My first true fascination with music was Pentangle.
1 Like
More local to the British Islesā¦
A track from a superb one off album I am fortunate to have on vinyl, I have no idea why this is not available to download somewhere, donāt think it ever got a CD release. Several of the songs are quite political in nature maybe thatās why.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKZq7IosNLo
Oddly searching for this has been more successful than a few years ago, and I turned up some clips from 1985 of a live concert festival in North Wales which was memorable for several reasons beyond the music Iād probably rather forget 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPrpL9auS-Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ0DyrwPVu0
You could probably do worse than Plethyn for some traditional folk:
2 Likes
I first heard them as a young student but I never saw them live.
The lead singer for Bwchadanas was SiĆ¢n James who has had a good solo career.
This is lovely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T05akWJKa9c
as is:
probably not exactly folk - chinese traditional meets americana - but rather wonderful: wu fei and abigail washburn
2 Likes
Just read Richard Thompsonās Beeswing, he uses the term Folk-Rock. He draws on various musical traditions, jazz, classical guitar, Delius, music hall as well as Rock. Swarb, Sandy and Martin Carthy brought in lots of folk material. Ashley Hutchings moved into Morris tunes and dance. Both RT and Sandy sang traditional material as well as their own songs. Iām happy that this is a revival and an invented tradition. I went to the Grey Co-ck folk club as a student in the 70s, bought Topic records and listened to Fairport and Steeleye. I used the Pogues folk punk as a way of interesting students of Irish writing in mythology. Iām not interested in joining the folk police and if there is to be a future for folk then it will use electric even electronic instruments as well as acoustic. Steeleye and Fairport also played loud which attracted me then. Will listen to Stackridge.
1 Like
I saw them live a few times in Liverpool, at the Philharmonic, back in the late 1960s, early 1970s, then many years later I saw the remains of them in Cheltenham.
I first heard Abigail play at Southport then Shrewsbury folk festivals. āWorld Musicā an invented category has partially incorporated folk and if it brings an audience for musicians then the programmers can be eclectic. Roots music anyone?
Heās great. We started to go to the Artrix our local performance venue when he did his UK tour. Looking round the audience, at 64, I was one of the youngest. Possibly its the venue? Or that the generation of folk listeners is aging. There are plenty of young bands and players, but the audiences are older.
Christy Mooreās cover of Richard Thompsonās Beeswing is very fine. Live in Dublin 2006.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROHzFywcb_0
6 Likes
I knew Chris Ayliffe for a while - a really good guitarist - who dated Jacqui McSheeās sister at one point. He says she had the better voice - which if true must have been amazingly good - Jacquiās was really good.
Just arrived, I admit I was in two minds about the vinyl package. Iām glad I did. The transport packaging an object lesson, heavy duty card, padding all round, brown paper.
The box set is the most beautiful I own.
Posting here, of course, thanks to @Camphuw the set means I could post in what bookā¦ what CD, what vinyl, what are you listening to.
Totally enjoyable, playing, recording, singing, some serious bass.
All I have to do now is decide whether to spend hifi savings on the painting?
5 Likes
Iāve not seen this offer ā¦ looks collectible as well as enjoyable
Beautiful recording! Just playing the ripped cd version.
1 Like
Folk Radio UK is an excellent resource and carried an interview in 2016 with Anne Briggs.https://www.folkradio.co.uk/2016/08/interview-anne-briggs/
I did not hear her sing in the 1970s, but she was influential on other singers and via records.
Sandy Denny learned some songs from her.
Anne Briggs is living in the Hebrides, I believe. She has not recorded for a long time.
3 Likes
I like her work. She was educated at Chethamās and RCM, but has crossed over with ease. I guess there are more classically trained musicians working in folk these days. Jim Moray and Paul Sartin (Belshazzarās Feast etc) and doubtless many others.
Thanks for this. nu-folk some say. http://www.sundaybest.net/release/folk-off/ Iād not come across her before.
1 Like