So many owe Alan a great debt for the endless lengths he would go to in order to promote music and artists he believed in. His intelligence, warmth and kindness were self-evident. We will always remember his passion for all the music he touched and all the love and support he showed for those that made it – Peter Gabriel
A diverse mix of top musicians will come together in April at Cecil Sharp House, the London home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, for joyous celebrations of the life and achievements of Alan James, the influential figure in contemporary music who died in April 2019. The evening promises to be a varied musical feast, reflecting Alan’s eclectic musical tastes and his ability to foster exciting artistic collaborations, with performances by musicians who touched his life over the years.
Proceeds will go towards the English Folk Dance and Song Society’s Alan James Creative Bursary and Residency Programme, which commemorates Alan by supporting artists in exploring new creative ideas inspired by and sourced from traditional English folk music.
Lisa Jên, vocalist of 9Bach, said “This promises to be a very special night for many reasons, 9Bach have not played live for over two years, and we’ll be showcasing some brand new songs, and a new direction that we’ve been working on with Andy Gangadeen. We’re also delighted to be able to contribute to the bursaries which honour Alan James, and generally to celebrate his life, as he had such a big impact on the band.”
John Metcalfe, highly sought-after composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and arranger, said “This promises to be a wonderful night, and such a lovely way to remember and celebrate Alan’s life. I am so honoured to be taking part and looking forward to playing with some amazing musicians and friends”.
Katy Spicer, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, said: “As our Chair of Trustees, Alan’s great love and extraordinary wide knowledge of music was instrumental in developing our artists development programme. The creative bursaries in his memory support a wide range of artists in their explorations of the English folk arts, and their development of new music inspired and influenced by folk.”
