The English Folk Dance and Song Society has announced the recipients of its highest award, the Gold Badge. This year marks the centenary of the Gold Badges, which were created in 1922.
Gold Badges are presented for unique or outstanding contributions to folk music, dance or song and/or exceptional contributions to the Society’s work. Many award holders are household names in the folk arts. Others are less well known, but work tirelessly behind the scenes or in their local communities.
Gold Badges for 2022 will be awarded to:
Madeleine Smith
Dancer, caller, teacher, musician, community choir singer and organiser Madeleine’s love of folk was kindled in Lancashire in the 1970s, and she has gone on to be a major part of the South Oxfordshire folk scene for over 30 years. She has called, taught and run workshops all over the country, and enthusiastically embraced the renaissance of clog dancing. The long-time country dance organiser at Broadstairs Folk Week, she is dedicated to making events inclusive and accessible.
Lawrence Heath
Initially a graphic designer by trade and subsequently a systems analyst, Lawrence ran his first folk club in 1974. He has promoted and presented folk music ever since, including launching Godalming’s GBH Ceilidhs and Fleur de Lys Morris and a long-running series of ‘Electric Voices’ events at local arts centres. He also created the Borfolk cartoon strip for The Southern Rag/Folk Roots magazine.
Roger Watson
After more than 20 years as a singer, songwriter, musician and caller, notably with Muckram Wakes and New Victory Band, Roger took a full-time post as Artistic Director of TAPS (Traditional Arts Projects). His community and education projects there involved people in the creative as well as performance aspects of traditional music and dance. He also led ensembles involving musicians from different cultures, predominantly Boka Halat, until he retired in 2010.
Carol and the late Gwilym Davies
Gwilym and Carol will chiefly be familiar as prominent folk song collectors and performers for over 50 years. They have performed with various bands and for many morris side; also recording and releasing albums, writing articles and publishing books. Their collecting has mainly focussed on Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Devon and the USA. They have been the driving force behind creation of the much-admired glostrad.com. On his death in June 2022 Gwilym had nearly completed an MPhil on morris music with Newcastle University, which it is hoped will be awarded posthumously.
The decision to award Gold Badges to both Gwilym and Carol was made shortly before Gwilym's death. We wish to honour that award, although very sadly Gwilym died before the good news could be shared with him.
The first Gold Badges were awarded in 1922 to Lady Mary Trefusis and Mrs Dudley Hervey. In the following year two seminal figures of early twentieth-century folk movement were celebrated: the collector and educator Cecil Sharp, and Anglo-concertina player and Morris dancer William Kimber.
Nearly 200 awards have now been made, and the illustrious list of Gold Badge holders includes composer/collector Ralph Vaughan Williams (1943), performer/writer AL Lloyd (1975), Ewan MacCoIl (1987), Peggy Seeger (1987), Shirley Collins (2003), Eliza Carthy (2007) and Kate Rusby (2019).
Anyone can make a nomination, which should be seconded by one other person.
