England may be a tiny rain-sodden speck off the coast of Northern Europe but she has a unique cultural tradition. The concept of England as a multicultural society is nothing new. We have been one since the Romans came, and it is this very cultural diversity that gives us such a rich and varied heritage. English culture is a living tradition and successive generations of English folk have been proud to embrace their cultural heritage. Such quintessentially English sights as Morris Dancers performing outside a village pub on long summer evenings are testament to this.
Many organizations are preserving the past, our goal is to preserve the present.
We have embarked on an ongoing project to record as much contemporary English Folk Dance music as possible, to make it as widely available as we can, and to promote the dance-forms wherever the opportunity arises. Comprising five musical CDs and a CD ROM of audio visual material this first volume will be issued over a period of two years. Each CD will be accompanied by an exhaustive booklet putting the music into a historical, folkloric and geographical context. The first CD is now available.