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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (June 23, 2011)
books BY BRIT MCGINNIS Folkie Madness Strumming through centuries of British music I COUPON 55 SILVER LN. 654-0603 1211 ALDER 686-9598 COUPONS GOOD UNTIL JULY 7 TH , 2011 11AM-MIDNIGHT SUN-THU 11AM-1AM FRI-SAT 11 AM -10PM DAILY SERVING DELICIOUS NEW YORK PIZZA BY THE SLICE AND BY THE WHOLE PIZZA PIE 2.00 OFF ANY 18” LARGE $ FREE LARGE ® SODA 2 SLICES W/ PURCHASE OF COUPON COUPON NOW 2 LOCATIONS! SY'S NEW YORK PIZZA COUPON n our neck of the woods, folk music is often taken for granted. The Randall V. Mills Archives at the UO is one of the biggest resources for folklore in the Pacifi c Northwest. Guitar and banjo players mark every corner. Northwestern-toned blues albums seem to be released every week, for Pete’s sake. But Rob Young’s book Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain’s Visionary Music explores the roots of another major site of folk music history — the United Kingdom. More than the Stones and The Beatles originated in this merry old kingdom; think LPs of medieval fl ute ensembles, opera cycles recounting the legend of King Arthur and psychedelic remixes of John Donne poetry. With a steady storyteller’s voice, Young describes the history of folk music in England. Readers will be thrilled by the height and depth of Young’s storytelling. We remember that this is the land of Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, The Wind in the Willows and The Canterbury Tales. The sheer scope of Young’s research is incredible, spanning centuries of music. The eclectic history of folk music, with all the historical elements that go along with its development, is embraced in full by Young. We learn about the infl uence of McCarthyism and the impact of the invention of the 33 rpm record on the folklore-collecting community. After all, when you can record up to 40 minutes of music at a time, you don’t need to make someone shut up after the fi fth verse of whatever ancient verse they’re singing for your benefi t. Young portrays the heroes of folk music, even the most eccentric, with a sympathetic and validating voice. Imagine someone being so obsessed with the tunes your dad whistles that he asks him for the lyrics, on occasions months apart, so he can distinguish the changes happening over time. That’s Cecil Sharp, one of the fi rst people to fully record on paper English folk music lyrics. He’s famous in folk history (and a little crazy), and is made a hero in Eden. What’s absolutely amazing about this book are all the parallels one could draw between the folk music revival of England as compared to that of America. The BBC radio programs As I Roved Out and Ballads and Blues appear as the British cousins of A Prairie Home Companion. Young himself sneaks in an allusion to Casey Jones, the American folk hero of the railroads, when discussing the BBC’s working-folk tribute “The Ballad of John Axon.” Many American artists, such as Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, proved to be inspirations for young Brits itching to strum out a revolution. But perhaps the most meaningful accomplishment of Electric Eden is the discussion of what compels people to write folk songs. We don’t really talk about why people sing songs about factories, fairies or pickup trucks. Young asserts that folk songs are born primarily from poverty. Think of the traveling singers of the Renaissance, the young chaps working in industrialized Britain in the 1930s, the young women and men facing a potential future of dire unemployment in the 1960s. In fact, the overall feeling of the book is that folk music originally came about (and remained) as a way to escape hard times. Young quotes folk singer Ewan MacColl as saying, “If you have worked yourself to a standstill and still been unable to feed the kids properly, then you will know why these songs were made.” Electric Eden is dense, slightly more than 600 pages. It’s certainly not a breezy beach read, but who cares? Young’s approachable language, attention to detail and clear passion for his subject matter makes the book a delectable read. He writes like an attendee of a folk music concert, watching the artists with a critical but excited eye. ew OREGON BACH FESTIVAL PRESENTS Sold Out! Bach, Golijov & Yo-Yo Ma Thursday, June 23 at 7:30 PM SILVA— Tix: $93–$15 The Festival opens with Bach’s glorious Magnifi cat, plus Osvaldo Golijov’s Azul, composed for guest soloist Yo-Yo Ma. OREGON BACH FESTIVAL PRESENTS Sold Out! Caminos Del Inka Friday, June 24 at 7:30 PM SORENG— Tix: $35-$15 A chamber music presentation enriched with breathtaking photographic projections. Travel a musical journey on the roads of the Incas. OREGON BACH FESTIVAL PRESENTS OBF Kids— Travel the Inca Road Saturday, June 25 at 11:00 AM SORENG— Tix: $5 Discover Inca heritage through music, big-screen projections and instrument demonstrations. OREGON BACH FESTIVAL PRESENTS Founder’s Concert – Brahms Requiem Sunday, June 26 at 3:00 PM SILVA— Tix: $59-$15 Moved by the death of his mother to compose a requiem, Brahms summoned all of his talents in creating a choral work that transcends any one belief. Women’s Health & Annual Exams OREGON BACH FESTIVAL PRESENTS Joan of Arc at the Stake Saturday, July 2 at 8:00 PM SILVA— Tix: $59-$15 Marin Alsop makes her OBF debut conducting Honegger’s sensuous, dramatic cantata, a story of courage, determination, and ascension into legend. Anne Marie Moore, WHNP-BC 541-393-2334 QR Friendly, personalized & compassionate healthcare YO-YO MA TICKET OFFICE INFORMATION BUY TICKETS ONLINE: WWW. HULTCENTER .ORG OR CALL: 541-682-5000 HULT TICKET OFFICE HOURS: Tues-Fri & Mon, 6/27, 12-5 PM ; Sat, 11 AM –3 PM ONE HOUR BEFORE PERFORMANCE MON-SAT, TWO HOURS BEFORE ON SUN. UO TICKET OUTLET IN THE EMU: Mon-Fri, 10 AM –5 PM Nurse Practioner, Board Certified (SUMMER HOURS) annemariemoore.com WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM EUGENE WEEKLY JUNE 23, 2011 29
