ism ▁re venue ▁can ▁provide ▁a ▁pot ent ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁preserve ▁local ▁cultural ▁distinct ives . ▁Local ▁government ▁often ▁spons ors ▁and ▁prom otes ▁performances ▁during ▁tour ist ▁seasons , ▁and ▁rev ives ▁lost ▁trad itions . ▁ ▁Early ▁folk ▁music , ▁field work ▁and ▁scholar ship ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁folk ▁music ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁audio ▁recording ▁technology ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁comes ▁from ▁field work ▁and ▁writ ings ▁of ▁sch ol ars , ▁collect ors ▁and ▁pro ponents . ▁▁ 1 9 th - century ▁Europe ▁ ▁Starting ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁academ ics ▁and ▁amateur ▁sch ol ars , ▁taking ▁note ▁of ▁the ▁musical ▁trad itions ▁being ▁lost , ▁initi ated ▁various ▁efforts ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁music ▁of ▁the ▁people . ▁One ▁such ▁effort ▁was ▁the ▁collection ▁by ▁Francis ▁James ▁Child ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁of ▁the ▁texts ▁of ▁over ▁three ▁hundred ▁ball ads ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁and ▁Sc ots ▁trad itions ▁( called ▁the ▁Child ▁Ball ads ), ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁pred ated ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Contempor ane ously ▁with ▁Child , ▁the ▁Re ver end ▁Sab ine ▁Bar ing - G ould ▁and ▁later ▁Cec il ▁Sh arp ▁worked ▁ ▁to ▁preserve ▁a ▁great ▁body ▁of ▁English ▁rural ▁traditional ▁song , ▁music ▁and ▁dance , ▁under ▁the ▁a eg is ▁of ▁what ▁became ▁and ▁remains ▁the ▁English ▁Fol k ▁Dance ▁and ▁Song ▁Society ▁( E