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Welsh musicians battle
for fairer royalties
Over 330 Welsh composers
and publishing companies have transferred their royalty rights to the
new Welsh agency, EOS, following a campaign by Dafydd Roberts, triple-harper
of the folk group Ar Log and chief executive of the Sain recording
company. The Welsh Music Publishers and Composers Alliance has been
fighting for fairer royalty payments to composers in Wales since the
Performing Rights Society changed their distribution policy, in 2007
for public performance, and in 2008 for broadcast. Composers and
publishers in Wales have seen a reduction of up to 85 per cent in
their royalty income as a result of these policy changes, and this has
had a devastating effect on the folk scene and the music industry in
Wales.
By the deadline of
midnight on Sunday, September 30, composers and publishers had
presented letters to the PRS to request the re-assignation of the
broadcast rights in their compositions. They will then re-assign
these rights to the newly-formed Welsh Agency that will licence the
broadcasting rights to broadcasters in the UK on their behalf.
WMPCA’s original intention
was to form a full independent licensing and collection society, but
this compromise means that membership of PRS is retained, and only
broadcast rights are withdrawn and assigned to EOS, the Agency formed
by the WMPCA. EOS will also represent a further 2,000 or so composers
who were not members of PRS, but were represented through the
publishing companies, and hopes also to represent hundreds of other
composers and authors in Wales who have never received any
representation in the past. From January 1, 2013, (following the
three months’ notice needed by PRS), the broadcasters’ annual
‘blanket’ payments to PRS for the right to broadcast music, will not
cover the 30,000 or so works of these composers in Wales, which will
then be licensed by EOS.
This is the first time
that such action has been taken in the UK - although certain
categories of rights have been withdrawn in Germany, and as a result
these categories of rights are now commonly known as the GEMA
categories, after PRS’s German counterpart GEMA – the German licensing
and collection society.
Dafydd, chairman of EOS,
said: ”From January 1, no UK broadcaster will be able to use these
works without a licence. The Alliance of Publishers and Composers of
Wales intends forming an Agency that will licence these works on
behalf of the composers and the publishing companies, with the
intention of negotiating much better terms for the composers of Wales.
“This is a very important
step in our campaign to ensure better royalties for composers from
Wales, following on from the change in the PRS distribution policy
back in 2007. The music industry in Wales cannot continue under the
present conditions, and broadcasters will soon notice a reduction in
the number of new songs and music available to them unless we act now.
Only the broadcasting rights will be withdrawn, since we will continue
to be full members of PRS, and will receive the other royalties that
are paid for public, on-line and overseas performances through PRS, as
at present.
“It is important to bear
in mind that the change in policy has affected all genres of music,
and a number of composers and arrangers from the choral, folk, cerdd
dant and classical world intend similarly transferring their
broadcasting rights from the PRS to the Agency. This is a compromise,
since a number of the composers would like to see a completely
independent body - but in our discussions with PRS they have offered
to share an office in Wales with the Agency, and are considering
processing the data on the Agency’s behalf. This is very similar to
the way IMRO began in Ireland; having a body that can directly
represent Wales internationally, rather than via London, is something
that we should aim for and that will, in the long term, be of benefit
to the industry nationally.”
Trac on the lookout for 10 in a bus
Trac, Wales’s folk
development organisation, is looking for 10 musicians from different
musical backgrounds to take part in an exciting new project called 10
In A Bus, which aims to reinterpret and demystify traditional Welsh
folk music. The project will give professional or semi-professional
musicians working in differing genres the opportunity of coming
together to research their musical roots and to reinterpret Welsh
traditional music in a way that is relevant to them and to audiences
of today.
The project will be
divided into three phases. The research phase will see the 10
musicians travel around Wales, visiting the sound archives in the
national Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagan’s, the National Library’s
music collections, as well as meeting some of Wales’s ‘tradition
bearers’ and ethnomusicologists. After a break, the musicians will
reassemble for a week-long writing retreat in the second phase. The
will work together to re-interpret the traditional material, as well
as composing new work based on their experiences during the research
phase. The third phase is recording an album and holding a concert as
part of a tour that will take the new work around Wales, and hopefully
further afield in 2014.
