Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk

Subject: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Marje
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 08:22 AM

Taken from the Radio Times website (I've set my PVR to record it!):

BBC FOUR Christmas Session: Fire and Ice

Thursday 17 December
9:00pm - 10:00pm
BBC4

BBC Four celebrates midwinter with a blend of folk tradition and burlesque fun. Bellowhead and The Unthanks get together with singers Thea Gilmore and Lisa Knapp, plus other guests, to perform seasonal songs of their own alongside yuletide favourites. There are folk ballads, carols, parlour songs and carousing dance numbers, with everyone coming together for a final knees-up. Filmed at Shoreditch Town Hall, the setting evokes an old music hall combined with a festive Victorian family parlour.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 09:00 AM

BBC Four Christmas Session - and it's repeated too!

Fire and Ice. December 17th, 2009 at 9:00pm BBC 4
Fire and Ice. December 17th, 2009 at 11:30pm BBC HD
Fire and Ice. December 18th, 2009 at 3:05am BBC 4
Fire and Ice. December 20th, 2009 at 10:30pm BBC HD
Fire and Ice. December 24th, 2009 at 5:15pm BBC HD
Fire and Ice. December 24th, 2009 at 10:30pm BBC 4
Fire and Ice. December 25th, 2009 at 3:00am BBC 4

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Marje
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 10:26 AM

3 a.m. on Xmas morning's an interesting time - is this for Santa to watch while he chills out after his duties, I wonder? Or for parents whose children wake them up at this time to open their prezzies?

Marje

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Folknacious
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 03:46 PM

In about 75 minutes, the first person will pop up here to say how much they hated it, with special ire reserved for the Unthanks. Guaranteed. It's a Mudcat tradition.

White Christmas, anybody?

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Rasener
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:03 PM

I have seen the unthanks live, and IMHO they are brilliant.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:12 PM

I'll do it!
What a dull 'singing by numbers' uninspired dirge.
Sounds like something 'uncomfortable' from the school nativity to me.. ;-)
Can I have my Mudcat grumpy prize?

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Weasel
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:16 PM

Sorry, I've never seen or heard Unthanks before: oh dear.

I have to agree with everything crow sister has said. Suffice it to say that mid dirge I turned to this forum to see if I was the only one suffering. Apparently not.

Sorry if everything else they do is wonderful but they just lost my pound.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Weasel
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:20 PM

Sorry, it's about 9.25 and I've had enough - it's going off.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:28 PM

I just turned to it and caught last chorus of something to do with mistletoe bough.

It was dire, but I should not make a judgement on a fragment.

Why are they being so cheesy in the talking parts between songs?

Also is it a fancy dress affair?

Coventry carol not to my taste.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: GUEST,Aghast
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:33 PM

I hope nobody's feeling suicidal!

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Effsee
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:33 PM

I lasted as long as the Weasel did! Knap-sacked, you might say!

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:35 PM

christ... think i might swear off folk now...

ears bleeding from x factor style Emanuel.

they are murdering sans day carol.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Rasener
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:35 PM

Some young lady came on, and my daughter of 14 said "That is dreadful"

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:37 PM

now that's better... I like the swanee whistle

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:38 PM

Just caught 20 seconds of O Come Emmanuel in between Gavin & Stacey and QI. On the evidence of this I am reassured that English folk is indeed alive & well and in very rude health indeed. I am heartened & inspired.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:40 PM

Rapunzel's pointed out that people might not get the irony embedded in my last post. X-factor sums it quite nicely, VT.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:41 PM

Oh, I was just commenting on the Unthanks 'In the Bleak Midwinter' - which of course was set up as an "I dare you" by a previous post anyhow! But it was god-awful frankly. Had Mr.CS peeing himself laffing at my imitation of it a minute ago ;-)

I didn't dig Bellowheads take on Mistletoe Bough much - too drunkenly rollicking for the death of a bride - even if the lyrics are cheesily sentimental.

I thought Lisa Knapp's Coventry Carol was stunning myself - she's got a thin, breathy sounding voice (like the Unthanks do) which I don't dig too much usually, but it was atmospheric from the theatre - which she seemed to draw up outa somewhere. Never heard her before BTW.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Weasel
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:44 PM

Just switched back and caught Unthanks doing "Tar Barrel in Dale" (sounds like that) - I rather like it.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:46 PM

I thought Jim Moray sounded in pain as he "sang" - especially in the Rejoice chorus bit Hmmm

I was at the pub christmas session on Tuesday and it surpassed all of this. Some fine singing and magic tunes.

