Mark Radcliffe is a good fit for the folk show.
As a casual listener to folk music (i'm a big fan of Show Of Hands and Bellowhead) I occasionally tuned into Mike Harding's folk show on Wednesday evenings on Radio 2. I found his approach very warm and, for those of us who are not experts in the folk genre, made folk music feel both interesting and relevant. As a result, I felt quite disheartened back in October when it was revealed that Harding would be leaving the show, particularly as it was not "of his own volition".
The apparent reason for him leaving was that BBC producers wanted the show to include more live music. In my opinion this can be no bad thing: part of the brilliance of radio is being able to hear live music without paying a penny, and listening to a live folk band is always a joy. It seems to me that a radio show which included live folk bands is therefore a match made in heaven, and the decision the BBC made to include more live music should not be a source for complaint.
The question, therefore, is why Mike Harding could not have hosted such a show, a question which can only be answered by the BBC or Harding himself. Whatever the reason, Harding is no longer presenting the show and will no doubt be missed by much of his audience.
However, his replacement, Mark Radcliffe, is an inspired choice. As an unashamed fan of Radcliffe's I could easily gush forever about how brilliant he is for this particular slot, but I think his first show on Wednesday 2nd January was as good a showcase as any.
Radcliffe started Wednesday's show well, displaying his folk credentials (he played in the band The Family Mahone for years) for any skeptics thinking the BBC had parachuted a layman into the folk slot. More illustrative of his suitability to the post was the way he oozed all of the enthusiasm which was so integral to Harding's program; Radcliffe showed he had a genuine love for the music he was talking about.
The live segments of the show not only showed that the decision to include live music was a stupendous one, but also that Mark was the best man for the job. The show could not have got off to a better start, with a live song from the aforementioned Bellowhead kicking off proceedings, which they followed with a further two songs later in the show. Between these latter two songs we were treated to the great chit-chat with the band members that Radcliffe is so adept at. In a very short amount of time, Radcliffe talked to lead singer Jon Boden about Bellowhead's 2012 album, Broadside, upcoming live shows and the band's various projects. Also taking time to discuss listeners' comments, Radcliffe kept the conversation both informative and entertaining, with his unique brand of humour shining through every now and then.
As a result, Mark Radcliffe is a great fit for the Radio 2 folk slot. His obvious love of folk music, his experience with live bands and his humourous demeanor make him absolutely the right choice to replace Mike Harding. And, with more live bands in the coming weeks (including the legendary Fairport Convention) all folk lovers (including casual ones like myself) should continue to stay tuned every Wednesday evening.
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