BBC
Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2003 - the finalists
Young
folk musicians from all over the UK will battle it out today (Friday
5 December) to win the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2003.
Four
soloists, a duo and a trio will compete in the finals of this UK-wide
traditional music competition.
The
competition, now in its sixth year, is hosted by Radio 2's Mike
Harding Show and organised by Folkworks.
It
is open to instrumentalists and singers – soloists, duos and
bands – aged from 15 to 20 years who perform acoustic music
or song with roots in any culture.
This
year's competition attracted 34 talented young acts from across
the British Isles, with entries from as far apart as Devon, Belfast
and The Shetland Isles.
The
final takes place at The Union Chapel in Islington, with excerpts
from the concert broadcast on the Mike Harding Show on Wednesday
10 December, 8.00–9.00pm on BBC Radio 2, 88–91 FM.
This
years finalists are Arlen, a guitar and vocal duo
from Hampshire, solo fiddle player Emma Sweeney
from Manchester, Jarlath Henderson, an Uileann
piper from Northern Ireland, fiddler Tom Kitching
from Macclesfield, sibling fiddle and guitar trio XYZ
from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and solo fiddle player and singer Jackie
Oates from Staffordshire.
The
winning act will be invited to perform at the 2004 Cambridge Folk
Festival and the 2004 50th Golden Jubilee Sidmouth International
Festival and will record a session to be broadcast on BBC Radio
2's Mike Harding Show.
All
six finalists will feature on a promotional CD. The British Council,
festival organisers, agents and traditional music record companies
all take a keen interest in this prestigious Award, and previous
winners and finalists have gone on to develop established careers
in the folk music industry.
Past
winners include Tim Van Eyken, now a member of Waterson: Carthy,
422, Black Cat Theory, Give Way and Uiscedwr.
Excerpts
from the final will be broadcast on the Mike Harding Show, Wednesday
10 December, 8.00–9.00pm on BBC Radio 2, 88-91 FM.
Notes
to Editors
Arlen
David
Newey (19) and Lucy Rutherford (20) from Hampshire have been performing
together as a guitar and vocal duo for two and a half years.
The
highlight of their musical career so far has been gigging in the
South of France as well as all over the UK, performing at festivals
including Lamertree, Wimborne, Southsea and Bunkfest.
Both
David and Lucy are students on the Folk and Traditional Music Degree
Programme – developed jointly by The Sage Gateshead and Newcastle
University.
Emma
Sweeney
Emma
(17) from Leveunshulme, Manchester, has been playing the fiddle
for eight years, inspired and influenced by her Irish parents and
grandparents.
The
highlight of her musical career so far was travelling to Scotland
and Ireland to perform with other young musicians.
Emma
has come second in the All Ireland Championships on the piano and
she is currently All Britain Champion on the tin whistle.
Jarlath
Henderson
Jarlath
(17) from Dungannon, Northern Ireland, has been playing the Uileann
pipes since he was ten years old and also plays whistle, classical
and traditional flute, guitar and song.
The
highlights of his career so far have been teaching at the Armagh
Pipers Club, winning the All Ireland piping competition three times
and featuring in a BBC Northern Ireland television programme on
piping in 2002.
He
will be performing at the William Kennedy International Piping Festival
in November 2003 and has been invited to teach in Canada in January
2005.
Tom
Kitching
Tom
(20) from Macclesfield has been performing for three and a half
years.
The
highlight of his musical career so far has been winning a musical
scholarship from Loughborough University despite not being able
to read music.
He
recorded a CD last year and presents a folk, world and blues programme
with Loughbrough Campus Radio.
His
musical influences are Dave Swarbrick, Sam Heeley and people from
sessions everywhere.
XYZ
Sarah
(17), David (15) and Matthew Jones (15) from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
have been playing together for nearly 15 years, first performing
as XYZ two years ago during a holiday on the Isle of Mull.
As
members of FolkESTRA North! Sarah, David and Matthew have performed
with the Kathryn Tickell Band at Sidmouth International Festival
2003.
Their
musical influences are Stewart Hardy, Ian Stephenson, Kathryn Tickell,
Aidan O'Rourke and Catriona MacDonald, amongst others.
Jackie
Oates
Jackie
(20) from Stafford has been playing the violin for 12 years, singing
publicly for two years, and doing both together for about a year.
Inspired
to start fiddle-singing by Chris Wood and the English Acoustic Collection,
she has been mentored by Emily Slade as part of the 'Passing Notes'
scheme run by TAPS and has represented England in a trio at the
European Network of Traditional Music and Dance Eurofolk Segdva
2003.
The
highlight of her career so far has been playing and singing on Jim
Moray's Sweet England album.
BBC
Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2003 - the search is on (20.08.03)
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