Prom 27: Folk Music around Britain and Ireland – 3.08.18

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

19:30
ON TV
Royal Albert Hall



Julie Fowlis singer
Jarlath Henderson singer
Sam Lee singer
Alaw Welsh folk group
The Unthanks English folk group
BBC Concert Orchestra
Stephen Bell conductor

In a Prom that celebrates the history and evolution of the folk music scene in Britain and Ireland, the BBC Concert Orchestra collaborates with some of the folk world's leading musicians who are pushing the boundaries of traditional music, and bringing with them a new breed of folk fan.

With performers from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, this Prom reflects the diversity of a genre of music that, while steeped in tradition, is constantly evolving and reinventing itself through the generations.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

An interesting idea for a Prom, but wouldn't it be thoughtful of the planners to give us a bit more information about what we are going to hear?

[DracoM]

I wonder if 'folk fans' would raise eyebrows at the upthread description of them as "some of the folk world's leading musicians".
Hmm.

[jean]

The last concert I did not return to after the interval - not something I do often, or lightly - was the Unthanks backed by the Liverpool Phil.

It was awful. I hope the BBC Concert Orchestra won't stifle them in the same way - I am sure they deserve better.

[Richard Tarleton]

Julie Fowlis known to me chiefly through the BBC's Highland/Transatlantic Sessions. She does a turn on Nicola Benedetti's lovely Homecoming album. The "Sessions" take place in intimate spaces in Killiekrankie and Loch Lomond - the cavernous RAH has a deadly effect on this sort of music, IMV.

[teamsaint]

I wonder if 'folk fans' would raise eyebrows at the upthread description of them as "some of the folk world's leading musicians".
Hmm.

There are some decent musicians there, but they wouldn’t make a “ must see “ line up at a reasonable folk festival IMO.

[DracoM]

[bluestateprommer]

Since no one else seems to have given this Folk Prom a listen, I thought to give it a whirl, even though I'm the least qualified person here (maybe anywhere) to discourse on folk music of the British Isles. Perhaps the main debit was the somewhat overblown nature of some of the orchestral arrangements, which is perhaps unavoidable in a setting such as this. This brings to mind the quip from an old Penguin Guide, by way of Constant Lambert, and loosely applied and paraphrased here, that the only things that one can do with folk songs (or Christmas carols) are:

(1) Ring variations on the tunes
(2) Tweak their harmonies
(3) Putz with the orchestration
(4) Play them again louder

Under the circumstances, the BBC CO held their own, to be sure. The program even slipped in one Alun Hoddinott 'track', as a "straight classical" selection, albeit one based on folk song (natch). The mix of folk musicians was a good one, and the program was balanced reasonably well, mixing up the up-tempo jig-like selections with more contemplative works. The nice surprise was Julie Fowlis as presenter in addition to performer, as JF managed to convey an air of relaxed enthusiasm, if that makes sense, in her introductions of the music and the performers. Of the two performing presenters (separate from Andrew McGregor for intro and outro), she was by far the superior of the two.