British Folk Revival

History

The revival has two major waves: the collector-driven late-19th- and early-20th-century movement linked to figures such as Cecil Sharp, and the postwar club revival that turned collected and remembered material into a modern performance culture. Ewan MacColl, A.L. Lloyd, Shirley Collins, Anne Briggs, Martin Carthy, and the Watersons shaped how British audiences heard traditional song in the second wave. Their work influenced everything from later English folk to folk rock, while also raising endless arguments about authenticity—the unofficial sport of revival scenes everywhere.

Defining artists

• Ewan MacCollSpotifyYouTube
• A.L. LloydSpotifyYouTube
• Shirley CollinsSpotifyYouTube
• Martin CarthySpotifyYouTube
• Anne BriggsSpotifyYouTube
• The WatersonsSpotifyYouTube

Essential listening

• The Shoals of Herring — Ewan MacCollSpotifyYouTube
• The Cuckoo — A.L. LloydSpotifyYouTube
• Hares on the Mountain — Shirley CollinsSpotifyYouTube
• Scarborough Fair — Martin CarthySpotifyYouTube
• Blackwaterside — Anne BriggsSpotifyYouTube
• Hal-An-Tow — The WatersonsSpotifyYouTube

Sources

• EFDSS on English folk song and Cecil Sharp
• Encyclopaedia Britannica on folk-music revival contexts. citeturn3search15turn3search3turn10search0turn10search12