The advert stated TBA for Oct 3rd, now confirmed as  Friday Oct 3rd. Gordon Tyrrall 

There will be three presentations in this month's meeting.

→ Harnham Community Sports and Social Club, Parsonage Green, Salisbury SP2 8LA.

⇒  salisburyfolkclub<at>hotmail.com

⊕ A new club started in March 2025. Everyone is welcome to come along to sing, play or just listen.   The club is managed by resident band Maerefolk and friends.   [Aug 2025, new entry]

🅄 ​ONLINE   CVFOLK  Warkwickshire, Coventry  http://www.cvfolk.com/calendar/

​     ⇒ Pete Willow (Co-ordinator of CVFolk), 07887 552896, email: culture<at>cvfolk.com

CVFolk is also on TeamUp, https://teamup.com/ks587swpgt68os9whe  (particularly recommended for smartphone access). 

    ⊕ Your guide to folk events in Coventry and Warwickshire.  Email culture<at>cvfolk.com to receive CVFolk's email newsletter, monthly (mostly CVFolk's own events) plus occasional folk news alerts.

⇒ Email: contact<at>maerefolk.co.uk       www.youtube.com/@Maerefolk

⊕ Maerefolk are a Salisbury-based band playing varied music with traditional tunes, thoughtful songs and beautiful harmonies. They are Fiona Hulbert (vocals), Michael Camp (guitar and vocals), Hadrian Cook (bass) and Andrew Fisher (fiddle). Resident band at Salisbury Folk Club.  [Aug 2025, new entry]

Dr. Steve Roud
The Open University has announced that our Chair, Steve Roud, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate ‘in recognition of his exceptional contribution to education and culture’. The award will be presented in Birmingham in October—many congratulations on this well-deserved honour.
Brian Peters' Collectomania paper on Cecil Sharp
Brian’s important paper on Cecil Sharp, from our Collectomania! conference last year - 'Not to bury Sharp, but to crucify him': A Critical Appraisal of the Academic Assault on Cecil Sharp's Politics is available for free on his Academia.edu page: https://independent.academia.edu/BrianPeters17
It is an interesting paper, and a useful corrective to those who continue to misinterpret Sharp's motives on the basis of poor research.

Next Folklore Society Event: Lying in Legend and Tradition: The Nineteenth Legendary Weekend of The Folklore Society Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September, Tullie House, Carlisle, CA3 8TP, details see website

Rick Pollay writes:
I was born in the summer of 1940, and as a celebration of my recent 85th birthday, I am sharing a couple of songs with you – one political and one personal. 

     The political one is a cover of Jay Feldman’s recent writing. While it doesn’t dwell on current events, but offers an historical perspective that perfectly fits my own memories. It doesn’t mention names of the current cast of characters, but most listeners will no doubt think of the clown prince who would be king. 

What’s Happening Today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXgoZ5wohts 

     The personal one is an original confession that offers context for why I keep on singing despite the inevitable deterioration of my vocalizations, knowing full well that a Tony Bennet I am not! Old Singer’s Blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMXrfCXwNwk 

     Both YouTube links include the lyrics if they are of interest. Enjoy. Rick Pollay: Shanties, blues, folk, jazz

ØØ • Zoom & Live ~ Mass, BOSTON. ~ LYNN NOEL https://sites.google.com/view/crosscurrents-music  

and ZOOM: LIVE FROM THE MERMAID'S TAVERN   Zoom meeting links are MAILING LIST ONLY. Join this mailing list at http://mailinglist.mermaidstavern.com Monthly Zoom sessions usually 1st Sundays 2-4pm ET, special events as the occasion requires.   

Sun Sept 14 at 2 PM - Gathering Time - Trio harmony in the spirit of the folk revival with strong originals, too, this concert will put the songs in historical context.
Sun Oct 12 at 2 PM - James Gordon - Canadian singer-songwriter known for writing wonderful songs for Tamarack and has an interesting and varied career.
Sun Nov 9 at 2 PM - Clements Brothers - Young Americana duo with a hint of a bluegrassy jazzy feel and twin brotherly harmonies.
2026 concerts now announced:
Sun Jan 4 at 2 PM Grammy nominated musicians Laura Orshaw (masterful fiddler, vocalist) & Josh Rinkel (originals and guitar) appearing together as First Far West, seamlessly blending bluegrass, country, and roots music, bringing a deep-rooted passion for storytelling and a love for traditional American music. Hailing from Mount Eden, KY this is Laura’s chance to play for her hometown friends, having made it big.
Sun Feb 8 at 2 PM Sean Dagher - Award-winning singer and composer, renowned for his sea shanties with Ubisoft video games Assassin’s Creed and Black Flag. He is also host of the hugely popular YouTube Series, Shanty of the Week and has toured Europe, Ireland, Canada, and the US with renowned UK group, The Longest Johns.
Sat March 28 - Medusa - With their Canadian Folk Music Award (CFMA) Nominated debut album, Medusa’s dynamic arrangement style cross-pollinates the sounds of Middle Eastern, Scandinavian, Celtic, Appalachian, and Eastern European music, as well as original tunes, to create a new string quartet folk fusion sound.
      There are sometimes live sing-arounds - contact us if you will be traveling nearby.

Thanks to those who kindly responded to our special email about the future of the Folklife Traditions website (I'm working my way through them and will reply tomorrow).  

