Happy Christmas everyone! And my best wishes for a peaceful New Year.

In this episode I encourage you to use Bandcamp as a way to help musicians make a living from their work. The link to the site is https://bandcamp.com/ And I am pleased once again to be able to thank the people who have helped me upload nearly 40 episodes since the first one was published in May 2023. They are:

Mike Coleman

Paul Frear (aka Uncle PAF)

Craig Atkinson (Allen Valleys Folk Festival)

Ian K Brown

Penny Grennan

My guest today is Ray Taylor, Musical Director of the Hexham Male Voice Choir.

The Choir has been singing for well over 70 years, covering a large catalogue of secular and choral music that includes popular modern song and familiar classics. It performs live several times each year, often together with other music groups and choirs. The current membership numbers just over 20.

Ray became Musical Director in 2024, having been a member for about two years. He has a long track record as a member of several prestigious choirs and his vision for the Hexham Male Voice Choir promises to raise its ambition and its profile, including more collaborations with other choirs in the area.

The Choir’s next concert is called The Magic of Music and will be held in Hexham Trinity Methodist Church on Saturday December the 14th. In this episode, the Choir performs two specially recorded classics that will feature in the concert: The Rose and Bridge Over Troubled Water. The accompanist was Zoe Solomon.

Today’s episode also features guest appearances from Ray’s dogs. Perhaps they were auditioning for a choir of their own, or maybe they knew that the podcast is pet-friendly and wanted to get in on the interview. Their hopes on this occasion were dashed. Better luck next time.

Hexham Male Voice Choir rehearses every Thursday evening at the West End Methodist Church. Newcomers are guaranteed a warm welcome and anyone who is wondering if choir singing is for them is encouraged to go along and find out. Information about the choir and its concerts is available on its Facebook page and on its website, https://www.hexhammalevoicechoir.co.uk/.

Hi Welcome to the 3tynespodcast. Today’s guest is the multitalented Phil Ogg.

 Phil Ogg was born in Prudhoe and has been a familiar presence on the music scene in Northumberland for many years. He has worn many hats during his career, including singer, songwriter and guitarist as well as community music enthusiast, lately evident in the many gigs he organises in the 3tynes area through his non-profit promotion organisation Twango. His distinctive musical style evolved from a classical music education informed by an eclectic range of interests and his thoughtful approach to creativity. Martin Stephenson has described his songs as 'baritonic, expansive, mindful, hopeful'.

In this episode, Phil talks about the motivations for songwriting and the value of music as a keystone of the community, and he plays two compositions recorded specially for the podcast. 

You can follow Phil on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/phil.ogg.7) and his music can be found on Bandcamp (https://philogg.bandcamp.com/). Information about Twango’s gigs is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Twangogg. 

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Yakka Doon is the stage name for the folk persona of Claire Welford, a singer and songwriter who lives on the edge of the North Pennines. Her distinctive voice and rich lyricism create a style that is unique in folk circles and one that rewards close listening. Claire also plays bass in the slowcore band The Last Path, a style that appears to be a complete contrast to Yakka Doon but one that has some common roots in the folk tradition. In this episode, Claire talks about how she developed as a singer and songwriter and why she sings her songs on the stage.

You can find Yakka Doon’s music on Bandcamp at https://yakkadoon.bandcamp.com/ and on streaming pltaforms such as Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/7IYYYfYLkhgIcPR7kl9PbG?si=QW_AgrXRTjW308AzLouaBQ and Apple Music https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/yakka-doon/1539966704

The Last Path are also on Bandcamp at https://thelastpath.bandcamp.com/album/convenience-kills

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In this episode, we look at how a major folk music festival emerged in the town of Allendale, in the East Allen Valley. Craig Atkinson and Peter Alcroft talk about the development of the Allen Valleys Folk Festival to become one of the premier small events on the folk circuit. They reflect on how their experiences over the years has enabled to the 2024 festival to field a roster of local and national artists supported by events in the town itself.

The festival dates for 2024 are Friday 27th to Sunday 29th September. You can find more information at  https://www.allenvalleysfolkfestival.co.uk and on Facebook, Instagram and X.

The music in this episode is from The Bird and The Black Road, by Will Good and The Mattes.

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Kim Bull is a player and maker of the Northumbrian pipes, a type of bagpipes unique to Northumberland that is small and characteristically sweeter-sounding than the familiar Highland pipes.

For many years, Kim was renowned as a national-level coach in canoeing and kayaking but, having been a recreational piper since acquiring a set for his wedding, he switched career when the pandemic lockdown severely curtailed outdoor sports. He has now built a new reputation as someone who can repair and service other people’s pipes and make his own sets from the raw materials.

In this three-part episode, Kim explains how the Northumbrian pipes evolved from the traditional keyless type into the range of instruments played today, and how this led to different styles of playing. He describes how the pipes are made and talks about his journey from top level sports coach to top level pipe maker.

Kim is featured on the 3tynespodcast jukebox on YouTube playing Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr – go to https://youtu.be/uwADg4znY30.

There is information about the Northumbrian pipes on Kim’s website at https://www.northumbrianpipes.co.uk/, including an illustrated account of their making. You can hear examples of pipe music on his SoundCloud page at https://soundcloud.com/kim-bull and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@kimbull-northumbrianpipema5278.

The tunes Kim plays in today’s episodes are: 

In Episode One: Because He Was A Bonny Lad, a traditional tune; Lament of the Border Reiver (played on the Border pipes), composed by Roy M Hugman; Edward the Second, which is from the Dixon Manuscript; and another traditional tune, Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr.

In Episode Two, we also hear Kim play Jacky Layton, a traditional variation set dating to at least the 1700s, and a reprise of Edward The Second.

