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writes:

Collecting tracks for my new compilation album, I got thinking how much the folk scene has changed in the ten years since I released my first EP. Then, it was extremely unusual to see anybody under the age of 50 in the audience at a folk club, or even in the audience at a festival. There was no Dance House at (standing up at folk gigs was unheard of), were also just starting out, and there was no chance of getting songs on the radio beyond the Mike Harding Show.

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I don't want to sound as though I'm a moaning old git because I do think that today's folk scene is a wonderfully exciting place to be, with a vast kaleidoscope of music and song. Amazing new CDs and brilliant young musicians and singers are emerging as we older mortals shuffle along the coil. No - most things on the garden are lovely and if Pangloss were playing a banjo today, he would be more than delighted.

What I miss are the characters. They may be out there somewhere, but if so, I haven't bumped into them yet.

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Guest blogger writes:

If an alien landed on Earth and listened only to mainstream pop music on mainstream radio, it might be forgiven for thinking that the only kinds of love, heartache, fear and joy that human beings ever experienced in their lives revolved around .

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Just a quick post to draw your attention to the fine new batch of archive tracks in the Folk Vault. This month's selection all come from sessions recorded specially for Mike's show during the 'noughties'.

We've got North Uist's finest - - doing a sparkling Turas san Lochmor, US trio doing a great set of tunes, doing Old Thames Side, playing Solomon Browne and 's beautiful version of The Snows They Melt The Soonest. Have a listen to the clips and email Mike to say which you'd like to hear in full, and why!