how to use the site
The folktrax site can be thought of consisting of two main sections:
The index of customs, songs, tunes, games, dances etc.
The catalogue of CDs and DVDs
The index can be accessed using the menus down the left hand side of the screen. It contains references to the books, LPs, 78s, films and reel to reel tapes gathered in the archival library as well as to the recordings available on CD and DVD. It also contains a minority of references to records outside the archive (these are shown in parenthesis). It is organised rather like a card index (as opposed to a true database) with listings running alphabetically in each section.
For example, if you wish to find a recording or a transcription of The Peacemakers Hornpipe you should browse the index by titles go to the section
OR - QUO and then to section
PEA - PEZ. Then, towards the top of the page, you would find this entry.
PEACEMAKERS, THE - Hornpipe (G) - KENNEDY FTB 1 1951 p1/ 1994 #4 p4 alt: " Ryth Wyth" - O'NEILL MOI #1666/ DMI #880 -- Nancy RICHARDS JONES (triple harp) rec by PK: 053 & 351
This tells you that the Peacemakers Hornpipe is transcribed in The Fiddler's Tunebook #4 (under the alternative title "Ryth Wyth") and also in O'Neil's Music of Ireland. There are at least two recorded versions of it by Nancy Richard Jones on triple harp, and they are available on folktrax CDs FTX053 and FTX351.
Alternatively, if you would like to find recordings or transcriptions from your local area and you live in Berkshire, you would go to browse index by location and then just scroll down to Berkshire:
BERKSHIRE -- - Fanny FRYER (mel) with Abingdon Morris Dancers rec by PK, Trafalgar Square, London 1956: RTR-945/ Morris Dancers of Abingdon rec London: FTX-116 - TOPIC TSCD-666 1998 " Jockey to the Fair" - ARGO ZFB-22 1970 DRUIDS " Boars Head Carol " (Reading) - RPL LP 24213 Appleton Handbell ringers 1958 - TOPIC 12-TS-411 1988 Nic JONES " Barrack Street " (Windsor) - 12-TS- 415 1981 THE WATERSONS "Prickle Holly Bush" (coll by MikeYates from Bill Wilding) - Film of Hocktide ceremony at Hungerford by Doc Rowe: FTV#35
This lists recordings made in Berkshire that are available on Topic, Argo, RPL as well as folktrax, and that there was a film of Hocktide ceremony at Hungerford made by Doc Rowe.
Similar processes can be followed for finding recordings featuring specific instruments, performers, subjects or music types. Alternatively, click on search site to use our internal site engine and let a computer do the work for you.
The Catalogue can be browsed using the menu along the top of the screen. The available CDs and DVDs are listed numerically along with information about them and usually a photograph. We are slowly adding sound samples for all our recordings, but this is a large task for a small organisation and will be on going for some time.
Still Confused? Just drop us an e-mail folktrax@blueyonder.co.uk and we'll always do our best to help you find what you're looking for. |