And in Episode Three, we reprise Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr and Because He Was A Bonny Lad. 

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Kim Bull is a player and maker of the Northumbrian pipes, a type of bagpipes unique to Northumberland that is small and characteristically sweeter-sounding than the familiar Highland pipes.

For many years, Kim was renowned as a national-level coach in canoeing and kayaking but, having been a recreational piper since acquiring a set for his wedding, he switched career when the pandemic lockdown severely curtailed outdoor sports. He has now built a new reputation as someone who can repair and service other people’s pipes and make his own sets from the raw materials.

In this three-part episode, Kim explains how the Northumbrian pipes evolved from the traditional keyless type into the range of instruments played today, and how this led to different styles of playing. He describes how the pipes are made and talks about his journey from top level sports coach to top level pipe maker.

Kim is featured on the 3tynespodcast jukebox on YouTube playing Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr – go to https://youtu.be/uwADg4znY30.

There is information about the Northumbrian pipes on Kim’s website at https://www.northumbrianpipes.co.uk/, including an illustrated account of their making. You can hear examples of pipe music on his SoundCloud page at https://soundcloud.com/kim-bull and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@kimbull-northumbrianpipema5278.

The tunes Kim plays in today’s episodes are: 

In Episode One: Because He Was A Bonny Lad, a traditional tune; Lament of the Border Reiver (played on the Border pipes), composed by Roy M Hugman; Edward the Second, which is from the Dixon Manuscript; and another traditional tune, Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr.

In Episode Two, we also hear Kim play Jacky Layton, a traditional variation set dating to at least the 1700s, and a reprise of Edward The Second.

And in Episode Three, we reprise Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr and Because He Was A Bonny Lad. 

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Kim Bull is a player and maker of the Northumbrian pipes, a type of bagpipes unique to Northumberland that is small and characteristically sweeter-sounding than the familiar Highland pipes.

For many years, Kim was renowned as a national-level coach in canoeing and kayaking but, having been a recreational piper since acquiring a set for his wedding, he switched career when the pandemic lockdown severely curtailed outdoor sports. He has now built a new reputation as someone who can repair and service other people’s pipes and make his own sets from the raw materials.

In this three-part episode, Kim explains how the Northumbrian pipes evolved from the traditional keyless type into the range of instruments played today, and how this led to different styles of playing. He describes how the pipes are made and talks about his journey from top level sports coach to top level pipe maker.

Kim is featured on the 3tynespodcast jukebox on YouTube playing Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr – go to https://youtu.be/uwADg4znY30.

There is information about the Northumbrian pipes on Kim’s website at https://www.northumbrianpipes.co.uk/, including an illustrated account of their making. You can hear examples of pipe music on his SoundCloud page at https://soundcloud.com/kim-bull and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@kimbull-northumbrianpipema5278.

The tunes Kim plays in today’s episodes are: 

In Episode One: Because He Was A Bonny Lad, a traditional tune; Lament of the Border Reiver (played on the Border pipes), composed by Roy M Hugman; Edward the Second, which is from the Dixon Manuscript; and another traditional tune, Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr.

In Episode Two, we also hear Kim play Jacky Layton, a traditional variation set dating to at least the 1700s, and a reprise of Edward The Second.

And in Episode Three, we reprise Drops of Brandy/Andrew Kerr and Because He Was A Bonny Lad. 

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Today, June 22nd, we’re joining Hexham Abbey and the people of Hexham to celebrate the memory of Etheldreda with the Under the Sun music festival and an evening performance of Arrival, a specially developed work of movement and song about the experience of migration and finding a new home.

Etheldreda was an East Anglian Princess who was forcibly married to Ecgfrith, Prince of Northumbria. He became king in 670 but they divorced and, in 672, Etheldreda gave the lands we now know as Hexhamshire to Wilfred, Bishop of Northumbria, who founded the Abbey in 674.

The Under the Sun festival was held in the Abbey cloisters and was organised by Penny Grennan and the Queens Hall Arts Centre, Hexham. The musicians you will hear are: The Storytellers Street Band, Fiddolin, The Platform House Band, The Hex Pistols and Blue Lass. 

You can find the Storytellers Street Band, the Hex Pistols and Blue Lass on Facebook. Fiddolin’s music is on Soundcloud. The Platform House Band perform regularly at the Platform Bar on Hexham’s railway station. 

The Arrival performance was part of the Seeds of Hope programme, a collaboration between Theatres San Frontieres (https://tsf.org.uk/) and actors and musicians from Northumberland and Ukraine.

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Today we are at Alston Live – the first of the five larger music festivals that are held in the three Tynes area each year. 

The festival featured 17 bands playing an eclectic range of music on Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th of July in the Potato Market, Town Foot, St Augustine's Church and the Town Hall.

There is, of course, no substitute for being there – the clue to enjoying Alston Live at its best is in the name – but you can get a flavour of the festival from the videos posted on its Facebook page. Do check out social media and the streaming platforms to hear more music from the artists who played.

In this episode, I talk to the bands who played on Saturday and hear some of their music, beginning with an outdoor salsa session and closing the festival with a packed and very hot audience dancing to soul classics in the Town Hall.

Because of copyright laws, I can’t bring you the music played by covers bands but the episode does include some original songs courtesy of the artists themselves. I didn’t get to see every band, so I apologise to Blue Scarrow and Shipcote and Friends for not including them here.

My thanks to Paul Frear and the organising committee for making me so welcome, and to all the musicians who took the time to talk to me. Keep an eye on the calendar for the dates to next year’s Alston Live.

