The Folk Music Traditions of South Shropshire
From the collection of
From the collection of
Tales from the quarry and the ploughman, a celebration of the folk music and storytelling traditions of Clee Hill.
Fred Jordan can remember the days when sparks would fly as dancers in their hob-nailed boots strutted the night away in the pubs of South Shropshire. He is very much of the old-school, living a spartan life in his tiny cottage at Aston Munslow, after a lifetime of work with heavy horses. He had never realised that the folk songs he had collected in his head over decades were the surviving remnants of a slowly dying tradition.
Fred and the local poet and musician Dennis Crowther are the stars of folk music nights at the Golden Lion in the village of Knowle, where these two old-stagers are passing on valuable oral traditions to the next generation before they are lost forever. With Dennis, a veteran of the local stone quarries - with rough-hewn stories and songs to match, and Fred's encyclopaedic recall of old Shropshire rural life, a good night is to be had by all.
Heart of the Country explores the folk music traditions of South Shropshire.
In this latest addition to the performing arts series, we are taking a look at all things music beyond the mainstream; from choir rehearsals and pirate radio coverage, to buskers, festivals and workshops, it's clear that music has remained integral not only to culture and the evolution of arts, but to each of us in our day to day!
Many established music artists have been at the helm of sonic exploration, redefining genres and challenging the familiar ways in which sound can be experienced. But shifting the perspective away from multi-platinum pop stars and established performers, this collection is a celebration of the hobbyists, the amateur & the unrefined love of an art form that builds communities and allows for complete self expression