Edith Fowke 2000 Folk Alliance International Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Edith Fowke's life and publications are surveyed, from her childhood in Saskathewan to her final books and articles on folkore and traditional song. Based on writings by and about Fowke as well as communications with friends and co-workers, emphasis is on her song anthologies, broadcasting career, and pioneering field recordings in Ontario.

Edith Fowke was once asked why she had devoted so much of her life to the study of folk music and folklore. She responded by saying "I'm an ordinary person, and what ordinary people do is important" (Ross 1996). Edith was a very significant collector of Ontario folk songs, but her interest in folk music was national. Edith produced more than thirty books and dozens of articles dealing with Canadian folk songs and folklore. She exposed thousands of people to folk music and story through her radio broadcasts on the CBC and her university lectures. Edith was a Member of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of The Royal Society, and she had honorary doctorates from Brock University, Trent University, York University and the University of Regina. She wrote throughout her life and was still writing at the end. When Edith passed away on March 28, 1996 at Women's College Hospital in Toronto, she had already left an indelible mark on the study and enjoyment of Canadian folk music and folklore.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Edith
• Fowke
• Folk
• Alliance
• International