Traditional folk musicians carry thousands of tunes in their heads, with tunes passing from person to person and instrument to instrument with many subtle changes on the way. The musical details, sources, versions, and titles of these tunes are a constant source of fascination and I have researched and published several tunebooks based on my involvement in traditional English music sessions.

 

The pioneering work of the Village Music Project and Chris Walshaw's ABC music notation system have made access to sources much easier, and wholesale digitisation of sources (eg at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library) promises even closer contact.

 

Nick Barber's English Choice and the follow-up Nick Barber's English Selection are aimed at musicians who would like to take part in traditional English music sessions but don't quite know where to start or what to play. It's a sort of "try these for starters".  But I suggest you always look to the original sources for more, and to experienced players for ideas about style and interpretation.

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My Musical Diary consists of a number of my own compositions. Some are dance tunes, many are more reflective airs. Some are quite playable - and "Skirmish" has its own page here.

 

The workshops page will be used to post details of any current offerings.