• 2 February 2023
  • Art
    Art
    An Abbots Bromley Horn Dancer clutches the antlers of an old reindeer skeleton. He is wearing his traditional dancing costume. The photo is by Henry Bourne and was taken in 2009.

    Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain – an exhibition

    Alex Merry's painting of Boss Morris dancing under the Cold Moon during winter. “Boss Morris are a’leaping on Haresfield Beacon under a full December ‘Cold’ moon. The beasts play by firelight, as the dancers wave their hankies to beckon in the festive season.”

    The Tradfolk guide to Christmas gifts for folkies

    Rhia Davenport of Weven, Stroud, stands in front of a white wall wearing a corn crown and a folkie white dress.

    Weven, Stroud: keeping traditional folk crafts alive

  • Customs
    Customs

    Discover traditional folk customs, rituals and traditions on the Tradfolk.co website. From wassailing to Yule, and the arc of the year in-between.

    A painting of the ritual portrayed in the Eve of St Agnes, by John Keats. The painting is of two young women in their bed chamber, observing a wraith-like character slumped on their bed. The painting is held at the Tate.

    Customs uncovered: St Agnes Eve, dumb cakes, and the prediction of the future

    The Whittlesea Straw Bear dances through the streets, followed by a bear keeper, several onlookers, and two smaller bears.

    An interview with the Whittlesea Straw Bear

    A painting of Old Father Christmas by William Ewart Lockhart, showing an old man with a long white beard, a white smock, a holly crown on his head, and a glass of wine in his hand. He is smiling and gesturing towards a feast on the table in front of him.

    Twelfth Night, Old Christmas and St Stephen’s Day… revisited

  • Music
  • Performance
    Performance
    John Spiers, or Squeezy as he is known, playing the melodeon in a black and white photograph advertising his appearance on the Old Songs Podcast discussing The Princess Royal.

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep8 – ‘Princess Royal’, ft. John Spiers

    Huginn and Munnin dance two-man Border Morris at an event. They are wearing tatter jackets and plague doctor masks.

    Huginn and Muninn: The Norse mythology-inspired Border dancers taking Morris to metalheads

    Tom Williams and Daniel Burston from Beltane Border Morris stand face to face, yelling as they dance. One of them has his tongue sticking out. They are both wearing top hats with pheasant feathers, as well as tatter coats.

    Tradfolk readers’ favourite Morris dance performance of 2022

  • Events
  • Podcasts
    Podcasts
    John Spiers, or Squeezy as he is known, playing the melodeon in a black and white photograph advertising his appearance on the Old Songs Podcast discussing The Princess Royal.

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep8 – ‘Princess Royal’, ft. John Spiers

    Jon Wilks plays guitar at Dorking Folk Club, 2018

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep7 – ‘The Gloucestershire Wassail / The Wassailing Song’, ft. Jon Wilks

    Burd Ellen, Debbie Armour and Gail Brogen, with flowers in their mouths. The image is black and white.

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep6 – ‘When I was on Horseback/ The Unfortunate Rake’, ft. Debbie Armour (Burd Ellen)

    • Podcasts
    • Our folk music playlists
  • Shop
  • Tradfolk 101
    Tradfolk 101

    Handbags and Broomsticks: Molly Dancing for the uninitiated

    A woggle hopping obstacle in the wild. The picture is actually of a red postbox in Wiltshire on a pretty summer's day, but woggle hopping often involved postboxes

    Customs uncovered: Woggle Hopping

    The source singer Cecilia Costello - photo by Bob Etheridge

    Women in folk: celebrating the source singers

  • About
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  • Trending
    Trending
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    The Best British Folk Songs as chosen by some of the country's favourite folk singers

    The Best British folk songs, as chosen by British folk singers

    John Spiers, or Squeezy as he is known, playing the melodeon in a black and white photograph advertising his appearance on the Old Songs Podcast discussing The Princess Royal.

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep8 – ‘Princess Royal’, ft. John Spiers

    Jennie Higgins, folk singer, stands in a railway station, staring straight into the camera. She is leaning against a white pillar.

    Jennie Higgins – Where Are All the Women? A review

    David Morrissey and Robert Glenister star in the BBC's Sherwood, which used traditional mining songs as a soundtrack

    Which traditional songs were used in the BBC’s Sherwood?

    Two people stand by a fire against a darkening sky. The air is alight with sparks and they are wassailing an apple tree spruce.