The bands included in this episode are:

Street Beats Salsa Band

David Roe and the Hainton Symphonic Orchestra

Harry and Robin

Andy Fraser

Reubens Train

Bleeding Kansas

99 Mr Bens

Cian Downing

Soul Junction

Thanks for listening to the 3tynespodcast. I hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe and tell your friends about it.

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Vic Gammon is a distinguished music historian, teacher and a composer and player in the traditional folk style – a man who, in a very full musical career, has played with folk aristocracy including Martin Carthy and Judy Collins. 

Vic has worked in music education for most of his life. He was a music teacher in Huddersfield before joining the University of Leeds to manage the BA in Popular and World Musics. In 2004, he became Senior Lecturer in Folk and Traditional Music at the International Centre for Music Studies at the University of Newcastle.

Vic’s interest is in the music of ordinary people. He has published research papers and monographs on traditional music and tune books of traditional folk melodies. 

Much of Vic’s work is free to access on the Internet Archive (https://archive.org and search for ‘Vic Gammon’ in the Archive, not using the WaybackMachine search tool). He has several CDs to his credit and some tunes are available on SoundCloud, Apple Music and Spotify. You can also find videos of his performances on YouTube and a Google search will generate enough hits to keep you busy for several hours. He now lives in Tynedale and can sometimes be found playing in folk sessions in local venues.

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Vic Gammon is a distinguished music historian, teacher and a composer and player in the traditional folk style – a man who, in a very full musical career, has played with folk aristocracy including Martin Carthy and Judy Collins. 

Vic has worked in music education for most of his life. He was a music teacher in Huddersfield before joining the University of Leeds to manage the BA in Popular and World Musics. In 2004, he became Senior Lecturer in Folk and Traditional Music at the International Centre for Music Studies at the University of Newcastle.

Vic’s interest is in the music of ordinary people. He has published research papers and monographs on traditional music and tune books of traditional folk melodies. 

Much of Vic’s work is free to access on the Internet Archive (https://archive.org and search for ‘Vic Gammon’ in the Archive, not using the WaybackMachine search tool). He has several CDs to his credit and some tunes are available on SoundCloud, Apple Music and Spotify. You can also find videos of his performances on YouTube and a Google search will generate enough hits to keep you busy for several hours. He now lives in Tynedale and can sometimes be found playing in folk sessions in local venues.

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If you’ve been to a gig, play or creative event in your local community hall, chances are that it was made possible by Highlights North. In this episode, Kate Lynch, Director of Highlights Rural Touring Scheme, describes the challenges faced by venues and performers in putting on gigs in rural areas, and how Highlights works to overcome them.

Highlights is a charity that supports events in rural venues by connecting local people with musicians, actors and artists and removing much of the financial risk that comes with booking a performer. It is also very active in supporting creative events in schools.

Working across Northumberland, County Durham and Cumbria, it is funded by and partners with Arts Council England, Arts Out West, Durham County Council, Cumberland Council, National Rural Touring Forum, Northumberland County Council and Westmorland and Furness Council.

You can find more information about Highlights at https://highlightsnorth.co.uk and https://www.facebook.com/highlightsrural, https://www.instagram.com/highlightsrural and https://twitter.com/highlightsrural.

You can find more information about BAAFest, including details of the line up, venue and dates, at https://baafest.com/ and Facebook. As well as several stages of music, festival goers can enjoy on-site workshops and craft stalls, and real ale from Bellingham’s very own First and Last Brewery.

The music from this episode is from Enough Now by Will Good and The Mattes.

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Ian K Brown is one of the most familiar singer songwriters on the Northumberland folk circuit. His style of carefully crafted folk songs, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, has won many fans at festivals and clubs throughout the country. He is instrumental in organising local festivals and has worked with the eminent folk singer Maddy Prior and bassist Rick Kemp. He organises gigs at Wark every two months, featuring a touring band and a support set from himself with the accompaniment of singer Louise Ainsley. Ian is also renowned as a ukelele teacher, giving regular classes and workshops at festivals.

In this episode, Ian talks about his career, his influences and the challenges musicians face in finding gigs and developing their careers.

The songs featured in this episode are You Can Stay, Who’s The Bad Guy, I remember The Time and Lullaby.

Ian is featured on the 3tynespodcast jukebox on YouTube – go to https://youtu.be/uqMS-Kc5mZk.

Ian’s music is available on Bandcamp at https://iankbrown.bandcamp.com/ and on SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/ikbian. You can follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BrownIanK, where you’ll find information about upcoming gigs.

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Marshall Nattrass is a singer-songwriter from Hexham. In his long career he’s played in bands but he has been a solo singer for many years and is now a well-established performer in the festivals, pubs and bars of Northumberland and Tyneside. Marshall’s music draws on the romance and lived experience of Americana to tell tales of heartbreak, redemption, love and hope. He now plays mostly original songs, as you can hear on his 2024 album Vatican City Serenades.

You can find Marshall’s music on the usual streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, and on Bandcamp at https://marshallnattrass.bandcamp.com/. His Facebook pages are https://www.facebook.com/marshall.nattrass.7 and https://www.facebook.com/p/Marshall-Nattrass-The-Highway-Gypsys-100035054347502. His YouTube channel is www.youtube.com/@marshallnattrass. 

The songs Marshall plays in the podcast are West Road, Letter on the Dresser and Roll on Back.

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David Oliver is an eminent musician in Hexham. He is a champion of community-based music, having established the Hexham Village Ceilidh Band (https://www.facebook.com/groups/hexhamvillageband) and the Hedgehog Skin’s Ceilidh Band (http://hedgehogsskin.co.uk/).

