English Folk Dance and Song Society

Lore & Background

The EFDSS was created in 1932 when the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society merged. The Folk-Song Society, founded in London in 1898, focused on collecting and publishing folk songs, with participants including Lucy Broadwood, George Butterworth, Percy Grainger, Cecil Sharp, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The English Folk Dance Society, founded in 1911 by Cecil Sharp, aimed to preserve and promote English folk dances such as Morris and sword dances. Maud Karpeles was a leading participant, and the first secretary was Lady Mary Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, after whom Trefusis Hall in Cecil Sharp House is named.

The society is based at Cecil Sharp House, a Grade II-listed building designed by Henry Martineau Fletcher and opened on 7 June 1930. Its most striking feature is Kennedy Hall, a concert space with a sprung ballroom floor and acoustic design by Hope Bagenal. The building was damaged by bombing in 1940 during the Second World War; after restoration by architect John Eastwick-Field, it reopened in 1951. A mural by Ivon Hitchens, unveiled in 1954, replaced the destroyed musicians' gallery and was then the largest single-wall mural in the United Kingdom.

Since 1936 the EFDSS has published English Dance & Song at least four times a year, the longest-established magazine devoted to folk music, dance and song in the country. Its scholarly publication, Folk Music Journal (formerly Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society until 1965), continues the earlier journals of the two societies. In 1998 the EFDSS shifted its strategy to focus on education and archiving, developing the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library as the national archive. In 2013 it launched The Full English, a free digital archive of 44,000 records and over 58,000 digitised images, the world's biggest digital archive of traditional music and dance tunes.

Reader's Guide

The English Folk Dance and Song Society has been a cornerstone of the English folk revival for nearly a century. Its greatest contribution was the folk festival, starting with the Stratford-upon-Avon Festival in the 1940s and continuing with festivals in Whitby, Sidmouth, Holmfirth, Chippenham and elsewhere. The society's publications, English Dance & Song and Folk Music Journal, have provided continuous documentation and stimulation for the folk community. The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library and the Full English digital archive have made vast resources accessible to researchers and enthusiasts worldwide. The EFDSS Gold Badge Award, created in 1922, has recognised exceptional contributions from figures such as Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Shirley Collins, and many others. Cecil Sharp House remains an active venue for concerts and events, voted one of London's 20 best music venues by Time Out readers in 2015. In 2009 the society became a regularly funded organisation of Arts Council England, and in 2021 it considered a name change to 'Folk Arts England', though as of 2025 it retains its original name.

Did You Know?

• The EFDSS was formed in 1932 from the merger of the Folk-Song Society (founded 1898) and the English Folk Dance Society (founded 1911).
• Cecil Sharp House, the society's headquarters, was damaged by bombing in 1940 during the Second World War and reopened in 1951 after restoration.
• The Full English, launched in 2013, is the world's biggest digital archive of traditional music and dance tunes, with over 58,000 digitised images.
• The EFDSS Gold Badge Award, created in 1922, has been given to figures including Cecil Sharp, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Shirley Collins.