Future Meetings
7 Sep, TSF Online 75, details tbc.   18 Oct, Autumn Conference 2025, Gloucester, "Folk Songs in the Archives".  

18–21 Oct, Francis James Child at 200,  Atlanta.  12–14 Nov, Francis James Child at 200, online

16 Nov, TSF Online 77, details tbc.      7 Dec, TSF Online 78, Christmas Special, details tbc.  18 Apr 26, Spring Conference, Manchester,"Women and Song".

Newer Researchers in Folklore  Fri 26 Sept, Todmorden.  A one-day series of workshops hosted by The Folklore Society.

18 Apr 2026.  Spring Conference 2026 - Manchester
We are excited to say that we have booked the wonderful Portico Library (https://www.theportico.org.uk/) in Manchester for our next Spring Conference 2025, where we will be using the Dome Room. The topic is “Women and Song”. Please save the date - we expect this to be a great event.

A new discussion group list :  Irish-Traditional-Song-Research@groups.io
A moderated discussion group for those interested in research into traditional song in Ireland - the songs, the singers, the styles, the contexts - in English and Irish; functioning primarily as a forum for communication, support, and information exchange, focusing on research rather than performance, and old-style tradition rather than revival or artistic extension.
To subscribe, go to  https://groups.io/g/Irish-Traditional-Song-Research
                  🄵 Richard Spencer (TSF Assistant Secretary)  www.tradsong.org

⇒ Submissions and contact - editor<at>fash.org.uk   From FASH (Folk Association of South Hants). Download from webpage, or join mailing list for emailed pdfs. 10 issues per year. Deadline: 15th of month before.  Entries free but donations are never refused.

⊕ Details of the next couple of months' dances and folk club events, and in summer, Morris and other dance displays are also included. Adverts and articles. We are always willing to include events. (June 2025, new listing).

ONLINE 🅄 Hampshire ~ FASH (Folk Association of South Hants) https://www.fash.org.uk
⇒ Contact - editor<at>fash.org.uk
⊕ In addition to Solent Waves magazine as above, the FASH website has diaries covering a longer period than each Solent Waves issue, and also lists dance clubs, folk clubs, more informal music sessions, and  local Folk Festivals. Links’ page includes links to local bands and callers.   (June 2025, new listing).

TSF Autumn Conference – Gloucester, 18th October 2025 - CALL FOR PAPERS
Folk Songs in the archive – Where can we find them, and are they safe?
       When the Traditional Song Forum was formed in January 1998 the key topic of discussion was how we could make the many different archives of traditional song more available to researchers. In the years since, much has happened to achieve that goal, a lot of it down to work that TSF members have played a key role in. We now have some wonderful archives created by organisations, particularly the wonderful archive of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, but a lot of other archives are not as easily available and there are several archives owned by individuals which have an uncertain future. There have also been technical issues, such as those affecting the British Library and the Bodleian Broadside Archive, that have, unexpectedly, made material unavailable.
     It has become clear that the three fundamental elements in archiving - Make it safe, Make it useable, Make it accessible – can never be taken for granted, and need continuous revision and monitoring. Institutional priorities and resources change, technology goes out of date, websites appear and disappear, search engines are re-designed. Many existing collections need to be processed, and personal collections need to be identified, and their survival ensured. it is up to us, as creators and primary users, to use our expert knowledge and whatever power we can muster, to maintain, support and monitor our essential materials.
      We are planning to examine these issues at a full day in-person conference in Gloucester on 18 October 2025. The venue will be the Dunrossil Centre at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub, Clarence Row, Alvin Street, Gloucester, GL1 3DW. The Heritage Hub is conveniently located for public transport and has ample free car parking for attendees. We are now seeking offers of papers on topics relevant to the issues associated with safeguarding our archives for the future. This will be an in-person meeting but we will be accepting pre-recorded papers from those unable to attend. The timing for the papers will be 20 minutes plus time for questions. The closing date for submissions will be Monday 4 August 2025.
If you would like to submit a paper or short report, please contact Steve Roud steveroud<at>gmail.com

Latest volume from The Ballad Partners
      Ballad Partners are delighted to announce our newest book, Collectomania! Revisiting the Folk Song Collectors. This collection includes ten papers from the major Collectomania conference organised by the Traditional Song Forum and the English Folk Dance and Song Society, held in London in 2024. It includes the keynote papers from Brian Peters on Cecil Sharp and Martin Graebe on Baring-Gould. Visit our store to get your copy today: www.TheBalladPartners.co.uk

1st Tuesday The Union Inn - Tremadog 8.00pm ~ Sep,Oct,Nov,Dec
2nd Tuesday The Ship Aground - Talsarnau 8.30pm ~ Sep,Oct,Nov,Dec
2nd Sunday The Union Inn - Tremadog 3pm ~ All year round
3rd Tuesday The Prince of Wales - Criccieth 8.30pm ~ Sep,Oct,Nov,Dec
4th Tuesday Spooners - Porthmadog 5pm ~ Sep,Oct,Nov,Dec
4th Friday Tyddn Llwyn - Porthmadog 5pm ~ Sep
5th Tuesday Black Rock Beach Club - Morfa Bychan 8.30pm ~ Sep

The Travelling Session.   Contact 01766 514 811  email: via website, https://musicbars.co.uk ;     www.facebook.com/groups/tremadogmusic