Friday, 10 February 2012

Kevin pipped at the post!

Kevin (far right) and partner Caroline with Clive Pownceby
(Bothy organiser) and partner Jean (far left) all looking well
refreshed at the awards ceremony. (Picture: Derek Schofield)
On 18 November I told you that a song written by Kevin Littlewood, local singer-songwriter and resident at the Bothy Folk Club, had reached the finals of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.  His song, On Morecambe Bay about the 23 Chinese cockle pickers who drowned in 2004, had been picked up by Irish singer Christie Moore, a founder member of Planxty and Moving Hearts, and it was his version that brought the song to prominence.  Click here to read my previous post which says more about the song and to watch both versions of it.

On Wednesday 8 February at an event that will probably be described as "glittering", the awards were announced at the Lowry in Salford, and unfortunately Kevin's song lost out to The Herring Girl by Bella Hardy and The Reckoning by Steve Tilston as joint winners.  I have seen both of these singers, Steve many times, and both are excellent performers, although I'm not certain whether I've heard these particular songs.  However, commiserations to Kevin, but in my view, getting to the finals is a remarkable achievement in itself.  We in the local folk scene are very proud that one of ours did so well.  If you want to know all the award winners, click here.
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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous10 February 2012 at 17:24

    Well done Kev what a thrill to even get that far and then to have Christie Moore sing your song live on TV.
    Am proud to know you
    Pete Rimmer

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  2. Geoff Parry11 February 2012 at 19:30

    I have mixed feelings about the award. I'm sorry for Kevin, but glad for Steve Tilston, who is a good friend to the Bothy. Steve paid me the great compliment some years ago of setting one of my lyrics to music, but that's "Someone Else's War".

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  3. Clive Pownceby15 March 2012 at 14:48

    Oops I missed this post a month ago. Yeh, there's my 'famous for 15 mins' time in the sun! We enjoyed the occasion, without subscribing to ALL the razzmatazz that the concept engenders. There's a nice piece in the current issue of English Dance and Song, applauding Kevin's work and asserting that the big hitters like Christy Moore still have their ears open to grass-roots writers. In fairness too, Mike Harding has consistently championed the song and often name-drops the Bothy on air. That's not to say I'm a Smooth Operations sycophant btw!

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