The future of folk music in a post-Covid

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 May 20 - 09:48 AM

no i do not, i keep saying that the mainstream media coverage of tradtional music is more in ireland than it is in the uk that is a fact not an opinion.
jim,stop misrepresnting what i am saying.
furthermore i have said how important it in my opinion is for uk folk clubs to reopen, because they are listening venues where narrative ballads can be sung and also sung with accompaniment.
jim ,your continual attacks are wearing including criticising me for calling a festival i run a shanty festival,just feck off

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 25 May 20 - 09:34 AM

No Dick- you just keep rabbiting on about how much better things are in Ireland- that's an opinion, but it's getting a little wearing, especially from a blow-in, much of whose musical living has been in England for many years, so let's have some balance here
Move on, for God's sake!!

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 25 May 20 - 09:20 AM

https://youtu.be/a7m5-P7fDUg

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST
Date: 25 May 20 - 07:04 AM

By 2017 25% of west cork pubs had closed. That trend has continued over the last three years and the compulsory covid closure means   many more will be unlikely to re-open. The smoking ban, drink driving, supermarket alcohol sales and some of the highest excise duties in europe make pubs an icreasingly unsustainable business model.   Random   guard checkpoints on even the most remote   backroads have destroyed many rural pubs. The   pub as a venue for folkmusic is shrinking   rapidly.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 May 20 - 06:32 AM

no jim
it is you that brought this crap up, i am not pushing propoganda anywhere ,just explain what you mean, what you are doing is not about restoring balance, but misrepresenting what i said which has a connection with post covid future,
i never mentioned anything other than the media coverage ,you brought up ballydehob where you have not lived for many years
   the future in ireland for folk will be ok because the instrumental and song tradtion is widely represented in the mainstream media,and has support from the government and from the arts, that is a fact and is not an attack on the uk folk revival.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE MORE MEDIA REPRESNTATION OF FOLK MUSIC IN THE UK.I am sure you would too

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 25 May 20 - 05:13 AM

GIVE IT A REST Dick!!- I've given my views & have no interest in geography- you don't agree with my views & I don't have any interest in that either!
Ireland and the Irish are great in many ways but non-irish (and Irish?) must get a bit annoyed about having your propaganda rammed down their throats- We lived there in two regions & had a grand time in both, but left twice- I'm just trying to restore the balance!
Your arguments remind me of evangelical vegetarians.

Leave your Irish dreamworld & move on!- we're talking post- Covid here!!

pubs may well be unrecognisable if there are any left.... - the locations for performance of long narrative ballads is your problem rather than mine...

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 May 20 - 04:52 AM

jim.you mention a musician from kilcrohane and in an insulting way, you state you are only talking about the mizen head, well kilcrohane is on the sheeps head peninsula further than bantry 13.5miles bantry 11 miles
you wish to include her in your post yet exclude the tisdalls who lived closer.
that is illogical
i have an interest in folk clubs because they are an ideal venue for songs such as narrative ballads , you talk about respect for the tradtion, but this sounds like it does not include narrative ballads, narrative baalads get shown respect if they can be listened to, where else other than folk clubs do you suggest this aspect of the tradtion is suited ,possibly house parties ,but not noisy pubs.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 25 May 20 - 04:39 AM

good to be back in the 21st century- I have little interest in the future of folk clubs, and hope that the coming generations will have the same respect for the tradition as we have

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 May 20 - 03:25 AM

Quote
what i would not like to see is singers clubs where people are unrehearsed and not singing folk, i would not be interested in singing in such places i would rather stay at home and invite a selection of friends who like the same kind of music, an invite only house party would be more to my liking than people shuffling through bits of paper and singing bad versions of pop songs.i am not saying all singers clubs are like that, but if i went a couple of times and it was . i wouldnt bother again quote

ok, so i would give singers clubs a try for a couple of times IF the standard and repertoire was not to my taste i would not return. So i am not prejudging a venue before i go.,
you see i live in ireland and tend to visit guest booking clubs as a paid guest , i have found the standard in guest clubs ok to good. so i am not saying the standard is bad in singers clubs but saying if it was, i would not keep going., so I think it is necessary to try and keep a decent standard otherwise some people will not go
What i can say categorically is that when i started going to folk clubs nobody sang from crib sheets, that is not the case now
I think someone like vic smith of bryan creer would be in a better position to answer that, they possibly have more expeience than me, why dont you PM them