Angharad Jenkins, trac’s
project officer, said: “The musicians will compose new, innovative
work and take that work to audiences and communities that otherwise
might not have come across it. It’s an excellent opportunity to take
advantage of recent developments in the folk scene in Wales, and an
opportunity to raise awareness of Wales’s music traditions in a new
and creative way. It’s incredibly timely as well, with the world music
trade fair WOMEX coming to Cardiff next year – 10 In A Bus will help
to put music in Wales in the international spotlight.”
The application deadline
is January 4, 2013. The research phase takes place from Febuary 11 to
16 and the writing phase is from March 3 to 9. They will be recording
in April, and then performing occasionally over the summer. To apply,
contact Angharad at
prosiect@trac-cymru.org, or visit
trac’s website.
Anti-Cap Roadshow at
Level Three
Roots Unearthed, the
regular series of events which Dave Haslam has been putting on in the
Level Three Bar at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall, greets the New Year with
a impressive programme. The Anti-Capitalist Roadshow is on January 15,
with Cardiff’s Frankie Armstrong, Leon Rosselson, Roy Bailey, Jim
Woodland, Janet Russell, Peggy Seeger and more (see the Folkwales OM
interview with Frankie). Dates for the diary are The Emily Portman
Trio (Febuary 12); Juan Martin (March 5); The Home Service (April 30);
Bella Hardy (May 14); and Spiers and Boden (May 20); a couple of
unconfirmed dates during the summer; Martin Simpson (September 19);
Eliza Carthy and Tim Eriksen (October 30). The November date is still
to be pencilled in, with Jamie Smith’s Mabon a possibility.
Gower Folk Festival is
coming home
The Gower Folk Festival is
moving back to the place where it all started, The Greyhound Inn in
Oldwalls, Llanrhidian. The festival’s website says: “The Gower
Heritage Centre, our home for the last 14 years, is not able to
accommodate the Gower Folk Festival in 2013. The good news is that for
our 20th festival, on June 14, 15 and 16, 2013, we are planning to
return to The Greyhound Inn, set in beautiful Llanrhidian, North
Gower, now a fabulous award-winning micro-brewery and home to our
regular folk club.
“Our main programme will
run as usual, this time in a large marquee set in the pub gardens. We
hope to be running workshops just down the road. With the pub's large
function room available for food and drink (and a tune or two), we
know we will be well looked after. Camping will be close by, with
toilets, showers and electrical hook-up available for caravans.
Further details will be available when bookings open in January.”
Folk Club raises funds
for runner Rhys
Newport folk club raised
the magnificent sum of £433 when they staged a charity concert in
support of Rhys Thomas, son of Geri Thomas of The Chartists, who will
be taking part in the London Marathon next year raising funds for St
Anne's Hospice.
The concert featured
Rapsquillion, the Shropshire-based seven-piece harmony group, and
Cardiff-based BarlowCree, who have been chosen to perform at London’s
Cecil Sharp House in February 2013. Organiser Terry Parsons, who
comperes the club’s weekly Thursday nights at the Fugitives Sports
Club in High Cross Road, Rogerstone, said: “Several club members
provided entertaining support to complete the evening. Due to the
effort and generosity of people giving their time and talent free of
charge, we managed to raise £433 in aid of this worthy cause.”
Club on the move
Barry Folk Club has moved
to the Glenbrook Inn in Dobbins Road, Barry, following the Castle
Inn’s closure and the decision of Brain’s Brewery to convert the pub
into flats. The club will moving forward a day to Tuesday, and will
meet on the second Tuesday of the month. Club organiser Davy
Cartwright says that the Wyndham Conservative Club offered space, but
wanted to charge £35! Needless to say, Barry Folk Club declined.
