Exploring Englishness in Folk Singing: Report for the Access Folk Board

An interim report based on artistic research conducted during the Access Folk project by Fay Hield.

From my very first floor spots as a teenager I remember it being important to me that I was an English folk singer. Not Irish, not Scottish, not European, not Yorkshire - English. Quite what that meant though was more of a mystery. This poster looks back over my repertoires, projects and attitudes towards folk music over the past thirty years, teasing out where Englishness plays a part, either consciously or subconsciously. I acknowledge where it is contentious, embarrassing even, in retrospect, where I feel pride, and how I have come to a deeper understanding of myself and my relationship to cultural heritage, indeed how I have built my own cultural heritage, through the musical choices I have made.

Fay Hield is Professor of Music at the University of Sheffield. She is the lead researcher on the Access Folk project and combines audience research, ethnomusicology and artistic research as a practising performer. She is also founding director of Soundpost, a community music organisation based in Sheffield.

This project received ethical approval by University of Sheffield: 45607