A Lark Ascending

Cash in hand?! He should have said he was working for Google. "No, problem sir." Exit tax official. My favourite was a concert in Sidmouth by folk musician Chris Wood who is outspoken at the best of times. In the middle of introducing a song he stopped and in a polite but withering voice asked someone at the front to please not video the gig in order to stick it on YouTube in crappy quality. "Hey, let's keep this between ourselves." Got a round of applause from the audience. The offender must have been gutted.

I'd not been for about 20 years...hadn't walked it for at least 30. I don't think the tunnel was open then but you can now walk or cycle through it. Surprising number of people there for a January day - taking advantage of the gap between Gertrude and Henry.

Looks interesting. There's not a lot of McNair available (and some of what is there veers towards easy listening). Seems to be a standards date: http://www.discogs.com/Harold-McNair-With-Ornette-Colemans-Sidemen-Affectionate-Fink/release/4753238

Bugger! I just ordered a Russian bride. ****************** Very nice. I like the framing through the pillars. Quite hard to do...I often end up with illuminated pillars and a bleached background.

Very good Cold War thriller set in the mid-50s at the time of Britain's nuclear research, set against the background of US/UK tension in the run up to Suez. A lot of the book is set around Aldeburgh in Suffolk near the Orford nuclear research station (Britten's contemporary rehearsal's of 'Noye's Fludde' are there in the background). Wilson is American but lives there - his main character is an American who has gone native. You get the impression Wilson is at least partly writing about himself. Recommended to lovers of historically set thrillers. I've read three of his books and like him as much as Alan Furst. More tight in the narrative and with more twists but equally as engaging (not a criticism of Furst...the latter is more impressionistic). Though you are constantly thinking 'Did this really happen or has he made this bit up?'

Seems to vary. Usually unobtrusive non-flash snapping is accepted. But at a Crucible gig a couple of months back there was some pretty strong enforcement of no photography by stewards. Maybe the performer had insisted (it wasn't Jarrett!). I've taken the occasional snap at outdoor events but never bother indoor. Prefer trees to people.

It's spring! Spotted a few miles from Buxton in Derbyshire, supposedly the highest market town in England. Several clumps there but only this bunch were open. Shortly after there were hail showers. Then bright sun. Then further hail enough to turn the moors above Sheffield white. Around 7.00 a good fall of slushy snow bad enough to almost stop my car from climbing a hill in Sheffield (not a place you want to be in the snow...hills everywhere). Largely gone by 10. Mad British weather (apparently the tail end of the storms that hit the USA last week).

Nice shot above (except it's no longer above but on the previous page). ********************* First proper walk of 2016...three months earlier than 2015. The Derbyshire Peak District between Ashford in the Water and Monsall Head. Looking into the low-lying sun towards the tree clumps is very eerie. The area is covered in Prehistoric remains - stone circles, barrows etc - and you get a real sense of the past there.

He's a marvellous singer with a very distinctive take on selection of material and the presentation of 'folk' music. Though not as unique as perhaps some of the hype suggests - Susan Mckeown was doing something similar some years back. Someone I've yet to catch live. I'm on the lookout!

Two extra-curricular concerts: Steven Wilson at the Apollo in Manchester Excellent concert. I can probably count on one hand, maybe two (just) the number of pure rock concerts I've been to in the last 40 years so this was a bit like entering an alternate universe. First set was basically his last full album; second drawn from his just released EP and older songs from his solo and Porcupine Tree careers. An audience of True Believers (1/4 of who were in uniform [i.e sporting teashirts of the man] who started at ecstatic and went on from there). Apart from enjoying the music, what struck me was the professionalism of the concert - perfect sound balance (loud but not too loud) with all the instruments audible (and properly plugged in!), meticulous playing, mid-song instrument swap overs choreographed to perfection. Spectacular light show and extensive use of video backdrop (I come from the days when the best you got was a bit of dry ice and a burst of strobe). It's not hard to see why a jazz concert must seem a very dull affair if you've not been initiated into its mysteries - jazz (and classical) concerts tend to engage the ear and brain with visual being restricted to aiding the brain follow the music; this concert engaged more of the senses (and it's not hard to see how rock/pop concerts that encourage dancing take that even further [the audience here were very polite staying seated (apart from during applause) except on the first encore when we were asked to stand and obeyed automatically]). What did I miss? - well it was all very carefully scripted (not surprising because the music is very tricksy) and even the soloing felt quite rehearsed. There is where something like jazz leaps ahead. But a thoroughly enjoyable 150 minutes. Aoife O'Donovan at The Greystones, Sheffield Equally excellent concert at this wonderful little venue (back room of a pub), packed to the rafters. Only know her from her records with Crooked Still and the Dave Douglas record she appeared on. Was not at all prepared for what a powerful singer she is (I've always thought of her as quite wispy) but what really struck home were the quality of the songs, none of which I know. Unusual shapes, real care to choose odd chord progressions (my favourite thing) and choruses that don't do what you expect. Oh, and short songs that don't make you over familiar too soon - you're going to play the record again to catch what has attracted you. The concert the previous night in Glasgow had apparently been noisy and inattentive so she absolutely beamed through this one. An audience who with her from the off - quiet and listening yet fulsome in the applause - and seemed to know some of the choruses already when she tried to teach them. And to cap it all, she did 'Boulder to Birmingham' as the encore which brought a tear to my eye. ************************************* We live in rich and varied musical times.