Jamie’s Mabon booked
for Welsh Festivals
Jamie Smith’s Mabon have
been booked for Tredegar House Folk Festival, which runs on the
weekend of May 10 to 12, 2013; they have also been booked for Cwlwm
Celtaidd, the Porthcawl Interceltic Festival, which is happening on
Friday March 1, Saint David’s Day, and all weekend – the gesture was
made by organiser Derek Smith, father of stupendous accordionist and
prolific composer Jamie, whose departure from the band caused a
father-son rift which has now, hopefully, been mended.
Tredegar House Folk
Festival, based in the beautiful and imposing grounds of the historic
Tredegar House, just half a mile of thev M4’s junction 28 on the west
side of the city of Newport, is booking Welsh-Estonian duo Sild
(guitarist Martin Leamon and wonderful singer, fiddler and hiu-kannel
player Sille Ilves), French chanteuse Flossie Malavialle, Durham
singer and guitarist Bob Fox and The Young ‘Uns (Teesside-based Sean
Cooney, David Eagle and Michael Hughes, who with bags of talent and an
enthusiasm for traditional song, are making a big impact on the
traditional folk scene today. Check out the
Tredegar House website and the
Porthcawl
Interceltic Festival
Learning about the War
TASC, the Powys folk music
arts charity, was working with Llandinam Village Hall, the Llandinam
Village School and Powysland Museum on a tea party where the children
were learning from the older generation about their experiences of the
War years in the 1940s. The project helped the children to have a
better understanding of at least some of the aspects of Remembrance
Day, and it also formed part of local history work which TASC started
with the hall's centenary and the facelift it is currently undergoing.
Morris side welcomes
women
Isca Morris, formerly The
Isca Morrismen, have decided to become a mixed side which welcomes
women dancers. The decision was taken following a depletion of numbers
among men, which threatened the dance team’s future. It’s another blow
for The Morris Ring, which only admits male morris dance sides; Isca
Morris will be moving out of the Ring’s membership and will join The
Morris Federation, which welcomes mixed sides.
Les Chittleburgh, the
bagman, said: “We decided that we had no future as a side unless we
changed the composition of our dancers. We have now decided that we
will in future be known as Isca Morris and will be a mixed side, open
to all genders - our website is currently migrating to
www.Isca-Morris.com. We are
now back practising at St Gabriels Church Hall in Old Cwmbran, and all
are welcome to come along from 8pm every Wednesday. Provided we can
attract new recruits, then we would intend to run a full summer
dancing programme as usual; but a decision will be taken on this in
the new year once we have assessed numbers.”
Babs is back from South
African tour
Llantrisant Folk Club
member and singer Babs Protheroe is back from the trip of a lifetime
to Cape Town, where she played a key part in the joint Wales-South
Africa Torchbearers project and intensively rehearsed with the Valleys
Kids Choir – and she thanked the Folk Club and the Pontypridd
community for raising enough money to allow her to go on the journey.
The valued community member, who lives in Rhydyfelin in Taff Vale and
who is blind, diabetic and confined to a wheelchair, needed to raise
£1,500 so that her 26-year-old daughter Amy, who is her carer, could
accompany Babs to South Africa.
Folk Camps heads for
the Welsh borders
Tonyrefail-based caller
Mic Spenceley and musicians Val Will and Chris Jewell lead the Folk
Camps Winter Warmer, which runs from Friday January 25 to Sunday
January 27, 2013 in The Paddocks Hotel in Symonds Yat, near Monmouth.
The hotel boats a big ballroom, and workshops will include music,
song, social dance, ritual dance. The daily programme begins with a
music workshop suitable for all abilities, dance or song workshops,
opportunities to see the area and an evening ceilidh with an
opportunity to call a dance, play in the band or entertain with a song
– and lots of sessions. The price, including full board, is £185 for
an adult; full information, and to book the weekend, from the
Folkcamps
website .
