Since 1999, BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction has been championing diverse sounds from across the globe. My own personal choices in music have always flittered around the left field – whether that be folk, jazz or experimental music. The musicians that operate in this field rely on niche outlets to be heard and it’s thanks to the likes of The Late Junction that a lot of this music reaches more ears. But even this is never sacrosanct – as the BBC demonstrated last year when they cut the programme from three to one night per week (read Luke Turner’s article about the significance of The Late Junction in his Guardian article here).
The good news is that even on a reduced schedule, they still manage to put together some incredible shows, curating music that both fascinates and captivates the curious audio explorers out there. Next week sees Verity Sharp exploring off-kilter Cumbia, harp music inspired by Welsh horse cults (I hope we are talking Rhodri Davies who we recently reviewed here) and tonight, Jennifer Lucy Allan invites legendary folk singer Shirley Collins to put together a 30-minute mixtape…
This is, of course, a timely interview as Shirley Collins recently released her new album ‘Hearts Ease‘, which Folk Radio’s Thomas Blake concluded was an album even better than its predecessor, an album as good as folk music gets.
Shirley also makes a great interview subject as a preview of the show proved. Her answers always seem very considered and sincere and there’s even some food for thought. She makes no secret of the fact that she rarely listens to new music, instead preferring to read these days. Even when the evening light fades and she can no longer read, she turns to memory rather than a music player to hear those ballads that have inspired her for so long.
That said, she does have some clear favourites and during the show, she enthuses about some of her favourite singers including Radie Peat of Lankum and Alasdair Roberts, in her words, they can do no wrong (we happen to agree).
While Shirley is no stranger to self-penned songs, take her latest album which includes four, she talks of why old folk songs mean so much to her…she loves their originality and truthfulness and shies away from the overtly political, preferring not to be preached at. She also shares some interesting thoughts on contemporary self-penned songs and self-indulgence…I say no more, but I can already visualise nodding and shaking heads.
Having spent time on the road with Alan Lomax which is beautifully recalled in her autobiography America Over The Water she calls on some of those distant memories to share some select field recordings including an incredible Sacred Harp Convention where the singing and four-part harmonies are divine.
It’s a wonderful episode that’s both moving, thought provoking and entertaining…that’s why we need programmes like this.
Also on the show, Jennifer Lucy Allan takes a deep dive into the sound of foghorns. Expect a piece by composer and sound ecologist Hildegarde Westerkamp, Wadada Leo Smith improvising with Alvin Curran’s foghorn recordings and Sufi Flamenco by Pakistani-born musician Aziz Balouch.
More details here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000lncd