Folk songs that were sung in Music Hall
Songs that existed prior to 1830 or so, now regarded as folksongs, that were sung at some point in the Music Halls. These are often ones sung early in the development of Music Hall, from around 1840 on.
In the early 19th century tavern singing rooms, supper clubs and pleasure gardens which sometimes evolved into early Music Halls, professional and semiprofessional singers would entertain their audiences with popular songs, new and old. Their repertoire would include older “traditional“ ballads, often performed as burlesques: sung in funny accents and costumes, to broad comedic effect.
Some of the songs that were new at the time have since become part of the folk repertoire. Some of the songs that were old at the time have persisted and remain part of the folk repertoire, perhaps to bearing the traces of their “burlesque-ing”.
The list so far is pathetically short, partly because finding songs from the Halls which have sneaked into the traditional repertoire is fun, and partly because these songs can be difficult to research thoroughly. Billy Taylor has 462 entries in the Vaughan Williams Memorial library…..
Last Updated on July 16, 2020 by John Baxter | Published: February 22, 2020