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Aid for Ade
Folkwales
Online Magazine has come to the aid of actor, comedian and musician
Adrian Edmondson in his quest to play a Strohviol, one of the most
unusual old instruments in the world. Adrian - who played Viv the
orange-haired punk rocker in the BBC-One smash hit The Young Ones,
tours arts centres as Ade Edmondson And The Bad Shepherds and was on
tour last Autumn at Cardiff Coal Exchange with Phill Jupitus, Neil
Innes and Rowland Rivron in his creation, The Idiot Bastard Band –
acquired a battered old Strohviol, an ingenious one-string violin with
a metal horn which was patented in 1899 by its German inventor,
Augustus Stroh. The Strohviol does not have a wooden body; but it has
a diaphragm, which transmits the sound directly though its enormous
horn. In the early days of recording, entire orchestras played
Strohviols and other horned stringed instruments – including the
‘cello and the double bass – to ensure a sound that could be heard.
Strohviols were manufactured for 20 years, until advances in recording
technology made them obsolete.
Adrian, who is married to
Absolutely Fabulous star and stage writer Jennifer Saunders, got in
touch with Mick Tems, Llantrisant Folk Club’s life president and
editor of Folkwales Online Magazine, over a problem of a mystery
missing part. He sent some detailed photos of the Strohviol. Mick in
turn referred Adrian to Gerhard Kress, who, like Stroh, was born in
born in Frankfurt-Am-Main, now lives in Pontypridd and has two
Strohviols. In fact, Llantrisant Folk Club musicians now have three
Strohviols – the other one belongs to Olly Price, music director of
Gwerinwyr Gwent Welsh dance team, who brought it as a morris musician
years ago. Adrian was very grateful for Gerhard’s advice, and has sent
Mick Stroh’s patent application letter, dated 1899, and a photo of
Stroh’s collection of horned instruments, exhibited in the Museum Of
Instruments in London’s Royal College Of Music.
Cwpwrdd Nansi
kicks off
Angharad Jenkins has been
instrumental in setting up Cwpwrdd Nansi, a new Wednesday monthly folk
night at Cardiff’s Gwdihŵ Café bar in
Guidford Cresent, just off Churchill Way, with the best of
contemporary folk music from Wales and beyond. Named after the
autobiography featuring the triple harpist Nansi Richards, Angharad
says that these will be very special evenings of music and song. Last
month’s line-up included Alaw (accordionist Jamie Smith, ace fiddler
Oli Wilson-Dickson and guitarist Dylan Fowler), Gildas and Carwyn
Tywyn.
Allan Yn Y Fan at the
Glanfa Stage
Allan Yn Y Fan will be
concluding their live dates in 2012 with two performances on the
Glanfa Stage of the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on Sunday
December 23 at 1.15pm and 6.15pm – and they’re both free to attend.
Band member Geoff Cripps
said: “It has been a brilliant year for the band. We released our
fourth album, Pwnco, in April to universally positive reviews,
undertook a 12-date theatre tour of England and Wales, enjoyed great
reactions to our concerts in the Czech Republic and Germany as well as
our two English Folk Festival main stage appearances. So, in what has
become something of a tradition for the band, thanks to WMC, we’re
delighted to conclude the year with these two gigs on the Glanfa
Stage. We’ll be kicking up a storm, and hope the crowds will be up for
leaping about a bit, too.”
The band will take time
off around Christmas before preparing for their return to the world’s
biggest mid-winter Scottish festival, Celtic Connections, when they
will be sharing the stage of the Tron Theatre, Glasgow, with the
legendary Robin and Bina Williamson on Wednesday January 30, 2013 (click
here for more details). Other 2013 dates are Frome Folk Festival,
February 17; Pontio Neuadd Powis, Bangor, with Mosihe’s Bagel,
February 22; Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells, Saturday March 9;
Theatr Hafren, Newtown, Powys, April 26; Fishguard Folk Festival’s
Theatr Gwaun, Saturday May 25; Beverley Folk Festival, June 22 and 23.
Heidi, June, Oysterband
coming
Two mouthwatering gigs
from Rhondda Cynon Tâf CBC in the coming year: Irish singer Heidi
Talbot makes a welcome return to The Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd, on
Wednesday, Febuary 20 at 8pm to showcase work from her new album,
Angels Without Wings, she will be joined by world-renowned John
McCusker on fiddle and Ian Carr on guitar. The past two years have
seen Heidi nominated for two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards - she recorded
and toured with Idlewild, Eddi Reader, Michael McGoldrick and Kris
Drever, and she played sell-out concerts all over the UK and Ireland,
launching her album The Last Star to rave reviews.