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 May 20 - 02:54 AM

How many clubs like that have you been to, Dick? I know of some people who commit all the crimes you mention but not all the time and I don't know of any club where they are in the majority. I find that,generally, the standard is high and I can live with the occasional unrehearsed non-folk song. But my experience is limited while you are much better travelled. Is it most clubs that are like the ones you describe? Half of them? 10%? Less? No need to name and shame, although it may be useful to know where to avoid. Are there clubs where most singers behave like this? Give us an idea how widespread it is.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 May 20 - 05:16 PM

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: Steve Gardham - PM
Date: 22 May 20 - 01:45 PM

The very nature of our music, based at grass-roots level, will ensure that its future will have a better chance of survival and even thrive above and beyond any other genre, simply because it does not rely on commercialism to sustain it. quote
True,
but guest booking folk clubs have paid a part in keeping standards higher in the uk,
what i would not like to see is singers clubs where people are unrehearsed and not singing folk, i would not be interesed in singing in such places i would rather stay at home and invite a selection of friends who like the same kind of music, an invite only house party would be more to my liking than people shuffling through bits of paper and singing bad versions of pop songs.
i am not saying all singers clubs are like that, but if i went a couple of times and it was . i wouldnt bother again

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: theleveller
Date: 24 May 20 - 05:15 PM

I've seen more live concerts since lockdown than I have in years - on Facebook, YouTube etc. Dougie MacLean has done 32, Steve Knightley, Steve Tilston, Ray Hearne, Oysterband and loads of others have been posting stuff ever day. Best thing to happen to folk music in ages.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 May 20 - 04:52 PM

well cathy cook and i always got free pints on the house as soon as we walked in the fiddle was brought down and we had to play and never paid for a pint he appreciated what we did.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 24 May 20 - 03:09 PM

Paddy Barry was a character all right but very mean! I remember going to an arranged session in winter there about 1988. It was b... freezing in the pub & we all had coats on- there was an unused open fire.
Someone asked if he'd light it- 'ah no' he said 'you'll warm up when you start playing'!
We shamed him by going along to Wiseman's for some briquettes- what a pain.... no chance of a free pint- must have been mad! or maybe just keen?

suggestion- new thread about 'memories of Mizen music in the 80s' ??

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 May 20 - 02:27 PM

but why mention it? , I was talking about National trad music radio coverage on radiona gealta,
I Never attacked the uk folk revival i,hope folk clubs still carry on I THINK THEY ARE GOOD PLACES TO SING NARRATIVE BALLADS.
i never mentioned ballydehob, ballydehob is irrelevant, why do you bring it up I was talking about media coverage on a national scale in ireland
why insult a musician from Kilcrohane.who was avery good piper, flute player and fiddler.. Geraldine Urwin, who played in the band Suifinn souffice to say Colm Murphy ONE OF IRELANDS LEADING BODHRAN PLAYERS WAS HAPPY TO RECORD WITH HER
now to get back to folk music in the future, the immediate future will see online development, whether that will continue when we return to a semblance of normality? I WOULD GUESS ONLINE TUITION WILL CONTINUE

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST
Date: 24 May 20 - 02:24 PM

Paddy Barry   may not have been the   greatest   fiddle player in   the   world   but his pub was something to be experienced, especially during the   new years day horse   race in Durrus, past the creamery.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 24 May 20 - 02:02 PM

Re the Kilcrohane piper, BRUTAL would have been a better word.... I mentioned BDH because that's where YOU lived when I was there!! I'm not going to argue about mileages- come on!
Of course there was good music in West Cork then, but nowhere near the Mizen area- it was all electric & ballad crap
I've told you what I found in 1985 & stick by it- I WAS THERE- go and listen to your trad music- this is not of any interest to anyone else, we don't live in the same world, Dick, but if you're happy there, that's fine- enough now....

