We have had another highly successful year. In terms of physical meetings, we have travelled hither and yon – the Broadside Day conference was at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, our regular TSF meetings were in Ely in Cambridgeshire, and Belfast in Northern Ireland, and we had an excellent two-day event specifically devoted to the musical side of things in Sheffield.
It sounds like a cliché, but everywhere we go we meet new people who are interested in some aspect of traditional song and music, and we remind ourselves why the TSF was formed in the first place. I really do come away from each one informed and enthused, and judging by the networking and flurries of emails which follow each event, others do too.
Next year’s programme is already taking shape, and will be equally busy: with Broadside Day in London in February, TSF meetings in Swindon in the spring, and Carlisle in the autumn, and, we hope, a conference on ‘The Folk Voice’ in early summer. We will also be supporting other events, such as the EFDSS Tunes conference in London in October.
The Friends of TSF scheme, which was launched earlier this year, has been successful, and the kind donations from individuals are critical to expanding our range of activities and the locations in which we are able to meet.
Doing away with the membership fee for TSF has encouraged new people to join us. In fact, we now have twice as many members as we had in 2018, and our numbers continue to grow.
Earlier in the year, we were approached by Gabriela Henriquez, a young undergraduate from El Salvador, studying musicology at the University of Salamanca, to see if we could offer some sort of work experience or internship during the summer. We had not foreseen such a thing, but we thought ‘why not?’, and Gaby spent several weeks over here transcribing music from the Baring-Gould collection, and working on previously unknown broadsides in Cambridge University Library. She is now applying to British and Irish universities to study enthnomusicology. Which got us to thinking that we are always talking about how to get young people interested and involved, and maybe we could do this again, or even offer help, in a small way, with the expenses to attend meetings or conferences. More on that anon.
As always, thanks to all those who have organised events and given presentations at our meetings. Also, to Doc Rowe for his treasuring, and particularly to Martin and Shan who do all the hard work and keep us going.
Merry Christmas – and I look forward to seeing many of you again in the New Year. Steve Roud.