June Tabor and Oysterband
play the last show of their highly-successful Ragged Kingdom tour at
the Park And Dare Theatre in Treorci on Saturday February 23 (8pm),
and this is the final gig before Ray Cooper (aka Chopper) leaves the
band to pursue a career as a solo singer-songwriter. Ray said: “After
many years of constant touring and recording, it is not easy to leave
the friends, the fans and the life I have known. We have shared a lot
of ups and downs and have grown together to be more like a family than
a band. However, since the release of my solo album, Tales Of Love War
And Death By Hanging, a couple of years ago, I knew that a door had
been opened for me and another more challenging path lay waiting. I
have to sing.
“The experience of being a
part of Oysterband has been a wonderful one, as has been the warmth
and energy of the fans we have played to along the way. This has been
by far the best group I have ever played with and probably will remain
so. Oysterband have plenty of albums to make and tours to play yet, I
wish them well and thank them for being who they are.”
It was Elvis Costello who
made the famous quote: "If you can't appreciate June Tabor, you should
just stop listening to music." Twenty-one years ago, June and
Oysterband made a landmark album of dark folk together called Freedom
and Rain - a union Rolling Stone called: “a marriage made in heaven”.
Their potent energy and top-flight musicianship made for something out
of the ordinary, and they toured the UK and America with great
success. This time, they were back in the studio, with a new album of
gorgeous tunes and brooding intensity called Ragged Kingdom. At this
year's BBC Folk Awards, Oysterband swept the board receiving four
awards including Best Group, Best Album and Folk Singer of the Year.
Advanced booking is strongly advised - £17 in advance, £20 on the
door.
Anne promotes Folk21
day
Abergavenny
singer-songwriter Anne Lister is liaising with trac (the all-Wales
folk development organisation) to set up a South Wales Day, one of a
number of Regional Days which will focus on and highlight folk clubs
in Britain – and she is enrolling committee members to help get the
Day off the ground.
Anne is on the focus
group-cum-steering committee of Folk21, the campaigning organisation
which aims to raise the profile of folk, and she contacted trac
director Danny Kilbride and administrator Blanche Rowen. She said:
“Folk21 is attempting to work with smaller venues which book
performers to achieve better audience numbers, younger members of the
audience and all-round improvements in their sustainability and
future. Each region in the UK is setting up a Regional Day, with
sessions for club and venue organisers for discussions, networking and
practical issues.
“In the evening there is a
showcase of performers, generally with a headline act. These have
already happened in Yorkshire and the East Midlands, and a splendid
venture is planned for London in February 2013.” Now Anne is involved
in discussions with Rhondda Cynon Tâf arts director Geoff Cripps to
arrange a venue for a regional day.
Kate moves to
Ceridigion
Kate Riaz, the cello
player and accompanying musician to Issy and David Emeney, has
emigrated to Ceridigion and has brought a house in Llangrannog. She
contacted Folkwales Online Magazine, wanting to know the names of
musicians which whom she could collaborate – and Folkwales OM was
happy to oblige. Croeso i Gymru!
Bretons for Llantrisant
Superb Breton duo Brigitte
Kloareg and Yann-Fanch Perroches play for Llantrisant Folk Club in The
Windsor Hotel, Pontyclun on Wednesday, May 24 next year. Brigitte
lived in Aberystwyth and sang with her ex-partner, Jonathan Shorland;
she then worked at Cardiff University, before returning to her Breton
homeland. Accordèon diatonique expert Yann-Fanch has collaborated with
many artists and bands, including the mighty Skolvan and the brilliant
fest-noz group La Godinette, composed of the fabulous fiddle player
Pierrick Lemou and the bombarde-biniou duo Jean Barron and Christian
Anneix.
The Club has published an
exciting Wednesday-night programme for Christmas and the coming year.
