Cecil James Sharp (22 November 1859 – 23 June 1924) was the founding father of the folk-song revival in England in the early 20th century.
Sharp felt that English music had become over-dominated by German influences, and wanted to revive melodies with native roots. He listened to hundreds of village folk-singers, and arranged their songs for piano and choir. He promoted Morris dancing, which had almost died out, though he often had to tone-down the lyrics for public performance and instruction in schools. In 1911 he founded the English Folk Dance Society.
The new celebration of folk-music attracted political controversy, with some commentators claiming that it artificially romanticised village life, while others pointed out that the working class had actively embraced Music Hall as the expression of popular song. Text source : Wikipedia (Hide extended text) ... (Read all)
