THE LANDSWOMAN
December, I 9 I 8
The " Dancing English " -ยท
T one time that was our reputation both at
home and abroad. Then we were musically
almost the most important nation in Europe.
" A nation where the country people doe practice
musioke and dancing in good variety and doe send
their masters abroad to many courts of Europe."
Surely this seems very hard to believe for most of
us, who were perhaps brought up to think that to
be worth anything music must be Italian or
German, and that those practising it must. bear
forej gn names ...
A
Gathering Peaecods.
And yet we are still undoubtedly a musical
nation, and if we can give back to our people those
folk t songs and dances which in every country are
the foundation of a truly national art, we may again
see springing from.the heart of the people a blossommg time of English music. This has been m