Bristol shanty singers The Harry Browns are at the Club’s Christmas
party on December 19, followed by BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award winner
Ewan McLennan on January 16; Ewan’s debut album Rags And Robes, has
been receiving critical acclaim. Reg Meuross, hailed by Time Out as
“One of Britain’s finest singer songwriters”, makes his debut on
January 30; master fiddler Tom McConville and political
songwriter/guitarist David Newey instill North-South excitement on
March 6; and the Club showcases Shropshire seven-strong harmony group
Rapsquillion on March 27. American shanty singers Joy Bennett and
Chris Loldewey appear on April 3, and mesmerising, superb
singer/songwriters O’Hooley and Tidow are on May 29.
Lightning DOES strike
twice…
Dana and Susan Robinson,
who are releasing their new CD American Hornpipe, have been in the
wars not once, but twice. The Ashville, North Carolina musicians’
promotional CD tour had to be cancelled; they were just about to set
off when Dana fell off a ladder, broke his wrist and could not play
his instruments. Then a few weeks later, the Bristol-based Different
Strings Agency heard that a snake had bitten Susan. Agent Lorraine
Carpenter said: “Luckily, it was the rather beautiful-looking
copperhead snake whose bite is seldom fatal, though it is still pretty
nasty; Susan was hobbling around on crutches for a while.” But
following a couple of months recuperating, Dana and Susan were back on
the road and looking forward to returning to the UK, twice next year
(late May-early July and November, hopefully playing in Wales.)
American Hornpipe has been getting an overall thumbs-up from the media
and fans alike, too.
Pwnco competition
winner
Folkwales Online
Magazine’s Pwnco CD competition was won by Catherine Jones, of
Cardiff, who correctly identified Dic Penderyn’s real name as… Richard
Lewis. She wins the latest Allan Yn Y Fan Pwnco platter.
Sorry, Heather!
Doh: It’s red-faced
apology time yet again. The latest victim was Heather Bristow, whom
Folkwales CD Reviews succeeded in marrying her off to the wrong person
entirely. Heather says that she’s happily married to Daniel Bristow,
and just to show that there’s no ill-will, she donated a copy of Hope
On The Vine, her 2009 debut CD release – it’s exquisitely excellent!
North Wales Club news
Conwy Folk Club have
singers’ nights at The British Legion, Rosehill Street, but one of
their occasional guest nights happens on Monday February 25 with
Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston. Rhyl Folk Club are drawing up a
programme for 2013 and the first guests of the year will be Keith
Kendrick and Sylvia Needham on Friday, February 15, followed by
fiddler Tom McConville (April 26.) The Ruthin All Styles Music Club
meet on Thursdays at The Cross Keys, Mwrog Street, Llanfwrog; ex-ELO
musician Phil Bates is the guest on February 28. Sessions at the White
Lion, Llanelian, Colwyn Bay happens every Wednesday (8.30pm).
Organisers John and Gill Les also run the North Wales Bluegrass
Festival, which takes place on the first weekend in July (www.northwalesbluegrass.co.uk).
The Mucky Duck Folk Club, featuring The Celtic Notes, meets weekly on
Tuesdays at St Mary’s Club, Flint (8pm.)
On the Wirral, the Hungry
Horse Folk Club at Whitby Sports and Social Club, Chester Road,
Ellesmere Port, meet every Thursday. The 2013 programme includes Steve
Knightley (February 22), Archie Fisher (March 21) and Jez Lowe (April
11). The Chester Folk Day is on Saturday, February 23 at the Hoole
Community Centre, Westminster Road, Chester; Dave Burland heads the
guestlist. The popular Maritime Festival, based at the National
Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, takes place over the Easter weekend
(March 30 and 31) is fast becoming one of the most important maritime
festivals in the world.
Topic wins CD poll
I’m A Romany Rai, the
Topic CD which Folkwales Online Magazine was hailing in the reviews
page, has won the Compilation/Reissue of the Year in the fRoots
critics’ poll. The set was also placed fourth in the same poll's Award
for Best Packaged Album. The others CDs in the Voice Of The People
Folkwales OM review also did well; You Never Heard So Sweet was placed
a close-run second, and Sarah Makem’s The Heart Is True was seventh.
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