Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,Steve Gardham
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 05:49 PM

Cookie vanished. Never mind!
I've seen Anna and Emily perform and know something of their pedigrees and whilst they are very good at what they do.........

Strangely, though I've seen Sam in other contexts, I've not actually seen him perform music. However I know his relatively brief pedigree in folk music is phenomenal. I asked him to come and give the final presentation at a seminar in York on folk music in education. Most of the audience were older hardened folkies and music leaders. He blew us all away. His commitment, enthusiasm, energy, eloquence, intelligence make him my first choice.

Anyone know what the criteria are?

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 11:00 AM

from what I understand, the result isn't declared till the end of the month.
Derek

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Vic Smith
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 10:33 AM

Who won?

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: The Sandman
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 10:16 AM

In other words, like most things, it'd be much much better if I ran it, what with me being brilliant at everything and all that.
maybe maybe not, but I bet you wouldnt organise an EFDSS AGM in Sheffield, without organising some folk music

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 11:50 AM

I don't think the Arts Foundation have really even thought as far as aiming anything at anything.

They are a charity that gives out money to individual artists based on recommendations from a panel of experts they trust. I don't think publicity is really their forte, or even their interest by the looks of it. Indeed, they don't appear to have any kind of wider agenda, gameplan or goal other than sending a Cinderella to a ball once a year, giving one (commercial) artist a Willy Wonka Golden Ticket.

I suppose on reflection that's why I'm having a minor grumble about them: it strikes me that a genuine commitment to "individual artists" pressuposes a genuine commitment to "the arts" in general, and that they aren't really thinking that through: they could pursue that in much, much better ways than they currently do.

In other words, like most things, it'd be much much better if I ran it, what with me being brilliant at everything and all that
:)

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Folknacious
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 09:27 AM

Can I play devil's advocate here and suggest that the people it's more importantly aimed at aren't those already "with any interest in folk music."?

And I don't live in London either.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,Brenda
Date: 29 Nov 10 - 03:58 AM

I'm not going to put forward any opinions on the award itself, but it does need more publicity because the vast majority of people with any interest in folk music do not in fact live in London and would therefore not look at the progamme of events going on at the South Bank.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 04:39 PM

so the venue hosting a gig has included the gig in its listings. well it'd be weird if it hadn't.

that's hardly mega publicity. in fact, that's not the Arts Foundation doing any publicity at all, it's simply the southbank box office doing its job. It means the award will have been no more and no less well publicised than whoever is playing the free lunchtime jazz gig in the RFH foyer this friday.

and anyway, that gig isn't "the award".

I just think it's a bit whimsical that, based on some unspecified criteria, 1 person will get 10 grand and the others... nothing
(well, playing a gig at the south bank that may or may not sell out).

Is it who puts on the best show on the night in question?

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Vic Smith
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 03:20 PM

Generally, I hear about coming events by hearing them talked about, by press release, by seeing them advertised in newspapers and magazines, by hearing them mentioned on radio and television or - increasingly - by email circular and web music notice boards.
I certainly do not spend my time trawling aimlessly through the internet booking schedules of venues in the hope that I should chance on something interesting.

Who is the one who should get out more?

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Folknacious
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 01:48 PM

It might be if the organisation actually publicised it. But the only reason I've heard of it (and Vic too) is that Ian Anderson posted the information on the fRoots forum.

Possibly you should get out more, as they say. Even I'd noticed the event in the South Bank Centre's schedules

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Howard Jones
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 12:57 PM

The Arts Foundation's remit is very specific: "to support the individual artist. The Foundation gives financial assistance to talented, emerging artists at a time in their careers when they have shown commitment to, and reached some professional standing in, their artform. At this critical stage, a period of relative security in order to explore new avenues or consolidate existing work is often crucial."

It appears to rely on "leading practitioners and experienced professionals whose key positions enable them to identify the most talented and deserving artists"

I think it is great that folk music is recognised as an art form by such an organisation - not so long ago the arts establishment would have looked down its nose at folk. And good luck to the lucky performers who've been shortlisted.

However I do have reservations. One is the opacity of the selection process - while I've no criticism of the shortlist, it's not difficult to think of many others equally talented and deserving. The other is the emphasis on professional performers. Folk is possibly unique in being a mostly participatory artform, with the professionals forming just the tip of the iceberg. There can be few other artforms where amateurs and semi-professionals are so important and play such prominent roles. In this context, to award such a large sum to an individual seems a bit inappropriate. However, that's how the AF functions, so take the money gladly.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 12:45 PM

I doof my FORELOCK to all at Froots, God bless us all said TinyTim, before he tiptoed through the tulips

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,cs
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 11:44 AM

and gawd bless us, every one..