David’s enthusiasm for traditional music began in earnest when, on his first night at university in Leeds, he and fellow novices were welcomed to their college with a lively rapper sword dance. Working as a secondary school teacher, he went on to play and promote traditional dance music In 1993 he was appointed Education Director of Folkworks, based in Gateshead (subsequently moving to the Sage Gateshead).

In these episodes, David talks about his career, the importance of social music to wellbeing and how he came to establish the Hexham Village Ceilidh Band. The music was recorded during one of the band’s regular ceilidhs in Hexham.

If you’d like to know more about the positive effects of social dancing, the research David referred to was first published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2003 (https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa022252). There’s an easy-to-read summary of it on a website called Stanford Dance, which is full of interesting information about the benefits of dancing (https://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm).

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David Oliver is an eminent musician in Hexham. He is a champion of community-based music, having established the Hexham Village Ceilidh Band (https://www.facebook.com/groups/hexhamvillageband) and the Hedgehog Skin’s Ceilidh Band (http://hedgehogsskin.co.uk/).

David’s enthusiasm for traditional music began in earnest when, on his first night at university in Leeds, he and fellow novices were welcomed to their college with a lively rapper sword dance. Working as a secondary school teacher, he went on to play and promote traditional dance music In 1993 he was appointed Education Director of Folkworks, based in Gateshead (subsequently moving to the Sage Gateshead).

In these episodes, David talks about his career, the importance of social music to wellbeing and how he came to establish the Hexham Village Ceilidh Band. The music was recorded during one of the band’s regular ceilidhs in Hexham.

If you’d like to know more about the positive effects of social dancing, the research David referred to was first published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2003 (https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa022252). There’s an easy-to-read summary of it on a website called Stanford Dance, which is full of interesting information about the benefits of dancing (https://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm).

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Allen Valleys Folk Festival takes place on September 27th - 29th. More info at https://www.allenvalleysfolkfestival.co.uk/

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Dean Parker is a songwriter, guitarist and music producer based in Newcastle, and Studio Manager and Music Advisor at Hexham’s Core Music.

Dean’s music is carefully crafted, characterised by inventive melodic turns and meaningful lyrics. With his band, he self-organised a trip to play in the musical shrines of Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee and is now gigging in the North East and across the UK. 

In this episode, Dean talks about his approach to songwriting, his career as a session musician in London’s intensely competitive scene, and his return to the North East to form a band and develop his skills as a producer.

The songs featured in these episodes are Heat, The Death of a Certain Kind of Life and Yes, Love Forever. You can find Dean’s music on his website at https://www.deanparkermusic.com/, on Bandcamp at https://deanparkermusic.bandcamp.com, and on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fQgcw3d0f3qHu3o5JscPm?si=Ze1HXPUlSJiRml9txK8raw.

His Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/iamdeanparker and you can follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/deanparker__.

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Dean Parker is a songwriter, guitarist and music producer based in Newcastle, and is Studio Manager and Music Advisor at Hexham’s Core Music.

Dean’s music is carefully crafted, characterised by inventive melodic turns and meaningful lyrics. With his band, he self-organised a trip to play in the musical shrines of Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee and is now gigging in the North East and across the UK. 

In this episode, Dean talks about his approach to songwriting, his career as a session musician in London’s intensely competitive scene, and his return to the North East to form a band and develop his skills as a producer.

The songs featured in these episodes are Heat, The Death of a Certain Kind of Life and Yes, Love Forever. You can find Dean’s music on his website at https://www.deanparkermusic.com/, on Bandcamp at https://deanparkermusic.bandcamp.com, and on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fQgcw3d0f3qHu3o5JscPm?si=Ze1HXPUlSJiRml9txK8raw.

His Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/iamdeanparker and you can follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/deanparker__.

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Alston Live Festival will take place on July 19th and 20th. More info at https://alstonlive.com/

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Paul Frear is a singer-songwriter from Alston, Cumbria, in the upper South Tyne valley. His political stance and direct, guitar-based delivery have prompted comparisons with Billy Bragg, an influence Paul readily acknowledges along with another political and musical inspiration, The Clash. Paul is instrumental in organising the annual Alston Live Festival (https://www.facebook.com/AlstonLiveFestival).

Paul is active in the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (https://otjc.org.uk/) and in 2024 he toured venues in County Durham and Yorkshire as part of the 40th anniversary commemorations of the 1984 miners’ strike and the confrontation between miners and police at Orgreave coking works in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Re-examined in 2024 in documentaries on Channel 4 (Miners' Strike 1984: The Battle for Britain) and the BBC (Miners’ Strike: A Frontline Story), the strike and Orgreave are now seen as marking a change in perceptions about the impartiality of the police and their excessive use of force against lawful protest, the role of the Thatcher Government in provoking the confrontation, and media manipulation of public opinion.

Paul is featured on the 3tynespodcast jukebox on YouTube – go to https://youtu.be/jsFINYhpqHc.

Paul performs as Uncle PAF. His Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/737797032914454. His 2020 album The Miner And His Son is available on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/album/1yu0PFSHF4TN6IS4AOTNAK?si=uWH4EK9qSgK7xI9zzn3Fhw) and his 2015 album A Different Kind O’ War is on Bandcamp at https://unclepaf.bandcamp.com/album/a-different-kind-o-war.

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Today’s guest is luthier Gary Southwell.

Gary makes fine classical guitars in his workshop in Redesdale. His instruments have been commissioned by, among many other eminent musicians, Julian Bream, John Williams and Paul Simon.

He has pioneered the use of Fenland Black Oak (also known as Bog Oak), a type of dark, almost black wood that has been buried for thousands of years and is found in only a few locations in the country. The secret of drying it out in pieces large enough to use in guitar-making is known to a select few.

