ABSTRACT
Despite being formed from within and interacting with innumerable kinetic social practices, tradition is often perceived as revolutionary. This concept of tradition, together with a study of the political context of that movement, might help to make some sense of the advent of the second British folk revival. The political ideology of the leading post-war folk revivalists was, for many years, bent on resisting the over-arching economic reality of Western capitalism. This chapter narrates the ideological standpoint and journey of those involved. It begins with the bizarrely dynastic (and far from Marxist) English Folk Dance and Song Society and move on to the Workers' Music Association and Topic Records. However unpalatable it might have been to folkies, brought into the midst of everyday existence, folk music came to be viewed as one soundtrack amongst many.