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 May 20 - 12:51 PM

Why bring Ballydehob in to this, is it to annoy me because i was kicked out by my ex in a way a dog would not be treated, I have not lived there for 3 years.
THE FUTURE IS SAFE IN IRELAND BECAUSE STATE AND ARTS FUNDING HAVE ENSURED THAT RADIO AIR PLAY IS FREQUENT , I AM AT THIS MOMENT LISTENING TO TRAD MUSIC ON RADIO NA GEALTA AS I WAS AT 8 AM THIS MORNING
that is not a crticism of the uk folk revival

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 May 20 - 12:26 PM

paddy barry was technically good he could get in to third position on the fiddle will cotter was a good playerition.
Bantry IS 10.5 MILES FROM Dunbeacon church where i lived and about 11 miles from where you were, not 20.
why are you bringing ballydehob in to this .
i made a remark about media and radio exposure of trad music, i did not criticise the uk folk revival neither did i say ballydehob was a hotbed of trad music[ ihave been back in dunbeacon not ballydehob for 3 years
there was irish musicians playing in west cork Seamus Creagh had a weekly gig in the corner bar.
the ghastly piper you referred to was actually a very.good piper, she[ was of irih extraction her parents were irish ] and played in a band with an irish musician called martin mcgrath who was living at that time in west cork and was from Kerry., she was a much better piper than the man who called you an entertainer who played a set of pipes without regulators [hugh quinn] from skibbereen, also irish
PADDY BARRYS granddaughter lives in ballydehob and there is a picture of her as a child playing at the weekly session that Cathy Cook[ [ that wone wasnothing to do with andy or jane] started which was held every week in Rosies, it still goes on every friday in different pubs[ i remember Charlie Piggott dropped in once back in 1995
it s people like anita barry that are the future in ireland

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 24 May 20 - 09:32 AM

Dick,

sorry for delay replying but have been making a shelter for our sheep... wild winds here this weekend....

   You are quite right that I'm out of touch with your local scene these days, and I think I said that. I almost mentioned Mary & Richard as a 1980s exception but they were in Bantry, 20 miles away as I remember, and I meant Mizen musicians.
Take the Floor were good pals of mine with a similarly eclectic repertoire, but like me, hardly CCE material-, as for Paddy Barry- you must be joking! he was a chancer and a crap player- a few of those about. Jamesy Kingston had been a good fiddler, but sadly declined by then...

I am NOT concerned with the nationality of players of Irish music, although I do incline to the 'can white men sing the blues' camp. My point was that 90pc of the trad (in your terms) music in BDH was played by the English & Europeans in the population - maybe it still is? that was a point meant to be in FAVOUR of the UK folk scene- many locals were amazed at knowledge of Irish music & quality playing of these incomers!

Rosie's was the ONLY pub in Schull/Ballydehob & west with a weekly session, run by Jane & Andy- I got there in 1985, a little earlier than you, I think & that is how it was- very disappointing really!
I've already given my view of the future for the music & Ireland has a head start there, and I'm delighted if the scene now is as good as you say- maybe you deserve credit for that?? but don't tell me that Ballydehob was a lost world of music in the 1980s- it was anything but!
Charlie Coughlan & his automatic keyboard was the local musical hero- nice chap but I once saw him set it to 3/4 time & go & get a pint while the 'music' continued!!
Now let's get back to 2020- not much of a prospect really, but we do need to think about the future & not the past...treat this a historical and objective snapshot of 1980s Ireland maybe?
ps give my best wishes to Liam & Ger- also --who was that ghastly female uillean piper who played in Kilcrohane in the 90s?

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 May 20 - 06:40 AM

Iremember where i was on the night of Sophie du Plantiers murder, Iwas playing music in the courtyard schull west cork with Liam Kennealy and Jim Bainbridge.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 May 20 - 06:24 AM

I hope listening venues will continue in the uk folk clubc or house parties give the opportunity for story ballads to be sung. this can be done in pubs in ireland but generally does not work apart from the occasional one . singers clubs are good in ireland but fewin number but there is not generally the opprtunity to accompany ballads, that is not a problem for me as i am happy singnng unaccompanied or accompanied, but it is nevertheless a restriction.
folk clubs and house parties circumvent this situation

