KLOF

The BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Winners for 2011 were announced tonight following during an award ceremony which went out live. There were many highlights of the evening as well as double wins for Chris Wood as well as Eliza Carthy and norma Waterson. Ewan McLennan also managed to pick up the Horizon Award! Find out the winners here.

Weaving the Land is the first in a new series of mixes from Folk Radio UK. The mixes explore traditional music and its connection to the land. Whether it is recalling memories of it or the longing for return to the homeland. The first mix opens to Irish poet Seamus Heaney and features Liam O’flynn, Kathryn Tickell, Kris Drever, Dick Gaughan and more.

A new feature on Folk Radio UK is a favourite weekly video. We decided to start at the top rung level, and this will be hard to beat. This is from a 1989 edition of “Aly Bain and Friends”, with none other than Dick Gaughan performing ‘Both Sides of the Tweed’ from his 1980 “Handful of Earth” album.

This weeks ‘Album of the Week’ is Fernhill’s latest release: canu rhydd which features eight new pieces which really shows their talents off to their fullest. Fernhill have been described as cultural ambassadors for Wales and its music.

Today saw the first UK event of Cape breton Sound, a celebration of the music of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Three shows are scheduled from today until Wed 3rd Feb in Manchester, Cardiff and London, and they’re absolutely FREE!

Tony Reidy’s latest release, Hayshed Days, shines even brighter than his last. He is again in the company of fellow musician Seamie O’Dowd creating a contemporary sounding album through which he weaves his memories. Ten out of Ten!

Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts have released their official video for ‘Fleetwood Fair’ which is taken from their 2010 album, Up from the Deep which was self-produced, mixed by Andy Bell and mastered by Megson’s Stu Hanna.

Bristol Folk Festival has taken the wraps off its full artist line up for the Mayday Bank Holiday weekend, revealing a strong programme of top acts from across the UK Folk scene: Show of Hands, Seth Lakeman, Bellowhead, Dervish, Rachel McShane, Bella Hardy, Fay Hield and more!

On All this Longing, Reg Meuross brings to life the commonplace and the extraordinary in his poignant tales whose level of detail I’m always amazed by. The image of a typewritter on the album is a perfect symbol of his masterful storytelling.

The Long Hard Road is Tom McElvogue’s debut album and our album of the week! Tom’s attention to detail and perfectionism has resulted in a perfectly recorded legacy for the future which will finally introduce him to Irish music lovers worldwide!

Emily Smith’s latest album release, Traiveller’s Joy, continues to mark the ascent of this young Scottish artist on the UK folk scene. The album’s focus is on the rich song heritage left by the Scottish travelling community. Her refreshing re-interpretations as well as new self-penned songs make this a milestone album in her singing career.

With the release of her debut album Company of Ghosts in spring 2010, Lizzie’s reputation as a captivating new voice in British folk has continued to grow. It is with great pleasure that we present Lizzie in session at Folk Radio UK