Collecting and Research
Gwilym has been recording source
singers since about 1970, in audio and video, mainly in
Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Devon and the USA. The audio
part of the collection is housed in the British Library Sound
Archive and will be available on line in 2020. Meanwhile, the
index to the collection can be viewed via this
link and by entering C742 in the search box. In
addition, many of the recordings made by Gwilym in
Gloucestershire can be heard on the Glostrad website. This
latter project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and
underpinned by Gwilym's research. In particular he has
recorded many gypsy singers including Wiggy Smith and the Brazil
family as well as other important source singers including
Charlie Hill (Devon), Ray Driscoll (London and Shropshire) and
Colleen Cleveland (USA). Several of the songs he has
collected have been taken up by professional folk singers,
including John Kirkpatrick, Faustus, Judy Cook (USA), Tim
Laycock, and Nowell Sing We Clear (USA). Gwilym
welcomes contact with relatives of the people he has recorded or
with other researchers.
He has done extensive research into the songs
collected by the composer Percy Grainger in Winchcombe, which
led on to a documentary play "Really Beautiful Company" which
was performed at several folk festivals, including Sidmouth.
Articles:
Gwilym has contributed many
articles on folk song to a variety of magazines.
Additionally, the following can be found on line:
