That Was The Year That Was
Who was it who said "nostalgia is a thing of the past"?
Perhaps the Buddha, because he said that the past must not be hankered after since it's done and gone and there's naff all you can do about it (which really makes taking people to court for crimes they committed more than a nanosecond ago a bit of a non-starter,Ìý I would like to be tried in a Buddhist court if I ever do anything really bad:Ìý"When did you nick that Martin guitar? Last week? Case dismissed").
Anyroad up, where was I? Ah yes, I was going to say something about the year that's gone.
What a damn fine year it has been:Ìýloads of great albums and tons of great festivals - far too many for me to list here.
In fact, it seems, looking back at the year, that folk music is in a healthier state than it's been in a long while.
Yes, I know it was a lot better when we all sang in folk clubs for nothing and knitted our own concertinas from recycled policeman's bicycles, but life is a state of constant flux and folk is a broad church in which there is room for everybody: and , and , and - and long may it be so.
ÌýI used to get a tingle in my belly when I drove over the North Yorkshire Moors to Whitby Folk Festival, and got my first glimpse of the sea and the abbey ruins, because I knew I was in for a great week of singing and playing.
I get that same feeling still when I put on a new CD that has just arrived, and hear the first bars of something that I know instinctively is going to be great.
This last year I've had a lot of tingly bellies.
Listen, thanks for listening over the last twelve months, you've been good company.
Have a peaceful and people Christmas: shun the mall, turn off the telly and have a natter instead - and with new albums already in the pipeline from people like and and rumours that the Eddison Bell Spasm Band might be playing Glastonbury next year things are looking good.
As Pangloss said, just before his nose fell off: "All is for the best in this the best of all possible worlds".
Keep listening - you know it makes sense. See you next year.
Comment number 1.
At 2nd Jan 2009, EnglishFolkfan wrote:Request for Wednesday 14th January please Track The Wild Geese Norland Wind
Artist Jim Reid
Album I Saw the Wild Geese Flee
words by Violet Jacob, poet, 1915
Track length 2.32 mins
Back in the days of Folk on 2 I recorded, on cassette, the first version I'd ever heard of this. It was sung by a lass introduced as Lesley Hale. Unfortunately the cassette was taped over and I've failed to find any other recording until relatively recently when I found Jim Reid's. I haven't heard this Scottish song played on the Radio, Folk Show or otherwise, since that first time.
OK it's not 'traditional' but Lesley Hale's version was heartstopping. Be absolute magic if you can find that recording.
Battlefield Band do an instrumental Norland Wind set, including the words, on Rain, Hail or Shine but at 9.29 mins it'd be a bit too long for your 1 hour show!
Which brings me to the question, yet again, when will the powers that be give us 2 hours of Folk on Radio2. All the excellent ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Local Radio and Radio Scotland Folk Shows are 2 hours long and so afford really good programming schedules, live sets, interviews. No disrespect to the Presenter and Producer but the space afforded to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ R2 Folk online seems vastly disproportionate to the measly I hr programme, any chance pretty please for more onair time to even things up?
The recent ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Scotland Fowlis on Folk series was absolutely excellent and just highlights the strength of a 2 hour presentation.
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Comment number 2.
At 7th Jan 2009, JudyOnline wrote:It was a wonderful year for folk music releases, and the highlight for me was Eliza Carthy's breathtaking "Dreams of Breathing Underwater".
Lovely album; quite different from her earlier output but equally unpredictable.
Have a great New Year.
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