In this episode, you can hear several examples of music played on one of Gary’s Fenland Black Oak A Series guitars: Shining Morn, written and performed by Gordon Giltrap; London Blues No. 4, written by Graham Lynch and performed by Tom Kerstens; and Bog Oak Bouree, written and performed by Richard Durrant.

Gary’s website (https://www.southwellguitars.co.uk/) includes a wealth of information about the instruments he makes, including videos of musicians playing his guitars and background about his approach to making his instruments. The link to the Heartwood CD is https://www.southwellguitars.co.uk/heartwood/.

The 2024 Hexham Bluegrass Festival will take place on July 26th - 28th. More info at https://www.bluegrassinhexham.uk/2024-festival.

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Hexham Morris welcome summer with traditional song and dance at dawn, May 1st 2024.
Morris dancing is an English tradition that dates back at least five centuries. Its origins are uncertain but it has long been a presence at holidays and celebrations. Morris was danced in Northumberland until the 19th century but fell into decline. It was revived in the late 1970s and has since gone from strength to strength. Hexham Morris now comprises two teams – one men’s, one women’s – each with their own repertoire, though they usually dance together locally, nationally and abroad. The Hexham men’s team dance the Cotswold style and the women’s team have developed their own style using traditional tunes.

You can find out more about Hexham Morris, where the teams are dancing and how to go along and try it for yourself, on Facebook and at https://www.hexhammorris.com.

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The 3tynespodcast launches on May 14th with an episode about Hexham Morris dancers welcoming the summer with traditional song and dance. 

It’s said that if they don’t perform this tribute on May 1st, then summer will not arrive. Those of us who live in Northumberland have good reason to think they might have missed a few years here and there – but not this year, and the podcast was there at 5.30 am. with the lads and lasses of Hexham Morris on Hadrian’s Wall, to welcome the sunrise

There are some great episodes lined up for the podcast over the summer, covering traditional folk, singer-songwriters, political singers, festivals and touring bands, as well as going to a ceilidh and a pub session. It’s been fascinating to talk candidly with musicians and people involved in putting on music events, and to hear them play their music. I’d like to thank everyone I’ve spoken to, all of whom have been very generous with their time and their performances. 

I’m always recording new episodes and I’m interested to hear from music makers in the Three Tynes area who have something interesting to say about music.

The podcast is published on the major streaming platforms on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and there are bonus episodes in between. Information and updates are published on Facebook and Instagram, and there is a YouTube channel called 3tynespodcast jukebox where some of the guests have provided a video.

The success of the podcast owes a lot to Mike Coleman, who has advised me from the start, and to Paul Frear, who was my first interviewee and who has been a bedrock of support ever since.

I really hope you enjoy listening to the podcast. Please subscribe and tell your friends about it.

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An epic tale of the birth of the North Tyne, the South Tyne and the Tyne, without which we would not be here.

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A fortnightly podcast in which we talk to anyone and everyone involved in grassroots music and music culture in the areas in and around the valleys of the North Tyne, South Tyne and the Tyne in west Northumberland and the corner of Cumbria that is Alston.

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Come on down and enjoy the rowdy atmosphere of a session at the Turks Head pub in Alston!

The Turks Head is a pub in Alston, Cumbria, in the upper South Tyne valley (https://www.facebook.com/Turksheadalston). Run by Tom and Lesley Mearns, it is a friendly, traditional pub that is popular with visitors and locals alike. Informal music sessions happen in the bar on Sunday afternoons on a semi-regular basis – check on the Facebook page for information.

On the day 3tynespodcast visited, four musicians arrived to entertain the customers: Paul Frear (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/737797032914454), Fred Sherrif, Norm Everson and Steve Sherris. There was a great atmosphere in the bar as they ran through an impromptu set of self-penned songs and covers on acoustic guitars with Steve adding fills on his Stratocaster.

The songs featured in this episode are 50% Of Something, Losing and Men of Steel by Fred Sheriff, Miles and Miles by Paul Frear, and Dancing in the Sun by Norm Everson.

Wark is a small village in Northumberland, and one of only four places where vehicles can cross the North Tyne upstream of Hexham. Its Mechanics Institute and Town Hall is the venue for some remarkable gigs organised by folk singer and songwriter Ian K Brown (who is a guest in another episode of the podcast).

Musicians are drawn from across the North of England and the Borders to perform an informal concert to an audience that ranks as one of the friendliest you could hope to meet. Ian puts in a tremendous amount of work as promoter, organiser of seating, host and support act, playing his own songs and covers accompanied by singer Louise Ainsley, whose partner Dave Ainsley does the sound.

The Celia Bryce Band is based in Tynemouth and includes a member from Allenheads. Led by singer Celia Bryce, whose compositions with bassist Colin Bradshaw make up most of their repertoire, the band play carefully crafted songs featuring close harmonies. Though loosely falling within the genre of Americana, that term does not do justice to the range and melodic scope of their material.

The songs featured in this episode are: Nome, Hexham Tan and Here Before by The Celia Bryce Band, and Home Time and the traditional song Byker Hill, by Ian Brown. (We were unable to record Celia’s band well enough for the podcast, so we have included the published songs courtesy of The Celia Bryce Band and Country Music Social Media.)

Here Before, by The Celia Bryce Band, is featured on the 3tynespodcast jukebox on YouTube – go to https://youtu.be/8ZT9MvfEEFw.

You can find out about the Wark gigs by following Ian Brown on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BrownIanK.

There is more information about The Celia Bryce Band on their website at https://www.theceliabryceband.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theceliabband. You can listen find their music on Bandcamp at https://theceliabryceband.bandcamp.com/, YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@theceliabryceband5661 and Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/artist/4mO4k9DK60WTvQyAo9CNCa?si=EJ-U7TGAQnWOd4W9534gZg. Please contact Country Music Social Media for more information (https://countrymusicsocialmedia.com/).

