Research

For nearly thirty years, the founders of the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust have been involved in original research, collecting and recording songs, music, dance and recollections in the eastern counties. Many other folk music collectors have been active in the counties for the last hundred years or so, since a song from Mr Edge, from Wells-next-the-Sea were first noted down in 1897 and published by the Folk Song Society in 1899.

On this website, some of this research, and further historical and social information, is gradually being published. Much of what is here at the moment is recent research, carried out for specific projects since the foundation of the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust in 2000.

We also hope to provide, in the future, further specific information concerning dulcimer players and makers. Research into this started during the Playback project (see below) in 2005, and continues to be a focus of current research. We are also currently working on research for a book of tunes from the region, and planning further research into stepdancing.

This page contains links to pages within this site where research information may be found. Anyone wishing to cite this for academic purposes should credit it to the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust.

New in 2007

North End Voices

A new page will be added later in 2007, based on the various projects we have run in King's Lynn over the last three years.

Stepdancing

Added to this site in June 2007 - photographs and information about stepdancing. We have plans to make a DVD available in the future as a research and educational resource. There are photos, descriptions and reports on stepdancing events and also more pictures on the Traditional Music Day page.

Jig dolls

Photographs and information about jig dolls, from a 2004 project and exhibition at Traditional Music Day. New information has been added to this page in 2007, with additional pictures and contact details for makers of jig dolls.

Blyth Valley Voices

Singers in Southwold area, Suffolk. Songs collected in 1910 by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Publication and historical research in 2003. Plus other research into local singers and musicians in the later twentieth century in the same area.

Tuning In

Singing and music-making in Orford, Lowestoft, Benhall and Mendlesham in Suffolk, research carried out in 2001/2.

Playback

Singing, music-making and dancing from all over Norfolk. Research carried out in 2004/5. Some brief information is available on this site, and it is hoped to put further information here in the future.

'Before the Night Was Out ...'

A sample from our book of tunes collected in Suffolk and Norfolk (published 21st December 2007 and available to order from our online shop). You can also read an article by Mike Yates about the provenance of Oh, Joe, the Boat is Going Over,  (a tune which is featured in the sample) entitled 'Oh Joe the Boat is Going Over - but which boat?'.

Profiles of Traditional Musicians from East Anglia

Brief biographies of traditional singers and musicians, written for the EATMT newsletters by people who knew them.

If you're looking for the words to songs, go to our online shop, and look through the albums listed - there are direct links to lyrics for most of them. Unfortunately there is no search facility for song titles or lyrics at the moment.