What a sad ruined space of the very little folk time we get. All the performers looked nervous and unsure or super smug

Just my thoughts I'm sure some will enjoy - think I'll turn over for the news of the expected snow deluge at 10pm

Sarah

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: double stopping
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:48 PM

The Coventry Carol was dire and thankfully the Unthanks (no pun intended) are at last performing something that has a bit of rhythm and life. This show is turning out to be rather disappointing - had expected something more lively.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: BusyBee Paul
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:52 PM

The only time I've seen Bellowhead live (about 2 years ago) I either loved it or hated it - no shades of grey. This programme is the same. Sloe Gin Set on air now is great.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Rasener
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:53 PM

I am happy that we have Kerfuffle on in 2010, where we can see Sam Sweeney at his best :-)

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Rasener
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 04:54 PM

Oh hello Deirdre :-)

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: BusyBee Paul
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:01 PM

Hi Les. I'll not be watching that on iPlayer. The audience were irritating too.

Bah humbug!

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:04 PM

A very mixed bag, IMHO. Having got the hour on DVD, I switched over to catch the end of the Freddie Starr show - which I saw when it first came out. The dear folk souls on BBC4 should have seen Freddie singing an Elvis medley backed by a cracking house band plus The Jordanaires - that would have been an education for them. Starr, whatever else he may be, being probably the best interpreter of Presley in this country and any other.

The final "Jingle Bells" bit of the BBC4 show was like the very worst of the Billy Cotton band Show...

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:07 PM

Hmm. Very curate's egg.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: double stopping
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:07 PM

I had set it to record so I could watch it again later and enjoy - won't be bothering, just about to delete the recording. If that was the best that could be served up as a Christmas Folk special then we certainly won't be winning any converts. My other half walked in, pulled a face, asked what it was, gave me the "you are watching this" look complete with raised eyebrows then promptly went off to bed!

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:09 PM

I enjoyed some of it, but an electric guitar and a drum kit?!...and, for a final knees-up, James Lord Pierpont's "Jingle Bells" - why (as I've suggested here) not let Americans be Americans?

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:17 PM

See? They should have invited Show of Hands and Seth along... :0)

I wasn't able to watch it, but I'll try to catch it on repeat....but going on the posts above....oh dear me..

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:25 PM

"The Coventry Carol was dire"

It was the only part of the program I liked myself! Though she did do an embarrassingly pants attempt an an 'early music voice' (Ohhh leetal tihney chylde'), which should have been dropped in favour of err her own actual voice.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: nutty
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:30 PM

I watched it all - just to see if it got any better - unfortunately it didn't.
The whole production was dire.

All that clapping and most of it out of time with the music was most annoying, as were the camera shots,whizzing around the room at a rate of knots - it was enough to make you dizzy.
And why , in this age of technology, were they all attempting to swallow their microphones - surely radio mics would have been more suitable for a TV broadcast.

You can't lay all the blame with the artists - its the producer and director that should be shot and all the rest of the people whose names appeared in the credits.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:30 PM

but an electric guitar and a drum kit?!

What's wrong with electric guitars & drumkits? Some of the greatest English Music of all time involves electric guitars & drumkits - not much of it in the name of folk, alas - although there is this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MdI_ACf7Nw

Check it out!

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:31 PM

I have to agree with most posters that this was disappointing overall - especially as I was watching it as some compensation for not going to the Topic FC tonight because of the weather! The Unthanks version of In the Bleak Mid Winter was turgid - one of my favourite carols, it is slow, yes, but it does need some life. Glad they sang 'Tar barrel in dale' as this was some compensation. Enjoyed Lisa Knapp's Coventry Carol and Jim's Emmanuel (my very favourite carol). I was expecting more Bellowhead - the Sloe Gin set was great and enjoyed the Misteltoe Bough. Overall though it felt very contrived and as somene else mentioned it will win no converts and I imagine many people less comited than us folkies will have turned over fairly soon - possibly immediately after the introduction. The sound seemed muddy too. I should stress that I am a huge fan of Bellowhead, Jim Moray and the Unthans but just feel that this seemed to be more influenced by TV producers than musicians.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: SussexCarole
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:33 PM

So very disappointing! Dirge like renditions of songs we hear time & time again at Christmas over supermarket tannoys and at school nativity plays. Where were all the up beat unusual Midwinter songs/carols that we hear sung around the folk clubs?