As well as being a songwriter, Celia is also a talented fiction writer. You can find out more about her work at https://www.celiabryce.co.uk/.

The North’s premier small folk festival was another triumph this year. Sold out well in advance, the three-day event hosted an eclectic range of musicians, dancers and poets, with plenty of opportunities for people attending the festival to join in at sessions and workshops - some of which were open to the public, like the family ceilidh on Saturday afternoon and the customary burning of the wolf in the town square. Music continued well into the night with dancing in the Village Hall with Panther Panther (https://www.pantherpantherav.com/music) and Turfu (https://www.youtube.com/@TURFUINSPACE) followed by pub sessions until long after  my bedtime.

I did my best to see and talk to as many bands as I could but there is so much going on at this festival that it’s not possible to see it all. So my apologies for not including in the podcast the open mic session, Hadrian Clog, Crook Morris, Cash Cows, Kev Moore, Peter Tickell and Andrew Reed, the dance bands and the Brothers Gillespie. I was briefly visited by technology gremlins and a couple of very interesting interviews were lost to the ether; my apologies to the people whose conversation has gone awol.

One of the aspects of the festival that make it so special is that it involves the whole town. I would like to thank everyone involved for their cheerful help, especially the volunteers manning the desk and doors and the cooks serving delicious food in the Village Hall. And special thanks to Craig Atkinson for making it all possible.

I would have liked to include more of the music but rights issues limit what I can do. The musicians you’ll hear in the podcast are (in order of appearance):

Watersmeet

Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening

Fred Sheriff and Robin Moody

Wayward Jane

The Rheingans Sisters

Johnny Campbell

Mishra

Suntou Susso

Johnny Flynn and Howay The Lasses

The thumbnail image is of The Rheingans Sisters.

I hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe and tell you friends about it.

Today we’re at a ceilidh at the Community Centre in Hexham, dancing to tunes played by the Hexham Village Band under the watchful eye of caller Joey Oliver.

The Village Band was established in 2011 by David Oliver. It’s a community band, open to anyone who wants to play, regardless of musical accomplishment. Rehearsals take place once a week in Hexham and the tunes are learned by ear, not played from transcriptions. Any person and any instrument are welcome.

At today’s ceilidh, there are about 20 musicians in the band playing traditional tunes on a variety of instruments that includes fiddles, guitar, ukelele, Northumbrian pipes, a clarinet, concertina, dulcimer, flute and accordion, all ably led by David Oliver.

The dancers are a mixed bunch in age and ability, ranging from the flat of foot novice like me to the fleet of foot regulars whose every step appears to defy gravity. But the good thing about ceilidhs, as everybody who’s ever been to one will tell you, is that it doesn’t matter whether you know the steps or not, it is all very, very good fun.

This episode is all about a day at the Bellingham All Acoustic Festival – better known as BAAFest – in early September, 2024.

The festival has been a prominent feature of the Northumberland music calendar since its inception in 2010. It would not happen but for the commitment and enthusiasm of its founders, Paul Mason and Fiona Landers (who perform as Landermason). In 2024, the festival was held over three days and included three music stages, workshops, exhibitors and catering, as well as on-site camping and easy access to the town.

3tynespodcast was there on the second day to chat to the musicians and exhibitors, when the sunny weather further enhanced the relaxed, friendly atmosphere that BAAFest is known for. The musicians you hear in this episode are, in order of appearance:

Storytellers Street Band

Ian K Brown and his ukelele workshop

Chris Kelly

Chris Fox

Restless Oceans

Hicks and Goulbourn

Dave Ellis and Boo Howard

Ethan Thomas

Terry Blacker

India Electric Company

Ethan Thomas

 I apologise to Plumhall for not including their music. The duo was fresh from a tour supporting Fairport Convention and the audience loved their set but I couldn’t get a good enough recording to do them justice. I highly recommend you check them out at https://www.plumhallmusic.com/.

The next BAAFest is scheduled for 4th – 7th September 2025. Info is at https://baafest.com/ and you can follow the festival on Facebook.

Katie Doherty is a singer and song writer who lives with her family on a sheep farm in the north Pennines. With her band The Navigators, Katie is a frequent and popular artist appearing at grass roots venues and festivals in the Three Tynes area and beyond. Her music is often described as folk for its focus on storytelling and the use of melodeon and fiddle accompaniment to her piano. But it crosses many genre boundaries and can also be characterised as thoughtful writing and melody that addresses a wide range of subjects. She also writes music for theatre, working with communities to involve individuals in music-making and performance.

The latest album by Katie and The Navigators is Flow, which includes songs developed with input from diverse community groups. The songs included in this episode are from Flow – they are Hey Little Girl, Flow and She Is.

You can find more information about Katie’s work at https://www.katiedoherty.co.uk, where you can buy her music and merchandise. Her albums are also available on Bandcamp at https://katiedoherty.bandcamp.com/. Katie is on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms.

Follow 3tynespodcast on Facebook and Instagram.

Today’s guest is the drummer Francesca Knowles. Fran plays with accordionist Amy Thatcher in a duo that was recently included in the highly selective roster of Northern Line musicians supported by Jazz North. The novel blend of jazz and folk, and of drums and accordion, plus the virtuoso musicianship evident on their first album, Emergency of a Female Kind, has received glowing reviews. The duo is now recording new tracks to be released later this year.

Fran is also the drummer in Grace Petrie’s band and has played with many eminent musicians from the North East, including Beccy Owen, Ceitidh Mac, Ruth Lyons, Rob Heron and Jodie Nicholson, and she can be found teaching drums both privately and at Hexham’s Core Music.

