In Search of the English Folk Song

In Search of the English Folk Song is a peculiar little film—which should surprise no one familiar with the work of Ken Russell (the man responsible for turning the Who's Tommy into an overripe slice of pop kitsch), who here serves as writer, director, and onscreen "presenter." But whatever else he may be, Russell knows music (he has also made films about Liszt, Mahler, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, and others). In his hunt for what he calls "songs from the open air" (Cecil Sharp, an early 20th-century British collector and publisher to whom Russell refers, described folk songs as "spontaneous utterances from the unlettered classes"), Russell travels about the English countryside, encountering some genuine oddballs (like Bob Appleyard, whose songs memorialize various local features and events; a woman who sings about equine sex while mounted on a hobby horse; and a fellow who watches American westerns on TV and proclaims, "I feel every part an Indian"). He also meets much more prominent musicians, ranging from June Tabor (whose "The King of Rome," delivered a cappella, is simple, direct, and moving) and Donovan to Fairport Convention and the Albion Band (whose leader, Ashley Hutchings, was a founding member of both Fairport and Steeleye Span). Somewhat puzzlingly, the film also includes performances by people who appear to have nothing whatsoever to do with English folk music, such as the African-Caribbean world music band Osibisa. While In Search of the English Folk Song would certainly have benefitted from a little more focus and a little less whimsy (Russell talking to his dog, for instance), this moderately entertaining documentary is still a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)