Frank Kidson
Encyclopedia
Frank Kidson was an English
folksong collector and music scholar.
He was born in Leeds
, where he lived for most of his life. He worked briefly with his brother in an antique business, then turned to landscape painting, for which he travelled widely, which gave him the opportunity to get to know local music. He was interested both in living folk music
, which he gathered with the help of his niece Emma Mary Kidson (whom he called Ethel), and in the printed remains of popular music
, which he collected and on which he was recognised as the leading authority of his day. His early work on folk music, published in Old English Country Dances (1890) and Traditional Tunes (1891) gave impetus to a rising interest in the subject. He was one of the founders of the Folk-Song Society in 1898 and guided its publications with his knowledge of early ballad literature. Other aspects of the developing folksong revival were less welcome to him, in particular Cecil Sharp
’s enthusiasm for institutionalising folk music and dance in education. He published one further book of folk music A Garland of English Folk-Songs (1926); and after his death, on 7 November 1926, Ethel Kidson edited two further books from his collections, Folk Songs of the North Countrie (1927) and English Peasant Songs (1929). In these collections, they worked in association with Alfred Edward Moffat
.
He also worked on other aspects of musical history, writing British Music Publishers, Printers and Engravers (1900) and The Beggar’s Opera: Its Predecessors and Successors (1922), and contributing many articles to the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
folksong collector and music scholar.
He was born in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, where he lived for most of his life. He worked briefly with his brother in an antique business, then turned to landscape painting, for which he travelled widely, which gave him the opportunity to get to know local music. He was interested both in living folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, which he gathered with the help of his niece Emma Mary Kidson (whom he called Ethel), and in the printed remains of popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, which he collected and on which he was recognised as the leading authority of his day. His early work on folk music, published in Old English Country Dances (1890) and Traditional Tunes (1891) gave impetus to a rising interest in the subject. He was one of the founders of the Folk-Song Society in 1898 and guided its publications with his knowledge of early ballad literature. Other aspects of the developing folksong revival were less welcome to him, in particular Cecil Sharp
Cecil Sharp
Cecil James Sharp was the founding father of the folklore revival in England in the early 20th century, and many of England's traditional dances and music owe their continuing existence to his work in recording and publishing them.-Early life:Sharp was born in Camberwell, London, the eldest son of...
’s enthusiasm for institutionalising folk music and dance in education. He published one further book of folk music A Garland of English Folk-Songs (1926); and after his death, on 7 November 1926, Ethel Kidson edited two further books from his collections, Folk Songs of the North Countrie (1927) and English Peasant Songs (1929). In these collections, they worked in association with Alfred Edward Moffat
Alfred Edward Moffat
Alfred Edward Moffat was a Scottish musician, composer and collector of music. He was born in Edinburgh on 4th December 1863. His father was John Moffat, a photographer, and his mother was Sophia Maria Knott. He was educated at Edinburgh Collegiate School in 27-28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh....
.
He also worked on other aspects of musical history, writing British Music Publishers, Printers and Engravers (1900) and The Beggar’s Opera: Its Predecessors and Successors (1922), and contributing many articles to the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, it is the largest single reference work on Western music. The dictionary has gone through several editions since the 19th century...
.
External links
- Some of Kidson's contributions to the Grove Dictionary http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/kidson.htm
- Articles by and on Kidson in The Choirhttp://www.tradsong.org/Kidson.htm