This study of Polish folk music examines the history and practice of the musical tradition while offering an illuminating view of a culture and its social activities. Anna Czekanowska analyzes the vocal and instrumental traditions of Polish folk music, tracing the background history, the influences of geography, politics, and social events such as the harvest, the solstice, and weddings. Czekanowska also discusses the birth of Polish ethnomusicology as a discipline and details some methodological aspects for research. The book contains numerous illustrations of instruments and cultural events, music examples, maps, a discography, and a bibliography.