Classic Folk with Mike Norris
Former English Folk Dance and Song Society Chairman (2006–2011) and long-standing member Mike Norris hosts our weekly folk radio programme.
Mike explores a wide range of folk and acoustic music from the UK and abroad – from rarely heard archive and field recordings to the very latest releases.
Listen now
Monday 21 September 2020
This week’s music
1. Willowood / Amazing Blondel
2. The Highlight of my Week / Robb Johnson & The Irregulars
3. Living In These Troubled Times / Maura O’Connell
4. Ruby Eyes / The Rhaa
5. Broomfield Hill / Graham And Eileen Pratt
6. Morag's Reels / Wolfstone
7. Tam Lin / Fairport Convention
8. Dark Moon, High Tide / Afro Celt Sound System
9. Highland Widow’s Lament / Ian Campbell Folk Group
10. Two Recruiting Sergeants / Ian Campbell Folk Group
11. The Earl Of Moray / Ian Campbell Folk Group
12. The Holland Handkerchief / Eve Telford
13. Golden Hoards / The Ciderhouse Rebellion
14. Tobermory / Capercaillie
15. The Bonnie Banks Of Fordie / Nic Jones
16. Blackwaterside / Polly Bolton
17. Girl With The ‘Nut-Browne’ Hair / Luke Daniels
18. Country Girl / Carolina Chocolate Drops
19. Reno Nevada / Iain Matthews
20. Better Days / Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
21. Sir Patrick Spens / Martin Carthy With Dave Swarbrick
22. Fair Annie / Steve Tilston & Maggie Boyle
23. Shepherd's Hey / The Hut People
24. Rounding the Horn / Patterson, Jordan, Dipper
25. Bold Harpooner / Jeff Warner
26. Working On The Railroad / Ralph McTell
The presenter: Mike Norris
Mike’s passion for folk music spans decades; from first learning to play the melodeon and singing shanties at school, to running folk festivals and gigs.
A teenager during the 1960s, Mike was heavily influenced by protest song and folk-rock popularity (Bob Dylan, the Copper Family, Joan Baez, Fairport Convention etc), as well as the tail end of the folk-song revival shaped by The Watersons, Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, Shirley Collins, Woody Guthrie and many more.
Interesting fact: The hospital where Mike was born, in Portsmouth, grew out of the workhouse where George Gardiner collected more than 100 songs in the early 1900s.