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 May 20 - 12:00 AM

pfr, i am sorry but i have to reply to misrepresentation of what i said or did not say,My POINTS AND conclusions were that it is DIFFERENT.
the future in ireland comes in to this because and as a result of the efforts of irish government and arts funding and mainstream media representation. plus the efforts of the piper society [wilie clancy school] and CCE, PLUS the efforts of numerous musicians/ teachers who go into primary schools and teach trad music on instruments[ whistle] to school children,
my whole point is that the situation is different in ireland to the uk. as Jim Carroll pointed out when it comes to snging tradtional ballds, that is difficult a lot of the time in pubs, that is as i understand it why unaccompanied singers clubs exist in ireland.
I am talking about 2020 PFR. This is what is happening in THE MAINSTREAM MEDIAin May 2020 in ireland
I do think it would be an improvement if there was more tradtional and roots music on the uk radio stations.
I am happy to play with musicans of all nationalities playing irish or scottish or english trad music or song,
Jim Bainbridge[ who i know is not racist] seems to be getting unduly concerned about the nationalities of musicians,I am an internationlist and am just pleased that a people[of all nationalities] are playing trad music and songs in this area. of course the area where INSTRUMENTAL TRAD MUSIC it is strongest is CoClare.
Ballydehob and West Cork are doing ok, though we have the Ballydehob trad music which occurs in april, the Fastnet marituime and Folk Festival in June, Chief ONeill Festival Sept IN Bantry, Fiddle Fair IN June Jim Dowling Uilleann Pipe and Trad Festival IN JUNE . ALL IN WEST CORK and four out of those five are run by irish organisers.
    but the really important people are the music teachers who teach trad music in primary schools that is one of the reasons why the future of instrumental trad music looks ok in ireland plus the state and arts funding and subsidised non commercial media exposure
PFR. There was a jesuit saying get them before the age of 8 and there yours for life
Jim Bainbridge do you remember Liam Kennealy [IRISH] who you used to do gigs with and who used to run the Ballydehob session for years,he sends his regards

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 May 20 - 07:31 PM

How's the future coming along in this thread..

Have we reached the 1980s yet...???

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 20 - 05:27 PM

Here is a you tube clip of Tom and Mary, WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN BANTRY CCE FOR MANY YEARS IN MARYS CASE NEARLY 50,Fine musicians you undoubtedly remember them Jim and all the others i have mentioned all irish.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qk9KDYjcRM
good luck with your music and stay safe

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 20 - 05:05 PM

Sorry Jim you are out of touch with ballydehob present day scene,
and you are misrepresenting me ,
what i said was that irish trad music is heavily subsidised and is on mainstream radio radio na gealtha and other MAINSTREAM PROGRAMMES such as rte one, that it has exposure right now in may 2020.
there are many irish people now playing trad music in west cork some of this is due to CCE.
    The Bantry Branch of CCE IS IN ITS 50 TH YEAR , and has in all that time been run by Mary Tisdall and Tom Sullivan , Mary is from Bantry and Tom from Tralee, her brother Richie Tisdall has lived all his life in this area too and was playing while you lived here., in fact they all were, then there is Skibbereen CCE Who are involved with the Ballydehob trad music festival, which has been running for 11 years and is run by a comittee of irish musicians which include Ann Rredmond [irish]Marie Cotter[irish ] Sean Walsh [Irish]AnnR[nee Coughlan] is a native of Ballydehob and was teaching accordion when you lived here
Two Business owners who are also irish were playing music at that time, noel and ivan camier[ celtic spirt] Ivan now plays bodhran in the band Rubicon, Noel runs rosies bar and has been playing accordion at a number of sessions in his bar Francine Thurnheer[nee ORegan Irish] plays whistle and was playing and teaching when you lived here PATFLEMING irish] MARRIED TO Marie Cotter[ an irish native of Ballydehob , Both fine musicians. Seamus Creagh RIP was playing in Skibbereen regularly[ during your time and since] and had previously lived on Sherkin Island he was the postman here.
Seamus and Jackie Daly had played at the original Gabes IN BALLYDEHOB before your time JimmyCrowley played there and i saw him playing when dan o mahony owned the pub in your time
at the time you lived there there was also a band called take the floor[west cork skibbereen area. who played trad music and did a similiar repertoire to you they had three irish members, i could go on and on paddy barry who owned a pub in durrus and played the fiddle and his mate box player will cotter.
and i never mentioned ballydehob being a hot bed of anything but since you mentioned, i am duty bound to correct you
i am not talking crap, i have only said that there is more exposure on national radio in ireland than in the uk and that the fact it is subsidised means it does not have to be commercialised. how long ago was it that you lived in dunbeacon?, you are out of touch and not remebering accurately, you have lived in spain the canaries leitrim scotland ulster since you left west cork is that correct?

