Page "Folk music of England" Paragraph 47

Yorkshire has a rich heritage of folk music and folk dance including the Long Sword dance.

Folk songs were collected there from the 19th century but, though it probably had more attention than other northern counties, its rich heritage of industrial folk song was relatively neglected.

It was not until the second revival in the 1950s that Nigel and Mary Hudleston began to attempt to redress the balance, collecting Yorkshire songs between 1958 and 1978.

Yorkshire folk song lacked the unique instrumental features of folk in areas like Northumbria and was chiefly distinguished by the use of dialect, particularly in the West Riding and exemplified by the song ‘ On Ilkla Moor Baht ' at ’, probably written in the later 19th century and using a Kent folk tune ( almost certainly borrowed via a Methodist hymnal ), but often seen as an unofficial Yorkshire anthem.

Most Yorkshire folk songs were not unique and tended to be adapted to fit local geography and dialect, as was the case with probably the most commercially successful Yorkshire song, ‘ Scarborough Fair ’, recorded by Simon & Garfunkel, which was a version of the Scottish ballad ‘ The Elfin Knight ’.

The most famous folk performers from the county are the Watersons from Hull, who began recording Yorkshire versions of folk songs from 1965.

Other Yorkshire folk musicians include Heather Wood ( b. 1945 ) of the Young Tradition, the short-lived electric folk group Mr Fox ( 1970-2 ), The Deighton Family, Julie Matthews, Kathryn Roberts, and the Mercury Prize nominated Kate Rusby.

Even considering its position as the largest county in England, Yorkshire has a flourishing folk music culture, with over forty folk clubs and thirty annual folk music festivals.

In 2007, the Yorkshire Garland Group was formed to make Yorkshire folk songs accessible online and in schools.