How many jazz/classical aficionados does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to put the new one in and the other, armed with a box containing 20 other brands, to moan about how he's chosen the wrong one. **************************************************** Nice little article in today's Guardian: Graham Coxon: Bert Jansch's music is a great gift for everyone

Good Pern episode last night! Simon Callow wonderfully typecast. And the return of Mr Gabriel! Music Moguls: Masters of Pop Episode 2 - Producers I was utterly enthralled by this. The principal talking head was Nile Rodgers and it mainly dealt with pop/rock production after I stopped listening (a bit at the start about Joe Meek, Spector and George Martin). It's knee-jerk for people of my age to grumble about factory pop but I ended up with a lot of respect for the craft of these people. A wonderful section where Tony Visconti demonstrates how Bowie's 'Heroes' was built up layer by layer. Amazing what you never hear until it's pointed out.

RIP Can't say JA were central to my listening in the early 70s (I had a friend who was very keen on them) but in retrospect I've enjoyed their records. They definitely evoke a particular time with all its optimism, anger and self-contradiction. The musical names from my youth are falling very quickly now...really gives you a sense of mortality.

Not heard that yet. I really liked some of Towns early records. With his later ones I'm not so keen on the somewhat sledgehammer approach with the orchestra, used to punch out huge riffs (I'm always reminded of his past in Ian Gillan's band there!). Listenable and enjoyable but something jarring. Have you heard his smaller band Blue Touch Paper? My initial reaction there was 'Oh, not for me' but I've warmed to them. Very loud, slick, shiny production. I think Towns has more of a presence in Germany - only seems to appear here infrequently. The story of British jazz!

Concerto reminds me of Prokofiev. Delicious. Howells was apparently spellbound by RVW's Tallis Fantasia at its premiere. You hear that here.

Another oddball interpretation. The Delta Saxophone Quartet did a very good record of Soft Machine songs. Intrigued as to what Simcock will do...he can be very florid on record but I've heard him play wildly on a couple of occasions in a live context.

A new one. Strange that it took the King Crimson website to find out about it. Not exactly easy to order - on the label website postage pushes the price up; its on Amazon UK but out of stock or costing £40! Patience.

Not really sane to play in one go as it's a collection of sets of variations on the title tune. Especially liked the CPE Bach harpsichord version. Disc 3

I've dl quite a bit from Bandcamp - never more than mp3s. Always been happy.

Some of my students used to feel a bit short-changed by The Cold War..."When does the fighting start?" (proxy wars with their millions of casualties didn't count!). At least with World War II you got six years of utter mayhem rather than 45 years of brinksmanship.

For anyone with an interest in British (and beyond) folk music who can also access BBC Radio 3. Lots of folk related programmes coming up this weekend in a mini-theme called 'Folk Connections'. Schedule here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/programmes/schedules/this_week Most available on iPlayer for following week. Of particular interest (to me, at least): Sat 9.00 +: Record Review - the programme that usually reviews classical releases has a section on recent folk releases. Sadly no Oxford don plumily reviewing all the recordings of 'Barbara Allen' in order to tell us which recording we need to be seen admiring. Sat 15.00: Folk Connections: Programme about song collecting in the past and today (and tomorrow). Sat 21.45: Return to Brigg Fair - Between the Ears - Musician Jim Moray bends sound and time to recreate the circumstances surrounding a chance encounter between the composer Percy Grainger and elderly farm bailiff Joseph Taylor which marked a major turning point in the history of traditional folk music. (That one is a must!) Sun 12.00: Private Passions - Shirley Collins talks to Michael Berkeley about her musical favourites (health warning...Berkeley has the poshest accent in the universe). Sun 13.00: Sam Lee in concert - one of the most interesting of the current singers/arrangers. Sun 18.45: Cecil Sharp's Appalachian Trail - Andy Kershaw documentary Even Geoffrey Smith's jazz programme has an 'influenced by folk' theme. Lots of other things too but they jumped out. There's also a nice little article by Verity Sharp describing how she went from being irritated by folk music to becoming entranced by it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio3/entries/dfb89eb3-418f-4fb2-afc4-b3520d6d434f Can't fault her ten tracks to try.... Martin Hayes The Lonesome Touch Chris Wood The Lark Descending Leveret New Anything Sam Lee The Fade in Time Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick Prince Heathen Karine Polwart Traces Shirley Collins Sweet England Furrow Collective At Our Next Meeting Kathryn Tickell Debateable Lands Steve Turner Rim of the Wheel Makes a nice change from "Beethoven Week"!