Review: bbc folk awards

Subject: Review: bbc folk awards
From: GUEST,liz turner
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 05:01 AM

Can someone tell me the criterion for "Original song of the year"? The other entrants, and the category, seem to indicate a song written by the performer (or possibly another writer)this year or performed for the first time this year (or at least very recently).
Patience Kershaw, although a terrific song, has been going for twenty or thirty years. How is this original? If the answer is "the treatment" this seems to make the category meaningless - we could all weigh in with our interesting versions of the January Man, Fiddlers Green, Dirty Old Town etc etc etc!

liz turner

Subject: RE: Review: bbc folk awards
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 05:04 AM

I understand that the criterion is whether Smoothiechops and mates like it...

Subject: RE: Review: bbc folk awards
From: GUEST,Spleen Cringe
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 07:23 AM

I think it simply means "song that isn't traditional" or "song with a known author"... I don't think the age of the song comes into it. Was it last year when Jim Moray won with a version of XTC's "All You Pretty Girls"? Again not a new song, but a new version that captured the judges' imagination. I'd imagine if someone did a brilliant new interpretation of the songs you mention as examples, there'd be no reason they couldn't be considered for the award. I'm guessing here, though, so could be wrong. I was once before...

Subject: RE: Review: bbc folk awards
From: Will Fly
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 08:31 AM

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.