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 11:40 AM

three cheers for ian a, vic smith, matt milton and uncle tom cobbleigh and all, and everyone on the froots forum

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 11:27 AM

"Surely the act of giving 10 grand to an individual in a marginalised art form is an act of publicity and attention-giving for that art form in general. Therefore the wider music benefits from the good fortune of one."

It might be if the organisation actually publicised it. But the only reason I've heard of it (and Vic too) is that Ian Anderson posted the information on the fRoots forum.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 06:23 PM

does it matter how anyone spends their cash?
The point is ...How sensible is a prize like this?
good luck to whoever wins the prize,but.. would it not be better to have 5 prizes of 2ooo, than one prize of ten?, or could ten thousand be used in some other way to promote tuition for young musicians, or promote less established   artists.
before the usual suspects jump down my throat,can I point out, that my purpose for mentioning this is not self interest, but more ... concern about money being distributed to the best advantage for the promotion of songwriting tradtional music and folk music.
imo having one prize is not the best way to do this

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award �10,000 prize
From: johnadams
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 06:08 PM

GUEST: mattmilton wrote:

The thing I've often wondered about Mr Lee is why it's taking him so long to put any recordings out. Not nearly enough of a self-publicist in my opinion! Very good at promoting other people, not so good at promoting himself.

I agree , Sam's not very forward at coming forward but he is working on an album cos my nearest and dearest Chris Coe went down to record hammer dulcimer on it last month. I'm sure it will be a good one when it comes out.

If Sam gets the cash I know he'll use it wisely and to the benefit of the music. So will Emily. I don't know the other two.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Folknacious
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 05:40 PM

I just think there a better ways to promote an art-form (ANY artform) than singling one individual for a windfall once a year.

Surely the act of giving 10 grand to an individual in a marginalised art form is an act of publicity and attention-giving for that art form in general. Therefore the wider music benefits from the good fortune of one.

I don't really care if the recipient just spends it on paying the rent and the food bill: if the pressure's off for a while, the chances are they'll be putting the time in to improving their art or some fresh creativity.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 12:24 PM

or perhaps play it again Sam

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 12:03 PM

Sam Lee, Ithought he was assistant manger at liverpool football club
Samuel "Sammy" Lee (born 7 February 1959 in Liverpool) is an English football coach and former player. He played most of his career for hometown club Liverpool during the 1970s and 1980s as a midfielder, and also represented England fourteen times.
good on you Sam.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 11:32 AM

Really? The thing I've often wondered about Mr Lee is why it's taking him so long to put any recordings out. Not nearly enough of a self-publicist in my opinion! Very good at promoting other people, not so good at promoting himself.

Sure, what the AF want to do with their money is entirely their prerogative. But I don't think it's being "negative" to idly comment on the rather ad-hoc and slightly eccentric way it does so. The fact that it's folk music has little to do with it; I feel the same way about the other categories they support.

I just think there a better ways to promote an art-form (ANY artform) than singling one individual for a windfall once a year. I just think 10 grand is too much cash to be whimsical with. Put it this way: are there any strictures on what the money is supposed to be spent on? Can they just use it to pay off a mortgage, say? Or burn it? Or give it to a different charity? Or have a very expensive holiday with?

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Folknacious
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 11:15 AM

There's no pleasing some, is there? A self-supporting charity decides off its own bat to give 10 grand to folk musicians. Cue mass outbreak of negativity, on the whole. Seems to me that anything which gives the music a bit of a leg up is mostly a good thing - they all seem to be decent nominees.

We'll all have our rankings based on personal tastes and perceptions. Personally I'd like Emily Portman to get it, partly because I think she's made exceptional progress over the past few years culminating in The Glamoury which I think is a small masterpiece, and slightly because she's far less of a self-publicist than the two blokes on the bill!

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 10:52 AM

The four people listed are described as "applicants" which suggest there was an application process. Did anybody hear bout this process? I must say I didn't, but maybe my ear is not that close to the ground. But I am surprised a reference when it ws actually going on. Seems bit odd.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Vic Smith
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 10:33 AM

Matt said
"having said all that, I hope Sam Lee gets it."
He would be my choice.

"It's about time he bloody well made an album. he needs to pull his socks up that boy!"

It's nearly finished! We should not have to wait much longer.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 09:16 AM

having said all that, I hope Sam Lee gets it.

It's about time he bloody well made an album. he needs to pull his socks up that boy!

:)

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 09:14 AM

The thing that bothered me most about this award was that it might have been public money. It's not: having followed the link, it appears the Arts Foundation are not a government-funded body, they are a registered charity.

