Category: Folk music writing
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Folk Music in 2020: Things I’ve Loved in a Mad, Mad Year
Folk music in 2020 may have been battered by the devastating effects of the COVID pandemic, but there were great things to be heard, and fascinating changes to the traditional landscape, that will prove well-worth holding onto. Here are a few thoughts on folk music in 2020, as viewed from the same couch I appear…
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Mary Ashford: A Broadside Ballad
The brutal murder of Mary Ashford scandalised the nation in the early 1800s. By the 1840s/50s, the incident had found its way into song – in this case a murder ballad published by broadside printers, Jackson & Son (late, J. Russell), in Moor Street, Birmingham. This blog post is about how the song came to my…
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Chatting unaccompanied folk with Piers Cawley
There’s a tendency among folk fans to talk in hushed tones about the possibility of a revival. Whether such a thing is likely or not, one thing’s for sure – the last few years have seen a resurgence of performers singing traditional songs in a stripped-down way. More often than not, it’s a singer and an…
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The Old Songs Podcast: A Full List of Episodes
The Old Songs Podcast is also available on other players. Click here to discover where. The Old Songs Podcast was launched in January, 2020. Each episode looks at a traditional song (or song deeply related to traditional music) and dissects it in geek-level detail. It is hosted by traditional folk singer, researcher and writer, Jon…
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Old Songs Podcast and Subscription Service Update
Hi all, I hope you’re well. Some of you who follow and support The Old Songs Podcast may have received a weird email recently concerning cancellation. Not to worry… the podcast is alive and well, and will hopefully have a new episode out this weekend. What has changed is the payment structure. Mixcloud are very…
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The Sausage Man – Roud V14373
OK, so I’ve been harping on to anyone and everyone about ‘The Sausage Man’ for a while now, and those that follow me on social media will have seen snippets of it here and there. I’m not sure if it needs to be better known, but I’m going to do my damndest to give it…
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The Jovial Hunter of Bromsgrove (or Bold Sir Rylas) – Roud 29
Sometimes a title just catches you, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s just me, but this one tickles me good and proper. Maybe it has to do with memories of friends from Bromsgrove when I was a teenager – good friends; a funny bunch – but the idea of there being a proud knight roaming Bromsgrove Town…
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Tour news regarding coronavirus
You might want to make a cuppa and get comfy. I’ve a few things to tell you… The following gigs are currently still on. However, things are clearly changing all the time. My view is that, since the Scottish and Irish leaders have deemed indoor gatherings of 500 or more to be unsafe, that seems…
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Spring Tour, 2020
Here we go, then! Gearing up for my first big outing of 2020. I’ll be hitting all the places linked below, so make sure you come along and see me if you can. As always, Brummie songs aplenty, with a few tidbits and morsels thrown in. If you’re interested in seeing a very rare performance…
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Toryanse – 通りゃんせ – A traditional Japanese folk song
I love traditional folk songs that are linked to specific place. For the last 18 months I’ve been playing songs from Birmingham, as it was where I spent my first 20 years. My following 12 years, however, were spent in Japan. My wife is Japanese. My kids are half Japanese. Japan is where I’d be…