author
Frank Kidson
1855–1926
Best known as one of the early champions of English folk song, this Leeds-based collector and music scholar helped preserve traditional tunes that might otherwise have been lost. His work still matters to readers and listeners interested in how songs travel through everyday life and history.
1 Audiobook
English Folk-Song and Dance
by Frank Kidson, Mary Neal
About the author
Born in Leeds in 1855, Frank Kidson became an important English collector of folk songs, as well as a music scholar and writer. He is closely associated with the early folk-song revival and is noted for helping document traditional music at a time when many older singing traditions were fading.
Kidson published and edited several influential collections, including Traditional Tunes and A Garland of English Folk-Songs. He was also among the founders of the Folk-Song Society, which gave lasting shape to the study and preservation of traditional song in Britain.
He spent most of his life in Leeds and died there in 1926. What makes his work enduring is its mix of curiosity, care, and respect for ordinary singers and old melodies, making him a memorable figure for anyone interested in folk culture and musical history.