It's great to see Boys From The Hill get some puff. Quite frankly, they are brilliant. Strong self written songs like Guitarra Armada and Theme Park are agumented by the likes of Bells of Rhymney Lifeboat Mona and traditional songs like Fair Phoebe and the Dark eyed Sailor (the best of the many versions I've heard) and FFarwel Fo i Langeyfelach Ion.

They were a three piece but I think multi-instrumentalist Martin Leamon has left to pursue his interest in the links between Welsh and Estonian music, leaving the duo of Andy Jones (vocals, guitar and songwriting) and Chris Pitson (bouzouki, cittern and occasional vocals/songwriting - his live showpiece, a version of Music for a Found harmonium is extraordinary). They are very well-thought of in Swansea but have yet to really travel beyond. Their self-titled album which came out in 2001 is aviable from Fflach records - www.fflach.co.uk. Check out their own website: www.boysfromthehill.com

As for Welsh folk music in general, it's flourishing. Bands like Fernhill, Rag Foundation, Ar Log (essentially, the Spinners of Wales - undervalued but great), Jac y Do as well as those listed by Sian are well worth checking out.

Welsh tradtional song has come together from a number of sources. Some are many hundred years old others Victorian although "romantic, middle-class, Celtic fogginess" is in mercifully short supply. The influence of the chapels in Wales is, though strong, not as all-pervasive as you might think. Temperance and piety were convenient masks to show our Anglian bretheren, who thought they were in charge!