Dis onnybiddy still lissen tae this stuff??
I hiv occasion tae drive fae Glesca tae Uppir Loch Fyne iviry Setturday night attween the oors o' 10 an 12 pm, and ah usetae while away the time lissenin tae TF.
Brucie seems a nice lad...if a wee bit tae the "ernist" side, bit ah hivtae admit ah'm beginnin tae pine fur the days o' Auld Erchie....eevin if 'es false teeth did whistle a wee tune o' thur ain while he wis tellin' us aboot the nixt Canadian singir thit wis cummin oan!

They shood hae goat Ian McAlmin...he wid huv dun the joab fur peenuts...he's that keen!!

Brucie seems tae huv intirviewed the hale populashin o' Orknae an' Shetlind since he cam oan.....an ah think they must be aw relatit fur they huv aw done exactly the same things an they aw play the fiddle!!!
Disn't ivvirybiddy nooadays?..........Rivvitin' so it is!.....We get the whole ensemble, fae wherr they pee'd thur troosirs it the school concirt, tae how they think Shoogilmifty wis the best thing ivvir tae happin tae folk music an how they hope tae get oan "Scotlins goat Talint".....whin therr auld enuff.
An efftir that we get treatit tae ....guess whit....some fiddle music....rerr!
How come Orknae an' Shetlind folk cannae sing noo an' again....Mibee thur feart naebiddy'll unnirstaun' thum.....wi that funny wey they talk...eh?

Ach ah'm scunnert........Ah'm gonnae lissen tae the "Moril Maze" fae noo oan!!....Folk music mah erse!!

YOU'RE scunnered?
What about the rest of us, having to read p**h like this?

Queen Bee
No need for rudeness. Akhenaton is entitled to voice his/her opinion. . .and, you do not speak on behalf of other forum readers

Elizabeth
Forum Admin

OMG akhenaton. Me and my pals thought it was just us that thought that. We don't listen to it anymore either.

Is Ian McCalman no too bright, intelligent, and cheery tae be on Radio Scotland?

JM

Thank ye kindly Liz...........Thurs only room fur wan "Queen Bee" in here.....eh? :0)

Aye right enuff adder...it's gettin' worse annaw....Erchie kept things gaun, wi a good variety o' music, thurs plenty o' variety in Scots folk and traditional music.... withoot bringin' jazz an pop intae it.
Ah dont mean tae be a grouse, bit TF is gettin too borin' even fur an auld dinisaur lik masell.
We shood be celebratin the diversity of Scottish traditional music, no tryin' tae turn it aw intae one bland sound thit some prat think the young yins will buy .

It's all lost on me; I just can't read this Garlic...

Too many fiddlers on it now, I like to hear singing.

Hello, I'm going to respond personally - this is not the view of the BBC etc etc. Its great to get feedback, indeed every week I ask for listeners suggestions and ideas for upcoming gigs, artists they've seen, CDs they've just heard. A lot of the time we are playing what people are asking for.
Also we play a lot of newly released CDs. I suppose there are a lot of fiddlers producing albums but the singer/instrumental mix is 50/50,just as it is at a lot of festivals.
As for lots of folk from Orkney and Shetland that one is lost on me! We've had Douglas Montgomery last week and Kristen Harvey a year ago when she was young trad winner. Kris Drever was on 2 years ago and Gary Peterson was on about a year ago.
Indepth interviews with Dougie Mclean, Mary Black, Jerry Douglas, Tim OBrien, Kathleen MacInnes, Fred Morrison, Paddy Maloney, Brian MacNeill, Michael McGoldrick, Sheena Wellington (on a special show on modern day classic folk songs), Emily Smith, Julie Fowlis, Michael Marra, Rab Noakes, Ian MacCallman (twice),Archie Fisher, Phil Cunningham, Martin Hadden, Paul McKenna, Ralph McTell, Kieran Goss, ; these are just off the top of my head and as far as I can see only two play the fiddle (although I think I've seen McGoldrick play it at a session!). Oh and my guest this week is Steve Byrne.
If you want something played, featured, discussed, get in touch with the programme!

Well, excuse me, Elizabeth, but I happen to think akhenaton was being particularly rude towards Bruce MacGregor who, in his response, has proven what I was attempting to say in fewer words ie: rubbish.
And, if akhenaton wants to exert some influence on programming, as Bruce says, it couldn't be easier, instead if throwing muck around here, go through the proper channels.
I cannot argue with your assertion that akhenaton has the right to express an opinion but it would be very wrong to permit that same person to create a false impression by spreading malicious comments, some of which are clearly untrue.
Some people on this forum may not be regular listeners to the programme and be left with the mistaken impression that what was being said was true.
Not fair.

Maybe MacG could tell us how much input he actually has on what is on the program.

Hi Scott. It is very much a team effort. I get sent a lot of CD's as does the production team and we try and mix these with a liberal sprinkling of classics and along with music that is relevant to events/festivals etc as well as listeners suggestions
There's no set %. Hope that answers your query

Queen Bee
This is a discussion forum - people discuss things. Akhenaton was expressing his/her personal impressions of the programme Travelling Folk. Whether or not those impressions are to the taste of you or other forum users is neither here nor there. I didn't see his/her observations as in any way malicious or 'throwing muck around', whereas your contribution "What about the rest of us, having to read p**h like this?" added nothing to the discussion, and was merely rude and dismissive.

Elizabeth
Forum Admin.