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,jhim bainbridge
Date: 23 May 20 - 01:42 PM

Dick, I think we're on the same side really- but quite frankly how do you have time to listen to all this wonderful stuff on RnaG & elsewhere? Have you no potatoes to plant?
    In 1985-1999, when I lived in West Cork, near you, there was VERY little Irish music for MANY miles around- so little that a local Geordie was in demand to play for the tourists.
I remember a rather unpleasant & noisy Irish exile, back on holiday at a session in Arundel's of Schull (great pub, now closed) saying how great it was that the tradition was still alive.
My fiddler pal didn't like him much & said 'Aye but if it wasn't for a couple of Geordies, there'd be nowt here'- and he was dead right.

Almost all of the 'local' musicians who met for the ONLY session for many miles at Rosie's on a Friday had a background in the English or European folk scene (including you and I!) and so if that was the local catalyst for an improved situation in 2020, I'm very pleased about that.
BUT don't give me all this crap about a continuing tradition & that Ballydehob has always been a hotbed of the music -it hasn't- maybe things are improving - i hope so- but please stop all this nonsense about how much better it is in Ireland, it's very annoying to UK residents, especially ones like me, who know better!
I used to get a free crossing on the Swansea ferry to play music & was often told by tourists that my little session was the first decent Irish (!) music they'd heard after 14 days in Ireland.....

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,G B-P
Date: 23 May 20 - 11:12 AM

If no one's already mentioned it, the Covideo folk club on FB is a very enjoyable and worthwhile endeavour. It's people sharing videos of themselves performing folk music, and was instituted in response to the current crisis shutting down gatherings of people interested in folk. Hence the portmanteau "Covid", "Video"... you get the picture.

I certainly hope folk clubs survive this, particularly as I took the decision to return to listening to and singing trad folk songs after several years away shortly before all this started. Personally I think gatherings in pubs/clubs etc will be legal again long before there is a vaccine, so at that point it'll be a judgment call for the individuals concerned as to whether or not they want to resume.

Gene.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 May 20 - 11:09 AM

Dick - right now it takes more than enough optimism hoping the BBC won't be sold off and broken up for scrap,
by vindictive tory politicians [puppets of right wing media barons] who hate it..

However, free minded independent non commercial voluntary folk culture will better flourish unbounded,
on home made internet blogs, and more mainstream audio visual social media...

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 May 20 - 10:54 AM

Observer :-D

From Fred Wedlock's "Talking folk club blues"

Then the barman started doing his bit for culture
On smokey bacon maracas and E flat cash register

We don't get much talking and plate clanking at ours to be honest but it does drift up from the pub downstairs sometimes. Funniest thing I ever heard was years ago when Bernard Wrigley's PA system started picking up the local taxis!

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 20 - 10:51 AM

i will try and listen to it today altough the bbc are a bit idiosyncrtic last night i was not allowed to listen to a programme about billy bremner in my jurisdiction on fm so i listened on long wave on my wireless, what are they doing

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: Joe G
Date: 23 May 20 - 10:44 AM

Totally agree Dick - though there is also Folk on 2, occasional folk music on other Radio 3 programmes too, but much more would be very welcome.

I also wish the BBC in England would provide as much folk music TV coverage as BBC Scotland / Alba

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 20 - 10:29 AM

school report the BBC must try harder

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 20 - 10:12 AM

joe g, so one hour out of how much potential broadcasting,i am talking about a seven day schedule of at least two hours a day, and that is avery conservative estimate that does not take into account other trad music programmes on other radio stations. onehour a week is hardly comparable, there needs to be more

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 23 May 20 - 09:51 AM

DtG, our folk club, no clanking of plates or people talking, our speciality would appear to be munching crisps to provide some sort of weird percussion accompaniment :{)

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: Joe G
Date: 23 May 20 - 09:01 AM

Music Planet, which Kathryn Tickell is one of the presenters of, is on every Saturday at 4pm on Radio 3. An excellent programme that I never miss - though it's predecessor World Routes was originally two hours long rather than one hour

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 20 - 07:32 AM

how frequent is the kathryn tickell programme is it on every day?is it part of the mainstream media, is it on at peak listening time

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 20 - 07:28 AM

oh yes and it was Haughey fianna fail for all his faults who introduced the examption from income tax for artists and musicians and in fairness it has been ff and fg who have been in government for most of the history of the irish state, not sinn fein, so sinn fein cannot take any credit for government assistance of financing tradtional irish music

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST
Date: 23 May 20 - 07:26 AM

another alternatiove would be asimiliar programme to radio na gealtha whichincluded all culture sof the uk and including indigenous and immigranr cultures such as indian music, as well as english trad, but subsidised by government to avoid commercialisation.
And how would that differ from the show that Kathryn Tickell already presents on the BBC?

