EFDSS looking a bit foolish.

[Robin Madge]

I have just had a look through the latest EFDSS magazine, EDS August 2024, which has an article about the Morris Ring turning 90. There are two photos that feature Willam Kimber's Anglo (one with Andy Turner playing it) and in both captions it is refered to as a melodeon!

 

There looks to be 14 articles, one about song, one about muscianship, one about "wokeness" and the rest about dance.

 

Anyone else remember the "Dance Endlessly and Forget About Song Society" gibes?

 

Robin

[Little John]

18 hours ago, Robin Madge said:

Anyone else remember the "Dance Endlessly and Forget About Song Society" gibes?

 

I remember it as "Dance Earnestly and Forget About Song Society" - DEFASS.

 

Footnote: Some will not be aware that EFDSS - the English Folk Dance and Song Society - was generally referred to as "Effduss".

Edited August 4, 2024 by Little John
Add footnote.

[Robin Madge]

Yes "Earnestly". I don't have any old Folkroots mags lying around anymore! I think the "and" was included as well, DEAF-ASS.

 

Robin.

[Little John]

3 hours ago, Robin Madge said:

I don't have any old Folkroots mags lying around ...

 

I could be wrong, but I think the name was coined by Ian A Anderson in the Southern Rag days. Southern Rag became Folkroots (or Folk Roots?) which morphed into fRoots.

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

I'm surprised the magazine isn't just efdss just talking rather a lot about their own internal workings, they seemed to so that rather a lot at one point without much else, I do hope that ended.

[hjcjones]

I've always wished the EFDSS well, but in 55 years of active involvement in folk music, as a solo performer in folk clubs, morris dancer, ceilidh band musician and event organiser, I've never found it to have the slightest relevance to me.  When I first got involved in folk it was very much focussed on social dance for mostly middle-aged people, with little interest in song or the other things which were attracting young people to folk. 

 

There was a time when it seemed to be moving in a broader direction, but recently it has turned itself into a "folk arts" organisation and seems to be interested mainly in professional artist development, youth education and working with other communities to create new work.  Nothing wrong with any of that of course, but it shows little interest in preserving or maintaining what is left of our folk tradition or providing support to the grass roots. Under Derek Schofield's editorship EFS magazine was a good read, but since he left it has gone downhill.

 

Some of this may be due to having its funding slashed, but it was heading in that direction before.  It seems embarrassed even to use the word "English" given its recent proposal to change its name (which seems to have gone quiet but hasn't been ruled out). 

 

I'm obviously not the only one who thinks this, since only a tine fraction of those involved in folk are individual members - the most recent accounts show only 2043 individual members, and 560 affiliated groups (many of which will have joined for the insurance cover).

 

The Library and Journal are obviously important resources but it is as if they are a separate organisation. They seem to be entirely separate from the EFDSS's day to day activities.