John Clare and The Folk Tradition
Widely acknowledged as a major contribution to understanding the relationship between one of England’s finest poets and the music, song dance and drama of his native Northamptonshire village.Clare collected 260 fiddle and dance tunes and recorded the words to many of the ballads and songs performed by his parents and other villagers, as well as describing the customs, folk beliefs and games which he shared with his village contemporaries.
Collecting in the early years of the 19th Century Clare was the earliest collector of Folk Song in England. His collection is a unique and invaluable record of the culture and entertainment of a rural village in pre-industrial England.
The book contains transcripts of all of Clare’s fiddle tune manuscripts and the words of the songs he collected set to appropriate song tunes together with the text of the Helpston Mummer’s Play. It is illustrated with examples of Clare’s poetry and photographic reproductions of Clare manuscripts and contemporary broadsides.
The author has a limited number of signed copies of the first edition available.
Paperback edition with a preface by Tom Paulin published in July 2002 priced at £15.00.
Hardback first edition signed: £25.00.
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