If it had been the Arts Council doing this, I'd have felt a bit annoyed. But as it's not "my" money funding the Arts Foundation, well, I guess they spend their money however they see fit.

Personally, I feel it's a silly way to dispense money. A competition ( whether it's the Mercury Music Prize, the fRoots annual poll etc etc) at least has agreed goal-posts ('Best Album', 'Best Folk Live Act' etc). Arts Council funding, though it might be quite opaque, and often funds some quite unnecessary stuff, at least in principle operates under a "make a sound proposal and we'll consider giving you some dosh" ethos.

whereas this Arts Foundation thing seems a bit pretentious and ad-hoc. It reminds me of the 'Secret Millionaire' programme on TV. I can't imagine who would want to donate money to that charity.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 04:32 AM

Followed the link Vic, it's very shiny and a million miles from where I live.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Vic Smith
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 10:43 AM

http://www.artsfoundation.co.uk/awards/2011-awards

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: RTim
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 10:38 AM

Well said Paul. My Folk Music is a grass roots music, one that continues as a lowly but vital part of all our communities. Stars shine infrequently, but all get the opportunity to star occasionally, be it just for one song.
What this award produces is the same as "Britain's Got Talent" etc., which to me are Pop Shows.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 10:29 AM

There was this woman who had a daughter. The girl was pretty enough with brown hair and brown eyes. But:her mother didn't like the fact that other people thought her child unremarkable so, with the very best intentions she entered the girl in a local beauty contest. Before long the little girl was appearing in pageants and advertising campaigns. Of course by this stage her hair was blonde and she wore blue contact lenses as well as expertly applied make-up. She was dressed, her mother's misguided decision, in adult style clothes best described as 'sexy' - all for the best possible reasons, to make her more acceptable to even more people.
Over time the girl became more and more loved by greater numbers of people. As she entered her mid teens she moved in with her friends and acquaintances and lost touch with her mother. Ten years later the girl and her mother met again. They didn't recognise each other. Whatever the mother had loved originally in her child was gone, along with the innocence and the essence of childhood that had made the little girl so special in her mothers eyes.
Sad story isn't it?
It appears to me that there are people who love folk music, who believe that it deserves a wider audience, that it deserves to be 'recognised' as being 'equal to' all other musics. These people don't actually like folk music as it is, domestic, homely and unremarkable to all but those who understand it and its context. They like the big act. Given a choice between listening to Harry Cox in the woodshed or Bellowhead on the South Bank, they will inevitably be drawn toward the bright lights.
This award is, in my opinion, a bad thing. Not because of itself but because, to give it to an individual, is to water down the value it might have better invested in real 'grass roots' folk music. I feel similarly about the 'folk awards'. It isn't that people don't care and I don't believe it's entirely due to commercial interests. I think the folk scene needs to give serious thought to the notion of 'artist development' because the cult of the headline act will eventually bleed a very small pot dry. The 'Folk Industry' is not uncaring but may be a misguided parent like the mother in the story above.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 05:15 PM

Contest???????????

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 02:38 PM

The Arts Foundation is a charity, not a public body like the Arts Council.

Arts Council is in more of position to fund education but they tend to fundlarge and small community events / arts projects done by galleries, theatres, choirs, dance schools, etc. through grant applications.

If you really want to see more trad music in education then you need to do something at the grassroots level. Become a supporter of your local school. Try to get your folk club to be involved with local schools. Extended schools initiative encourages schools to keep their doors open longer, giving community access to a variety of services and activities. Start a youth tunes session to tag onto the guitar lessons. It's a beginning.

If a teacher specifically wants to add traditional music to a lesson or have an event, then Arts development service in the Local Authority should have a list of artists and groups that can deliver on any type of project.

ECC Arts Dev has a decommissioned artists directory, which they are about to revive. Ideally folk musicians should get themselves on whatever lists their local authority has.

Letters to the new Education Secretary and to your local MP about preserving local music heritage is another way to work in trad music into local education.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 02:05 PM

This award is just another example of treating the folk scene like the pop scene, mean while people will continue to make home made music, without the assistance of awards, and without any help from the EFDSS.
This award along with the bbc radio awards is a load of old squit

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,cs
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:49 PM

Ahh, so it's just 10,000 they bung at some artist in some random genre each year.. I wonder who came up with that useful idea?

