Hi folks - The title Ballads & Balladeers just reads better than Folk Songs and Folk Singers. In general, I'm pretty much in line with the content of The Balladeers website.
http://theballadeers.com/

From Scotland anything from, say, Hall & MacGregor onwards and from Ireland, the Clancy/Makem/Dubs and all that followed.

I'm not sticking to any strict definitions - if it fits, it's in. I'm avoiding instrumental music, singer/songwriters and Americana. There will obviously be exceptions but them's is my guidelines.

Around half of the stuff I play each week is not available digitally. It's from my own vinyl collection and from stuff that kind souls have sent in (Tich Frier sent me The Bitter Withy album, Adam Amos sent an Amos & Rocks album and Jim McLean has provided tracks and background information that is unique to him.)

I try to play songs that link (The Dubs Seven Drunken Nights then Professor Longhair doing his version called Cabbage Head which he got when working in minstrel shows by way of example).

If any of this sounds like your thing, give the show a listen. The last four weeks are always on catch up and can be right-click downloaded as podcasts.

Gavin Paterson