shirley collins

London / Newcastle-Upon-Tyne based band Crumbling Ghost’s latest album ‘II’ is original and unrestrained in its approach, an album of renewal not revivalism.

In what is already shaping up to be quite a year for English folk music, the events of the 20th of June at Cecil Sharp House are very likely to earn a noteworthy place in the annals of folk music history.

This year’s Leigh Folk Festival, the UK’s Largest Free Folk Festival as a mighty line up of 150 acts performing including FRUK favourites Hladowski & Joynes, O’Hooley & Tidow, Alasdair Roberts, Sproatly Smith and many more!

Listen again to ‘The Tale of the Poor Murdered Woman’ a show produced for Folk Radio UK by Simon Houlihan and Paul James featuring English Folk legend Shirley Collins, Alun Roberts and Vaughan Savidge.

A new programme comes to Folk Radio UK this coming Friday featuring Shirley Collins which looks at the bleak but true tale of ‘The Poor Murdered Woman’ and unearths new information about her fate.

As part of the Southbank Centre’s year-long festival The Rest Is Noise they will be turning the spotlight on folk music in February for a weekend of events under the title of The Rise of Nationalism.

Stephanie Hladowski’s latest release ‘The High High Nest’ is a real gem of a record that manages to capture a sense of time and space that leaves you in awe.

We interview Lisa Knapp about her new EP ‘Hunt the Hare – A Branch of May’. She talks about her fascination in folklore and some of her influences including Martin Carthy and Shirley Collins.

Listen to The Memory Band ‘Folk Mix’ featuring some great classics: Hedy West, Shirley Collins, Robin & Barry Dransfield, Mike Waterson, The Young Tradition, Robie Basho, Heron and many more!

★★★★★ I’m Gonna Live Anyhow Until I Die is the fifth installment from Global Jukebox, an independent label from the Alan Lomax Archive. No music collection should be without it!

As far as band shake-ups go you don’t get a more striking change than this one. The Albion Band is to get a complete re-boot for 2012 as the torch is passed to a newer generation of English folk talent. Ashley Hutchings will be handing over the reins to his son, Blair Dunlop, who is joined by Gavin Davenport, Tom Wright, Katriona Gilmore and Tim Yates.