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I have been singing for pleasure as long as I can remember, and was a member of a number of choirs over the years from the age of 8, performing in varied venues in Guildford, London and elsewhere, and making a number of commercial recordings with Guildford Choral Society as part of their semi-chorus.From 1990, however,my principal passion from childhood, traditional folk song and music, began to take over.

Somewhere along the way I also began research into the life and work of the late Victorian/early Edwardian folksong collector and researcher, Lucy Broadwood . (This has inevitably spilled over into some research into other Broadwoods - Rev John Broadwood and Henry Fowler Broadwood and other collectors since she was very much the pivot around which much of the first folk revival revolved. In more recent times I have also taken an interest in the life of Henry Garman, the carter who provided Vaughan Williams with the tune that he later used for his carol arrangement for O Little Town of Bethlehem.). The role of public speaker has been added to my singing pursuits, and I am happy to spread knowledge about Lucy,her life and work, and Henry Garman/Vaughan Williams and O Little Town of Bethlehem.

This site provides further information on my singing background and previous work, a few soundbites and a little more detail about Lucy Broadwood, together with my contact details should you wish to book me in either my singing or public speaking capacities.

Updated most recently on 05/09/ 2022
All content copyright to Irene Shettle