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Vic Smith
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:46 PM

Matt wrote:-
"Especially given that it hasn't been publicised: you'd have thought that these kind of awards at least ought to be generating awareness and publicity for the discipline they are in. "

A centrally important point, Matt. If the award is to have any benefit at all the the scene in general, then it would need to be publicised to the hilt... yet here we are with less than two months to go (and isn't there something that might occupy people's attention happening towards the end of December?) and even people like IAA have only heard about it today.

a fairly arbitrary and crazy award
Quite.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,cs
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:46 PM

As Vic says, these are established artists who arguably don't really need the cash to get their careers of the ground, nor indeed are they all known for furthering the err 'cause' or public profile of traditional music.

Maybe either talented fledgling artists just getting their work 'out there', or indeed old hands who have contributed by researching traditional music and working the circuits 'for forty years' may have been more deserving recipients?

As for merit, I just found out what meretricious means. How odd that such a similar sounding word could mean something so different. Just as well I didn't try using it.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:35 PM

"...Well, this is undeniable , but I am concerned about the fairness of giving all the money to one person when all would-be folk professionals are going to suffer in the current economic climate"

Well one could say that it's "fair" because it is meritocratic - in the way that all awards, prizes and contests are meritocratic on their own terms. Whether or not you happen to agree with those terms, or the names those terms result in.

Ian implied on the fRoots board that this wasn't the start of any kind of annual folk award: he implied that this is an award that changes its genre each year. (A couple of years ago it was "world music".) It happens to be "folk year" for it this year. Maybe next year it'll be electronica or hip-hop! Who knows.

Sounds, all told, like a fairly arbitrary and crazy award to me. Especially given that it hasn't been publicised: you'd have thought that these kind of awards at least ought to be generating awareness and publicity for the discipline they are in.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,cs
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:29 PM

"the 10 000 would be better spent on national tuition,"

I really assumed on seeing the thread title, that it was going to be a prize awarded to further the endevours of some brilliant and worthy enterprise (Take 6 springs to mind) by some folk-arts organisation currently being run on a shoestring by volunteers. I know this will make me sound bitter and twisted, but I was thoroughly disappointed at discovering what it was all about.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Vic Smith
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:24 PM

Dick wrote
who cares?,
Well, I do for a start....
apart from the four finalists, good luck to whoever wins it,
Absolutely. I would not want my doubts to sound like sour grapes.
if they are trying to make a living out of folk music they will need the 10 , 000.
...Well, this is undeniable , but I am concerned about the fairness of giving all the money to one person when all would-be folk professionals are going to suffer in the current economic climate.

I do know the work of all four finalists and that gives me other misgivings about the choice of the four listed above. On a personal level, I regard one of the four as a great singer, a superbly focussed organiser and an inspired enthusiast for the music. I saw the band that another leads last month and would regard what they are performing has having very little indeed to do with what I have regarded as folk music over the last forty-odd years.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:22 PM

the 10 000 would be better spent on national tuition, the sort of thing[imo] EFDSS should be doing if they had more money

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,cs
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:18 PM

Oops, ditto to Vic above - I missed his italics at the end of the post because I scanned past the bits on the nominees.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: GUEST,cs
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:16 PM

I must confess, I was pretty disappointed on opening this thread. I'd have been more excited by this award if it was being granted to support public education initiatives run by volunteer organisations, rather than to individual professional artists to aid their careers. That said, it isn't what I assumed it was, and of course it's non of my business in any event.

Subject: RE: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 01:01 PM

who cares?, apart from the four finalists, good luck to whoever wins it, if they are trying to make a living out of folk music they will need the 10 , 000.

Subject: Arts Foundation Folk Award £10,000 prize
From: Vic Smith
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 12:34 PM

This just reported over on the fRoots Forum:-
The South Bank and the Arts Foundation present

A battle for the Arts Foundation Award of £10,000

The contest for the first ever Arts Foundation Award for Folk Music reaches its penultimate phase at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on January 14th. The Contenders are four of the UK's finest folk musicians who have been short listed for the prestigious Arts Foundation fellowship by a stellar panel of judges comprised of Record and Film producer Joe Boyd, folk legend Shirley Collins and rising folk star Seth Lakeman who said of the forthcoming concert;

"The shortlist concert will be a great representation of the finest musicians within the folk genre. A night not to be missed!"

The four musicians short listed from national nominations are Sam Lee, Anna Massie, Alex Neilson and Emily Portman. Playing with their respective bands the night will celebrate the rich diversity and dynamism of the contemporary folk scene today – an unrepeatable night not to be missed! See below for details of the performers.

The concert is supported by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) whose origins in supporting folk heritage goes back more than a 100 years.

Panellist Joe Boyd says :
"It's great that the Arts Foundation is recognizing the importance of Folk Music in this way. The "F Word" is beginning to lose its square image and this will help in that process. I was knocked out by the quality and vibrancy of the young applicants. British Folk music has a future as well as a past."

