Jim Lloyd

Last of the Young Tradition play Jim Lloyd out in style!

After thirty years of broadcasting on all matters folk, Jim Lloyd is retiring at the end of this season of Folk on Two in December. On 12 November, Jim was in celebratory mood as he presented a concert featuring some of the country's most exciting folk talent. A decade ago Jim instigated a competition to search for and encourage excellence amongst up-and-coming folk musicians - the Young Tradition Award. On that night the Award came to the end of its ten year run, as all nine holders of the Award got together with friends and colleagues to play Jim out in style.

Having played in a variety of combinations with various guests, all nine Award holders -Lynne Connolly (an accordionist who became the first Award holder under her maiden name of Tocker and went on to join The Kathryn Tickell Band), Simon Thoumire (a composer whose concertina has been played by Prince Charles in front of Sir Yehudi Menuhin), Ingrid Henderson (a harpist who won the Award aged just thirteen), premier Shetland fiddler Catriona MacDonald, folk-jazz fusion accordionist Luke Daniels (currently part of the Riverdance orchestra), classically trained fiddler Carleen Anglim, singer and folk dancer Kathryn Roberts (the only singer to win the Award). Uillean piper and flautist Michael McGoldrick (familiar to the readers of these pages) and Orkney fiddler Jennifer Wrigley (the current holder of the Award) - got together with friends and family Hazel Wrigley (guitar), Ian Lowthian (accordion) and Liz O'Connor (guitar), to display their collective and singular talents in the first (and last?) performance by the Young Tradition Big Band under the baton of John Kirkpatrick to give Jim a suitably boisterous send-off.

The award has proved an invaluable launching pad for young careers. Aside from the glory of winning, the accolade also provided them with the opportunity to showcase their talents at major festivals overseas as part of their prize, some sound advice on stage craft and an insight into the business sense needed to survive in the wicked world of music!

However, it seems we may not have heard the last from Jim. During a break in recording, BBC Birmingham's editor, Music, Geoffrey Hewitt - himself a former adjudicator for the Award - presented Jim with a special gift from the Award holders and production team: the very latest in digital recording technology in the form of a portable CD recorder. So it is not farewell Jim but au revoir.

Irish readers who would like to hear some of the great music thrown up by the Young Tradition awards can order copies of two Tapes Evolving Tradition 1 and II from Mrs Casey Music. Theres also a book of tunes to go with them published by Dave Mallison of Leeds. Some stunning stuff, featuring 39 performers, many of whom were finalists in the YTA. Tel 0044 1296 394411 to order a copy.

What must have been rather disturbing for the BBC, was the almost total lack of English material these folks played. Over 90% of the tunes are Irish/Scottish/Celtic, no Morris or English barn dance music, as if the Dransfields never existed - anybody got a decent conspiracy theory.?

December '97 / January '98