Antiquary by Lauren Hope

British folksongs I learned in childhood, made medieval, metallic, and cavernous.

With every folk revival, the same conversations are revisited. How do we locate tradition in the historical context of its origins, and how much deviation from this presumed original intent is acceptable? As we wade into debates about historicity and realism, the term "antiquary," which the founders of folklore studies called themselves willingly, has become pejorative, somebody counterfactual and over-romantic. But there is still something deeply appealing to me about these folk-conceptions, however debunked: music located in the towering landscapes of myth and legend, not in history but in our own grandest imaginations. This is my sentimental contribution.

Thanks for listening as always.

electronic folk landscapes

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