Photo by Ferdinando Scianna/Magnum Don’t be swayed by the sound of environmental protest: these songs were first sung in the voice of the cutter, not the tree Richard Smyth – writes features, reviews and comment pieces for publications including The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement and New Statesman, among others. He is also a crossword setter, a cartoonist and an author whose books include The Jay, the Beech and the Limpetshell (2023) and the novel The Woodcock (2021). He lives in Shipley, West Yorkshire, UK. ‘Woodman, oh woodman, you must spare that tree,’ sings the folk musician Robin Grey on … Continue reading Folk music was never green