'Australia's Lost Folk Songs': The Treasures that Slipped Through Percy Jones' Fingers, a Review

Abstract

The present scholarly work is dedicated to the memory of Ron Edwards (1930-2008), Ron actually passing away while the book was being prepared for printing. Happily it is one graced by a number of Ron's own elegant and intuitive illustrations, as this report on the volume will show. Keith McKenry's study also contains suggested arrangements for the numerous songs/ fragments that are here collected, contextualized and also given appropriate explanatory notes. While those who use this reference work in the future will perhaps take its format and remarkably elucidating contents for granted, it must be said that this is Australian folk song scholarship at its sparkling best, i.e., sensitive, shrewd, provocative and, above all, luminous where there have hitherto been so/too many dark corners. Clearly Australia's folk music has been amazingly well served by both Ron Edwards and his longtime younger friend, Keith McKenry (1948—), who has already a fine national and international reputation for his work in defining and maintaining the position of their folklore in all countries.