BBC Proms, TV & radio

Kathryn’s live on TV BBC Breakfast on Tuesday 2 August. She’s then on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour in advance of the BBC Proms that evening. If you’re at the Prom or hear the TV/radio broadcasts, please post a comment! Wish Kathryn luck in advance, or share thoughts about the concert!

Kathryn leads the way into the musical world of Percy Grainger and his fascinating and varied responses to folk music. June Tabor, The Wilson Family, Northern Sinfonia, the BBC Singers and the Kathryn Tickell Band join forces for an entertaining night!

The concert is broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, online live and ‘listen again’ options at bbc.co.uk/proms and recorded for TV broadcast on BBC Four on 14 August.

Kathryn was interviewed earlier this year for the Proms programme:

“The thing about Grainger is the exhilaration you get listening to his arrangements. The way he treats folk music is never twee.” The Northumbrian smallpipes player and the guiding force behind this celebration of the Australian’s folk-music explorations could be forgiven for her opinion that some composers used the traditional music of these islands to present a ‘chocolate-box’ view of the peasantry. “There’s a tendency to treat traditional melodies in a rather worthy and slightly patronising way. Grainger absolutely did not have that attitude. He would choose tunes that maybe weren’t the most beautiful but use them as vehicles for his creativity. The way he orchestrates and arranges this music makes me listen to it with absolute awe and admiration — and jubilation.”  Since beginning to research Grainger, Tickell says she has found his approach to folk music “quirky and outrageous and very unconventional,” which suits his material well. “His music can have quite a bit of aggression about it, of fierceness, but at the same time a lot of humour.” And it’s addictive, too: “The only problem is that there’s so much material I was desperate to include. I could do a whole week of Percy Grainger and his folk music!”