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 20 - 07:19 AM

what is my point, what is my point?it works .
it is part of the mainstream, but it is not commercialised the poiltical establishment and arts establishment support it , if this was done in the uk and subsidised [ more money given to efdss ,would be a start] a similiar radip program in england to radio na gealtha,are there programs like this in scotlasnd and wales?
there would be no incentive to commercialise and change the essence of it, that is my point, awareness of ones own heritage and culture.
another alternatiove would be asimiliar programme to radio na gealtha whichincluded all culture sof the uk and including indigenous and immigranr cultures such as indian music, as well as english trad, but subsidised by government to avoid commercialisation. and hopefully no songs about cliiff pilchard

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 23 May 20 - 06:30 AM

A lot of music has, for the time being, moved online. I don't know about FG and FF politicians begrudging money spent on music but the Arts Council (of Ireland) is very supportive at the moment keepong things going, musicians are being commisioned to make videos of their playing for example, Na Piobairi Uilleann's 'Piping ion the Parlour' is one initiative where Pipers under lockdown play music from home for an audience around the world.

I also saw, here or elsewhere, a link kenny posted of the lovely Nell singing online. The Willie Clancy Summer School is planning online events during the week the event usually takes place. and other initiatives are unfolding all over the place. Different things for different circumstances. Music isn't going away.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 23 May 20 - 06:28 AM

Dreaming or not, I genuinely believe my post above. We are not going to stop singing, it's in the blood. Sorry if this is too positive for some, but that's how I feel. You never know I might even be right! Stranger things have happened.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,Dtm
Date: 23 May 20 - 06:20 AM

I agree with Peter in that venues will present the biggest problem because of the ongoing numbers of pub closures. The lockdown has probably accelerated the demise of many of them.
On the bright side I feel there will always be a market for live music of all styles and would-be performers will find somewhere to sing their songs. The general popularity of 'folk music' seems to go through peaks and troughs as the years roll by.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 May 20 - 05:56 AM

Observer. You asked "Why listen to poor recordings with lousy sound, performed by mediocre artists with the additional interruptions of any audience present clattering plates, coughing and talking. I answered "To emulate being at a folk club!". I would have thought that it was an obvious tongue in cheek response to a daft question. I was obviously wrong. Sorry.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 23 May 20 - 05:54 AM

Dick,
   I'm well aware of the quality of the Irish language part of Irish radio- I know nothing of TV- I gave up on that years ago & that RnaG relies on state funding- what's your point?- all I said was I think the establishment probably begrudges every penny!

   I heard an excellent music programme on Radio Ulster last night with an Irish language presenter by the way if you need a change from RnaG!

I don't think my comments showed any lack of optimism...I simply said that things need to CHANGE and put forward a potential way forward (or backward if you prefer).

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 May 20 - 05:42 AM

jim bainbridge, radio na galctha has been great for years lots of irish trad music being played well,whatever you want to call it the radio state funding radio na gaelchta has been a pleasure to listen to.i agree with nick dow i am optimistic

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 23 May 20 - 05:31 AM

"To emulate being at a folk club"?

My interest in "folk song" lies with the songs, not in who is singing them. So as previously stated if the future of folk music lies online then I will listen to well performed and recorded versions of the songs I prefer and like. The thread is after all entitled "The future of folk music ....." NOT "The future of folk clubs .......".

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 23 May 20 - 05:14 AM

that was me

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST
Date: 23 May 20 - 05:13 AM

Are you saying nothing will change & we'll just go back to how it was Nick?- think you're dreaming there, but like the Premier league!

So you'd like to be nationalised, Dick?- from my experience of FF & FG politicians, they begrudge every penny spent on the music so good luck wit that.... maybe a SF government might be different, but that doesn't seem to be an option at the moment.

Subject: RE: The future of folk music in a post-Covid
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 23 May 20 - 05:07 AM

What's your definition of "back up to strength", Nick ? I'm afraid you're a lot more optimistic than I am. I'm not asking this to be awkward, I'm genuinely seeking information.