Anyone who questions whether akhenation's "impressions" are based on fact or wild imagination need only have a look through the programnme playlists, which reflect the truth of the situation.
Whether it is his right to make false accusations or not, it was scurrilous.

ok here's the complete list of folk who have been guests on the programme since it started.
2010
Kris Drever
Paul McKenna Band
Corrina Hewat & Dave Milligan
Gabe McVarish
Skerryvore
MacCalmans
Battlefield Band
Martin O Neill
Session A9
Ian Green
Gary Innes
Nuala Kennedy
The Burns Unit

2011
Dick Gaughan
Emily Smith
James MacKintosh
Gerry O Connor
Karine Polwart
Ewan Robertson
Ruairidh MacMillan
Duncan Lyall
Patsy Seddon
James Grant
Duncan Chisholm
Tony Byrne
Stuart Cassells
John McCusker
Sarah Jane Summers
Mary Black
Seth Lakeman
Caroline Maclennan
Martin Hadden
Kathleen MacInnes
Sandy Brechin
Arthur Cormack
Kevin Henderson
Ralph McTell
Joanie Madden
Kathleen Boyle
Gary West
Dougie Maclean
Tim O Brien
Sheena Wellington
Young Trad Finalists
Gary Peterson
Naomi Bedford
Dougie Pincock
Kathryn Tickell
Chris Stout
Ivan Drever
Brian MacNeill
Blazin Fiddles
Roddy Woomble
Jerry Douglas

2012
Aidan O Rourke
Ian Stephenson
Rab Noakes
Kristan Harvey
Rona Wilkie
Iain Anderson
Tony McManus
Seth Lakeman
Emily Smith
Michael McGoldrick
Annie Grace
Michael Marra
Gordon Gunn
Paddy Maloney
Phil Cunningham
Martin Hadden
Anna Wendy Stevenson
Lorne MacDougall
Le Vent du Nord
The Outside Track
Rona Wilkie
Tim Edey
Calum & Rory MacDonald
Dougie Maclean
Kieran Goss
Allan MacDonald
Ewan Robertson
Julie Fowlis
Douglas Montgomery
Steve Byrne

Be careful what you wish for, people. Remember that the bosses at BBC Radio Scotland don't like things that are too tightly niche-focussed. Remember the fate of Global Gathering and be grateful we have a programme like Travelling Folk which can strike a balance between honouring the past and showcasing the new.
If Travelling Folk in its current format was to suddenly bite the dust, I wonder where Akhenaton would find himself when the furore erupted hereabouts?
Personally, I'm grateful we have a radio show that provides an opportunity for such a broad musical perspective to be programmed, and Mr McGregor has introduced this family to some great music during his time as the presenter.

It does MacG. Thanks.

Aye right, ah thot it widhae been obvious thit ma OP wis jist a wee bit tongue in cheek Brucie......Ah'm sorry that you an' queenie ur sae thin skinned, and feel the need tae send oot an avalanche o' wanabees an' nivir will be's tae prove a point

Ah no the career stories o'the auld yins......ah wis therr fur maist eh it!.....along wey 80% o' the contributers tae this forum!.....Ah see thit ye hiv interviewed some worthy guests
Aboot half o'yer list comprises o' singers an groups thit huv' very little in coamin wey traditional or folk music, bit simply see TF is a handy place fur a wee bit o' self promotion.

Scottish folk and traditional music is a diverse genre....there is all sorts of music out in wild woolly Scotland.....we have some of the finest committed writers and singers, we've just been talkin' about Mairi Campbell.......and have you ever even heard oor wee Wendy?...Why have you never spoken to or played the music of Davy Robertson one of our finest living songwriters? Why has the uncrowned Queen of the Scottish tradition Gordeanna McCulloch never featured?
What about the great historic ballad tradition? There are still bothy ballad singers out there.....Why do we never hear them? What about scots comedy song...Scottish verse? Why so much emphasis on new mediocre CD's
In me you have a captive audience, but I get depressed at the lack of variety....there is far too much instrumental stuff...probably a symptom of the current vogue for "teaching folk music".....thats a joke for a start. Erchie's mix was about 75% song and 25% instrumental and he had a big audience onTF, fair enough he played a bit of Americana.....but that was honestly preferrable to four or five "conveyor belt" young groups playin' hell for leather with very little interpretation or feeling.
BTW...I dont hate fiddle music......to me Alasdair Fraser is a musical genious....he makes his instrument sing with joy and weep with grief. He lives the music, just like the others I have mentioned here,who are very special people indeed. Folk music is about love, sadness, unbridled joy.......and your programme should help it to shine.

To buttonboy....Better to take folk music back where it belongs .....to the pubs and village halls...the community........than listen to the pale shadow that it has become on radio and TV.

akhenaton has long been recognised as a stirrer on this Forum hasn't he?

No matter, I'd have to agree with the sentiments expressed by Queen Bee
about his "scurrilous" and inaccurate remarks!

"They shood hae goat Ian McAlmin...he wid huv dun the joab fur peenuts...he's that keen!!"

How little you know akhenaton, Bruce MacGregor is already "doing" the job
for peanuts! I have personal knowledge of the amount of work in his planning
schedule apart from the presentation that he puts in to deliver that two hour programme, not to mention the travelling involved including an overnight stay, the expenses for which are all deducted from his fee!

Ye see it's not easy being a folkie (was it ever I hear you ask?) but it
just goes to show how many strings one has to have to ones bow (pardon the pun!)to attempt to make a living without having to put up with the uninformed
ramblings from an unknown critic!

Adder, you should know better!

Thank goodness you got tired of that pretentious miss-spelling nonsense half way through that last post akhenaton, at least reading through your misguided nonsense no longer has to be like wading through treacle.