Panelist Shirley Collins says :
"This award will make a significant difference for one person and will enable them to develop work that will have a major impact on the folk scene. It is wonderful that folk music is being recognised with an award of this magnitude".

The Arts Foundation is an independent trust dedicated to supporting the individual artist and buying time for them to create. Celebrating 20 years in existence in 2011, the charity has given over £1.4 million to emerging artists over the spectrum of fine and performing arts, crafts, film, design and literature.

Friday 14 January, 7.30pm
Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre, London SE1 8XX
Tickets: £10 / Conc; 50% off (limited concessions)
Booking: 0844 875 0073 / www.southbankcentre.co.uk

www.artsfoundation.co.uk

Anna Massie
A talented multi-instrumentalist, Anna's expertise lies in playing the fiddle, mandolin, tenor banjo and guitar. Her nomination in 2005 for Best Instrumentalist at the Trad Music Awards brought recognition to her unique rhythmic style and dexterity at flatpicking tunes. Coming from a musical family Anna was surrounded by folk music from an early age and joined her first ceilidh band at 13. In 2003 she recorded her first solo album and formed the Anna Massie band a trio featuring the impressive guitar and vocal talents of Jenn Butterworth and the outstanding accordion and border pipe playing of Mairearad Green. They won the Best Band at the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2006 and toured internationally seeing their careers go from strength to strength. An outstanding instrumentalist Anna has toured with many artists including Kate Rusby and is a regular member of the Karen Matheson Band.

Alex Neilson
The already legendary free-drummer Alex Neilson has played with most of the musical underground's heavyweights of this era. This one-man folk renaissance movement has left a trail of recordings and thrilling live shows with Jandek, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Heather Leigh, Alasdair Roberts, and Richard Youngs in his youthful wake. His initial interest in improvised music as well as folk led him to initiate projects which synthesised the two drawing on the trove of British traditional music and 'transplanting it to a setting that was natural to me growing up in the 21st century.' In 2008 he formed his own band Trembling Bells, recording two albums which received critical recognition from the likes of Mojo and Uncut magazine and a recommendation for the Mercury Music Prize. Using folk songs as inspiration he extrapolates his own song ideas adding a quasi-mythical dimension to it thereby attempting to describe and celebrate the very land the original tunes sprang from.

Sam Lee
Sam is a singer, promoter, teacher, researcher and confessed die-hard enthusiast of the folk arts. Swapping his many careers to work in folk music, he has become one of the current leading lights of the folk revival taking traditional song into a new direction and onto new platforms. Sam performs solo or with his band 'The Gillie Boys' who create a radical yet melodic new passage for folk song for the contemporary audience. From 2006 to 2009 Sam was 'adopted' by the late Stanley Robertson, Aberdeen Traveller, ballad singer, storyteller and novelist, as his musical next of kin or "Keeper of the Lore". He gained an unparalleled insight into traveller musical heritage and is now the sole carrier of a unique repertoire of Scotland's NE ballands and lore which he draws from in his work. In 2009 Sam performed in the Wainwright, McGarrigle Concert at The Royal Albert Hall alongside Martha and Rufus Wainwright. An unrelenting folk promoter to boot his venue The Magpies Nest won Best Folk Club in the 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Emily Portman
Portman is a singer, writer and concertina player based in the North East of England. With a BBC Folk Award nomination for her work with harmony trio the Devil's Interval, Emily is already a rising star on the UK folk scene. After years immersed in traditional songs Emily's return to songwriting has already grabbed attention through her debut album The Glamoury which was released in March this year. The songs explore the dark and magical elements of female voices in folktales and ballads 'allowing them to resonate in the contemporary world' she explains. The album received overwhelming critical acclaim with the Observer hailing it as 'A remarkable and original debut' and Radio 2 proclaiming it 'The raw stuff of the great ballads'. Her vocal talents have attracted the likes of acclaimed songwriter Alasdair Roberts to feature on his most recent album and remaining a fixture in the Waterson: Carthy tours since 2006 and selected album recordings.

I must say that I have mixed feelings about the usefulness of this award. On the one hand, I am delighted that the money is coming to folk performers; on the other hand, I wonder at the fairness of all this money going to one person - after all, they four of them have made a pretty good fist of establishing their names already in the last five years or so and I wonder if the money might he better spent by on an organisation.
Also I would like an information on the following which might help with some of my misgivings:-
* Who drew up the short list and what was the basis for their choice?
* Did Joe Shirley & Seth make the list or who adised them?
* Was there any application process?
* What did "The four musicians short listed from national nominations" entail?
* Is this a one-off award or is it intended to become an annual award?