Cecil Sharp House was built in 1929 and designed by architect Henry Martineau Fletcher.
The House was planned as the headquarters for the English Folk Dance Society, and is named after its founder and former Organising Director Cecil Sharp (1859–1924). Cecil Sharp House officially opened its doors on 7 June 1930.
In April 1932 the English Folk Dance Society merged with the Folk Song Society to form the English Folk Dance and Song Society, which is still owns Cecil Sharp House today.
The Building
The building was designed to contain:
- a library for Sharp’s book collection
- a large hall for social dancing and high-profile concerts
- and two smaller classrooms downstairs for teaching
The building very quickly became a vibrant centre for the folk arts, hosting classes and concerts and even attracting the International Folk Dance Festival in 1935.
War Damage and Rebuilding
In September 1940 Cecil Sharp House was hit by four bombs, destroying the front entrance, stairwell and a musicians’ gallery in the main hall. Fortunately the library remained largely intact, and its rare books were already in Cheshire for safe keeping. The remaining collection was packed up and moved to Oxford.
After the bombing, the building was patched up and most classes and dances took place in the basement, which had escaped largely unscathed. Postwar, funds were raised to rebuild the House. John Eastwick-Field was taken on as the architect to restore and extend the House.
On 5 June 1951, furnished with a new foyer and an additional floor, Cecil Sharp House was reopened by the then president HRH The Princess Margaret. A reopening dance was organised in celebration of the refurbishment.
The Ivon Hitchens Mural
The musicians’ gallery, which previously looked over the main hall, was not reinstalled after the rebuild. Instead, Ivon Hitchens was commissioned to produce a mural (pictured above). The piece was to depict key English folk dances and traditions. Hitchens worked on the mural for three years before it was finally completed in 1954. Measuring 69 x 20 feet, the mural was the largest in the country at the time.
The House Today
Cecil Sharp House is now more vibrant than ever. The English Folk Dance and Song Society works locally, nationally and internationally to preserve, promote and develop the folk arts. The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library is England’s national folk music and dance archive, and is a multi-media library of distinction.
Cecil Sharp House is available to hire for weddings, parties, rehearsals, filming, conferences, performances and more. The hire fees support the charitable work of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