    The Tradfolk Wassail Directory, 2022-23

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Interviews

Interviews

The Rachael McShane Interview

Rachael McShane on her Topic Records album, When All is Still, plus memories of Bellowhead and a folkie upbringing
Read More
CustomsInterviewsMorris Dancing

Ellie Gowers: Morris dancing, Saddleworth Rushcart, and the Dwelling by the Weir

Jon Wilks chats to folk singer and Morris dancer, Ellie Gowers, about her close encounters with history in the making.
Read More
George Sansome and Sophie Crawford stand in the hall at Cecil Sharp House, posing for the camera while researching their Queer Folk project.
Interviews

The Queer Folk Interview

Sophie Crawford and George Sansome discuss the Queer Folk project, seeking out LGBTQIA songs that have largely remained hidden.
Read More
Interviews

The Nick Hart Interview

Traditional singer, Nick Hart, on being a folk obsessive, and coming to terms with fol-de-rol songs as a modern person.
Read More
Andy Bell Interview folk producer Hudson Records
Interviews

The Andy Bell Interview

Jon Wilks chats with Andy Bell of Hudson Records, a folk producer in demand.
Read More
Peter Knight & John Spiers standing before a beautiful sunset. Photo by Elly Lucas.
Interviews

Peter Knight & John Spiers: The Interview

Peter Knight and John Spiers discuss their new album, Both In a Tune, the high-wire stakes of free improvisation, and life working with Wombles.
Read More
Eliza Carthy, folk singer, stands beneath a tree with the green leaves spilling over her shoulder. Her turquoise hair is piled up on top of her head and she is staring straight into the camera with a serious look on her face.
Interviews

Eliza Carthy interview – 30 years, still whirling

Eliza Carthy discusses her new album, 'Queen of the Whirl', and talks about the relationships that have made her 30 years in the biz so memorable.
Read More
Interviews

The Ben Nicholls Interview

The Kings of the South Seas main man discusses the making of their latest album, 'Franklin', plus the pros and cons of doing a ship-based tour.
Read More
The Longest Johns standing against a green wall gazing into the camera
Interviews

The Longest Johns interview

"Before lockdown, we could just about fill a pub in Bristol. Two years later... well, it's been very odd." The Longest Johns discuss taking traditional songs to some of the biggest audiences ever.
Read More
Stick in the Wheel sit on a staircase in East London, staring into the camera.
Interviews

Stick in the Wheel: Perspectives on Tradition – the interview

Stick in the Wheel discuss the making of their latest album, Perspectives on Tradition, their relationship to the city they are forever connected to, and the journey they've been on since their earliest albums.
Read More
Interviews

The Steve Roud interview: What is folk music, exactly?

Steve Roud discusses his new book, 'Folk Song in England', as well as his contributions to folk music via the extraordinary Roud Folk Song Index.
Read More
Angeline Morrison sits in a Victorian parlour supping tea.
InterviewsNews

Angeline Morrison on the making of The Sorrow Songs, out this October on Topic Records

The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience arrives on October 7th via the world's oldest independent record label. Angeline tells us about the making of this fascinating album.
Read More
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Popular Articles

The Best British Folk Songs as chosen by some of the country's favourite folk singers

The Best British folk songs, as chosen by British folk singers

John Spiers, or Squeezy as he is known, playing the melodeon in a black and white photograph advertising his appearance on the Old Songs Podcast discussing The Princess Royal.

The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep8 – ‘Princess Royal’, ft. John Spiers

Jennie Higgins, folk singer, stands in a railway station, staring straight into the camera. She is leaning against a white pillar.

Jennie Higgins – Where Are All the Women? A review

David Morrissey and Robert Glenister star in the BBC's Sherwood, which used traditional mining songs as a soundtrack

Which traditional songs were used in the BBC’s Sherwood?

Two people stand by a fire against a darkening sky. The air is alight with sparks and they are wassailing an apple tree spruce.

The Tradfolk Wassail Directory, 2022-23

Halsway Manor National Centre for Folk Arts banner ad

Upcoming folk events

Feb 4
8:30 pm GMT

Fern Maddie At The Stables, Milton Keynes

The Stables
Feb 4
8:30 pm GMT

Julian Gaskell & His Ragged Trousered Philanthropists At Green Note, Camden

Green Note
Feb 5
1:00 pm GMT

Julian Gaskell & His Ragged Trousered Philanthropists At The Bell, Bath

The Bell Inn, Bath
Feb 5
7:00 pm GMT

Fern Maddie At Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

Trinity Theatre
Feb 5
7:30 pm GMT

Frankie Archer At Three Tanner’s Bank, North Shields

Three Tanner's Bank
Feb 6
7:00 pm GMT

Fern Maddie At The Greys, Brighton

The Greys
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Exploring folk culture, folk music, folk arts, rituals and events, and how these living traditions continue today.

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  • Martin Carthy

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