parts of the world that have held onto their folk culture better than the Anglosphere, there is little concept of being unable to sing or dance; everyone is expected to participate.

In the 18th century, we saw the rise of industrialist, imperialist capitalism, and with the resulting move to cities and factories, communities were destroyed and all modes of production became alienated. No longer would the same members of a village grow, prepare and consume food together. The farmer would never meet the factory worker that ate their crops or made their clothes. Creative production followed the same pattern. Music culture shifted away from being a communal and participatory experience of a fireside singalong or village dance, to one where the music was produced by a specialised few and the masses were expected to consume passively and in silence.

Folk music is about bringing people together. Folk music has told the stories of those generally forgotten by history. It celebrates the natural world. It has been the soundtrack to many radical and revolutionary movements. These are all aspects that we would like to bring to our events.

HOWEVER, though in theory we welcome any music, there are some caveats and nuances. We ask people to be conscious about their song selection.

First thing to remember is that a lot of folk music is very old. Times have changed. Colonialism, whaling and spousal abuse were once acceptable or even celebrated, and now they are rightly condemned. Now, there is value in songs as historical records, and we don't want to lose amazing songs because of the values of 18th century peasants and sailors don't match up to our modern standards. Some contextualising and acknowledgement of any problematic elements is generally sufficient. Questioning and changing lyrics is good, and is an integral part of the folk tradition. Finding and sharing songs that challenge narratives and celebrate the marginalised is amazing.

Second is to choose a song that you know and care about. We don't want to gatekeep based on skill. You don't need to be a trained singer to perform. However, if you love a song enough to want to share it, you should practice it and know the lyrics. It is really appreciated to share a bit about the songs history and perhaps what it means to you. This does not mean all the songs have to be serious; sometimes a moment of levity from a silly ditty is really needed. It is OK to share songs from other cultures, just apply the same standards of respect that you would apply to songs from your own culture.

Third thing is that each of our evenings has some themes. Try to keep the songs vaguely in keeping with the theme. In Spring and Summer we are singing in celebration of life and nature. In Autumn and Winter, we would appreciate some more introspective songs. Samhain is about death. Don't let this one stop you from sharing a real folk banger and anthems of solidarity are appreciated all year around.

These rules apply equally if you would like to tell a story, read a poem, dance, juggle or reinact a battle.

Here are some songs that frequently get sung at our events and other folk singarounds. This list is by no means exhaustive, but are a good starting place. Songs are either listed with their writers or with the tradition that they came from, if the writer is unknown or it evolved with contributions from many performers

Classic folk bangers, welcome any time