--- On Fri, 15/7/11, Francis Wood [1]oatenp...@googlemail.com wrote:Matt's question raises the interesting issue of how tunes by known composers become 'traditional tunes' (what does that really mean?)
Hello Francis A rather good question. The full title of the 'Folk' degree at Newcastle is 'Folk and Traditional Music'. The distinction is important and I offer the following thoughts. When a piece is composed (often with dots by the composer or transcribed) it would be regarded as an example of Folk. If it then gets taken up by a whole local community and passed on orally it begins its journey into 'The Tradition'. To my way of thinking a composed piece can accomplish this transformation (if enough people take it up and absorb it, individualise it and pass it on) in little more than a generation. The examples you give of The Hesleyside is an excellent example. Versions I heard & played with trad players were always dotted as that's what the local dancers needed. Others prefer the plain version that's fine too. The thing for me is that once you have had dotted versions instilled the plainer ones don't conjure up the images or memories and so the dots don't just add to the tune they are from that standpoint an essential part of their character. The variation in opinion/personal choice is possibly the strongest evidence for the tune having reached traditional status. Warmest & best Anthony -- References 1. http://uk.mc873.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=oatenp...@googlemail.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