What a shame that an hour of TV time devoted to folk just had me reaching for the off button.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:36 PM

I'm just watching (and listening) on the hard disc, in the hope that it's not as bad as everybody says, but unfortunately I've got agree with most of the previous comments. So far this year I'm coming to the conclusion that carols are much more fun to sing than to listen to (a bit like male voice choirs), though The Holly so far doesn't sound too bad, just half-hearted.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:51 PM

Did Ian Anderson produce it? ;0)

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 05:58 PM

Thought it was dreadful. Enough to put people of folk for life. why couldn't they have shown Albion Christmas or ST Agnes fountain instaed ?

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 06:20 PM

Ooh, did someone mention St. Agnes Fountain?

Their Myspace page... :0)

And of course....there's the lovely Magpie Lane

Their Myspace page....

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Folkiedave
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 06:21 PM

Or Show of Hands? Seth Lakeman?

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 06:23 PM

And...A Merry Albion Christmas...of course...

Their Myspace page...

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 06:26 PM

Well, funnily enough, Dave...I was just about to suggest that it's way overdue that Show of Hands did a Christmas Album...Seth and The Oysterband, too.

But you beat me to it! Yay! That's the way, lad!

I'd have had the Duncan McFarlane Band on there too...and George Papavgeris. A real showcase for folk..

BBC Radio Devon has been playing a lovely Kate Rusby Christmas song this week...

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 06:34 PM

Much as I deeply love George, Lizzie, and saw him do a wonderful couple of sets at the Topic in Bradford last week, I think his intimate and conversational style is much better suited to clubs and festival stages rather than TV.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 06:44 PM

Have you heard his song about Christmas, Joe?   About his mother-in-law and how she used to make Christmas so special for everyone? So moving!

I disagree. George should be up there on the main stages at folk festivals, not hidden round the back in social clubs etc...and he'd be wonderful on TV...we *so* need gentle and touching performers like George on our TV screens again...

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: GUEST,folkfan
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 06:56 PM

You big whingey bunch of wankers. How many of you make a living from music?
Amateur critics to a man I would guess.
I thought the show was fine. Not stunning but certainly not as bad as you lot are pretending.
You all make me laugh.
Happy fucking holiday

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Folknacious
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 07:08 PM

I was right then (see post No.4). And that was before I saw it, simply based on experience here.

God you're all so predictable. I'm sure many of you watched it determined to hate it.

It was fine, really. Not great, but nicely entertaining and occasionally moving. Probably done without much rehearsal by the look of it and hardly with X-Factor production values.

I watched it with a non-folkie friend who I've had difficulty persuading to give New Year over to the Bellowhead South Bank thing. After watching the show she's definitely on for it and even looking forward. Result.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Weasel
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 07:14 PM

Errmm...folk fan - I for one make a living from music. And, Folknacious, not knowing anyone on the programme, I went in with a completely open mind.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Howard Jones
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 07:15 PM

I imagine that if you were there in the theatre it was a great show, despite the slightly disappointing choice of material. However the TV completely failed to convey the atmosphere, and spoiled the music with bad sound which left half the instruments and most of the lyrics inaudible.

However I'm afraid I still fail to understand the appeal of the Unthanks.

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 07:20 PM

I was fully expecting to love it and was a bit disappointed as I said above but I'm really pleased your non folkie friend enjoyed it and its great that she was converted to attending the gig at New year - I really hope other people have as positive a reaction as Bellowhead & everyone else on the programme are amongst the most innovative and exciting artists around.

Oh and Lizzie I wrote a long reply re George but it has disappeared and I'm too tired to write it again - basically it was 'Yes love that song - my favourite is Anytown' but with lots other bits in about urban design & place making and why the latter song is an ever present reminder of what can happen when people like me get things wrong! Though I should add that I wasn't responsible for the 60's & 70's townscape!

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: GUEST,Arrrrgh
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 07:21 PM

Happy CHRISTmas folkfanny

Subject: RE: Heads up - BBC4 tonight Christmas Folk
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 17 Dec 09 - 07:33 PM

I felt disappointed and cheated, because BBC4 folk and music programmes are usually so good.

Anyway, have a good Yule, whoever and wherever you are.