The music in this episode comes from Emergency of a Female Kind. They are: Power To The Loser, Start Giving A F*** and Save This Woman.

You can find more information about the Amy Thatcher and Francesca Knowles duo at www.atfk.co.uk.

Today’s guest is Ovingham singer songwriter, Sam Shields - a familiar face in Northumberland performing solo with his guitar or with his band The Regiment.

In this episode, Sam talks about his distinctive British take on Americana, the importance of authenticity, the joy of lyrics, managing social media and the pleasure – or otherwise – of hearing your own voice.

Sam plays three songs specially for the podcast: Wasting My Time, Penny’s Daughter and Mother Nature. Some of Sam’s music is available on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music but the best way to hear him is to catch one of his many gigs. You can find out about these through his Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/SamShieldsSingerSongwriter.

Today’s guest is Calum Tordoff, a singer songwriter from the Tyne Valley who’s very familiar to audiences in the North East. His distinctive music deals with a disparate range of topics that incudes love, relationships, friends falling out of taxis and mates going off to sea. Calum’s influences lie in 60s pop as much as in the alternative folk scene and this is evident in his melodic style and authentic delivery.

In this episode, Calum talks about his musical development, his inspirations and his enthusiasm for performing, and he offers some useful tips for aspiring musicians who are thinking about going to an open mic night.

Calum performs two songs in this episode. Frankie’s Gone To Sea, which is on his album Here Come The Belgians, and The Most Beautiful Girl On The Planet, for which the only recording currently available is on YouTube ().

Calum is preparing to record a new album and he has released two so far: 2017’s Sistership’s and 2019’s Here Come The Belgians, both of which are available as CDs and are on Spotify. His Facebook page is Calum David Tordoff.

My guest today is producer, sound engineer and composer Julie Bartley.

Julie is one of the few women successfully working in the male-dominated recording industry in the North East. She advocates to strengthen the role of women in music generally and has formed a network to support women in their careers.

In this episode, Julie describes how a lifelong fascination with sound technology led her to switch from a successful career in nursing to retrain as an engineer. She has recorded her own songs and sound compositions – which you can hear in this episode - and produced prominent artists in the North East, including her ongoing work with the all-female music collective Beccy Owen and the Refuge.

Julie has a passion for supporting and empowering those who may have previously experienced exclusion from or discomfort within traditional studio and performance settings, in particular: women, gender minorities, members of the Global majority, disabled and neurodivergent people and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Julie is based in the Cupola Studios collective in Newcastle. You can find out more about her music production at Rolling Audio (https://www.rollingaudio.co.uk/) and listen to her music on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/rollingaudio).

Julie produced Beccy Owen and the Refuge’s album Chaotica, which you can hear at  https://beccyowen.bandcamp.com/ and other streaming platforms.

Today’s bonus episode is a preview of Alston Live Festival 2025. Paul Frear and Jess McCormack talk about this year’s line-up, how an effective social media campaign has boosted ticket sales and a new opportunity for sponsors.

The festival will be held in Alston on the 18th and 19th of July. Everything you need to know about tickets and accommodation is on the website at www.alstonlive.com.

Today’s show is all about the ukulele – possibly Northumberland’s most popular instrument along with the guitar and fiddle.

The episode is divided into three parts.

In the first, we talk to luthier and guitar player Paul Mason who, from his home in the North Tyne valley, has been making ukes for the past five years.

In the second part, singer-songwriter and ukulele teacher Ian Brown gives me an introductory lesson in playing the uke – and I warn those who believe that listening to music should be enjoyable to avert their ears.

Finally, we hear from singer-songwriter and keen uke advocate Penny Grennan on why she chooses this instrument above all others for performance, and we talk about the many different ukes she plays.

This is Part Two.

Information about Ian Brown’s uke classes can be found at https://www.facebook.com/BrownIanK

Information about ukulele classes at Core Music can be found on Core Music CIC’s Facebook page.

Today’s show is all about the ukulele – possibly Northumberland’s most popular instrument along with the guitar and fiddle.

The episode is divided into three parts.

In the first, we talk to luthier and guitar player Paul Mason who, from his home in the North Tyne valley, has been making ukes for the past five years.

In the second part, singer-songwriter and ukulele teacher Ian Brown gives me an introductory lesson in playing the uke – and I warn those who believe that listening to music should be enjoyable to avert their ears.

Finally, we hear from singer-songwriter and keen uke advocate Penny Grennan on why she chooses this instrument above all others for performance, and we talk about the many different ukes she plays.

This is Part One.

Today’s show is all about the ukulele – possibly Northumberland’s most popular instrument along with the guitar and fiddle.

The episode is divided into three parts.

In the first, we talk to luthier and guitar player Paul Mason who, from his home in the North Tyne valley, has been making ukes for the past five years.

In the second part, singer-songwriter and ukulele teacher Ian Brown gives me an introductory lesson in playing the uke – and I warn those who believe that listening to music should be enjoyable to avert their ears.

In this part, we hear from singer-songwriter and keen uke advocate Penny Grennan on why she chooses this instrument above all others for performance, and we talk about the many different ukes she plays.

This part ends with one of Penny’s songs, Love on the Big Screen, which is taken from her first album No Relation. You can find Penny's music at https://pennygrennan.bandcamp.com, where you can download her album No Relation. Penny plays uke in (among others) the bluegrass band The Cherry Pickers (https://www.facebook.com/CherryPickersHexham).

Today. I’m talking to Craig Atkinson and Peter Aldcroft, two of the team that organises the Allen Valleys Folk Festival, about their plans for 2025.

Once again, this festival will offer a diverse range of musical styles, both traditional and progressive, that fall under the broad banner of folk, with ticketed sessions complemented by a number of free events in Allendale, including workshops, spoken word, an open mic, dancing and – of course – the famous Allendale wolf.

There will be a local sale of weekend passes in St Cuthbert’s Church in Allendale between 10am and midday on Saturday the 22nd of March. Any tickets remaining will then be sold from Allendale Co-op.

Online sales will start at 7pm on Sunday the 23rd of March at www.allenvalleysfolkfestival.co.uk.

Today’s guest is Fiona Lander – composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, jazz fan and teacher. Based in the North Tyne valley, Fiona is one half of the duo Landermason, performing traditional and contemporary folk in jazz, blues, classical and other styles. She also works with choirs – notably, the Northumberland-based Dark Sky Voices – and composes music for schools to perform and for commissions. She is a freelance music teacher and, in the little time left for leisure, she co-organises the annual Bellingham All Acoustic Festival better known as BAAFest.

In this episode, Fiona recounts how her early talent for music and performance led to her current diverse career and her passion for composing. The episode includes three songs.

Amazing Grace is sung by Dark Sky Voices and is available on YouTube.

Make Our Future Bright was commissioned for performance at the Festival of Hope; it is not available online.

Born To Sing is from the 2021 album Landermason with Dark Sky Voices. It is available from Landermason’s Bandcamp page at https://landermason.bandcamp.com.

Information about Fiona’s work is available at https://www.fionalander.com/.

It’s now quite common for churches, whether grand or small, to host secular music events. But, not so long ago, this would have been unthinkable. The idea that churches should confine their activities to respectful worship is strongly rooted in centuries of tradition. And it is only in the past 10 to 20 years that a warm welcome has been more widely extended to people visiting a church for an event that is primarily for entertainment.

This is actually a return to the ways in which a church originally served its community. To find out why this happening, and what it means for a typical parish church, I speak to the Reverend Mark Nash-Williams, whose parish of Alston Moor covers much of the South Tyne valley, whose church of St Augustine’s in Alston often hosts secular music events in addition to its many religious services and community-focused activities.

The bells that you can hear at St Augustine’s are played by Josephine Dickinson with a carillon rather than ropes. In this episode, she plays a tunes from a large repertoire that includes a wide range of religious, classical and popular music.

Today’s guest is Laura Tindall, Head of Music at the Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham.

When we recorded this episode in the autumn of 2024, Laura had been in post for about 6 weeks. We talked about how music is taught in schools and in particular about what is included in the GSCE and B Tech music courses, including how both modern and classical music are covered and the importance of performance. We also considered the very important issue of what resources are available to students to support their studies.

I hope this episode will prove interesting for everyone but especially for parents and potential students who are thinking about their future course options and wondering what it means to study music at school.

Today, my guest is one of the most respected figures in the world of Northumberland folk music – the traditional singer David McCracken.

David farms sheep and cattle on the hills above the North Tyne valley. He draws on a lifetime’s experience of making music with his family and community to create his own songs about rural life in the Borders and beyond. He composes entirely in his head and writes nothing down, learning and passing on songs through the oral tradition and performing in local shows, pubs and folk sessions. There are almost no publicly available recordings of his singing. David says he has hundreds of songs in his head and he recorded three of them for this episode.

Stephen Fry is a musician born in Tynemouth who now lives in Tynedale, and who can trace his roots in folk music back several generations. He is a familiar face in Northumberland music circles through his solo performances, appearance at folk sessions and his membership of Hexham band The Cherrypickers.

I asked Stephen to talk about the family of instruments known as squeezeboxes – the most familiar of which are the concertina, melodeon and accordion – and what follows is testament to his encyclopaedic knowledge of open reed instruments, illustrated by his masterful playing of several examples from his own collection.

You can find some of Stephen’s music on Soundcloud, under the name Stephen W Fry or Highford, where recordings include several traditional tunes and music hall songs. You can find out about The Cherrypickers gigs by following the band on Instagram with the tag thecherrypickershexham.

Stephen has been instrumental in recording some of the most familiar names in traditional Northumbrian folk music for The Tradition Lives On, a fascinating CD and DVD celebrating the music culture of North Tynedale and Redesdale. You can order them both online from Northern Heritage at https://www.northern-heritage.co.uk. Stephen has also recorded, with guitarist Peter Stenhouse, a collection of well known songs from the 19th and 20th centuries. The CD, called So Far, is not widely available but if you come across a copy you’ll find a reminder of the humour and warmth that is a feature of many popular songs.

Today’s episode is all about the open mic session – an opportunity for anyone to turn up and play the music of their choice to a supportive, if sometimes noisy, audience. Open mics could fairly be described as the roots of grass roots music: it is here that developing musicians and poets take their first steps as performers, with the opportunity to learn from their own experience and from watching more seasoned performers.

First, we hear from Chris Kelly, a musician who MCs the Buskers’ open mic session on Sundays at The Tannery in Hexham, about the practicalities of performing and what a newcomer might expect at their first night.

Then, it’s a short hop across the river to The Crown Inn in Humshaugh, where we meet MC and singer-songwriter Calum Tordoff and landlord David Harding, and hear the stories of the performers who entertained us that evening.

Open mics can include a lot of covers and this evening was no exception. I’m afraid I can’t include them in the podcast for copyright reasons but I hope there’s enough music here to give you a flavour of the session.

You can find information about these open mic sessions on the Facebook pages of The Tannery and The Crown Inn. Music by Chris Kelly and Calum Tordoff is available on the major streaming platforms and on Bandcamp, and more information is on Instagram and Facebook.