I had various replies to this off list, so hope you don't mind a
massed on-list reply.
Thanks for them too, and apologies for a slight delay, we were busy
becoming grandparents for the first time & were bit pre-occupied and
very pleased!!
I realise various people had various reservations about the programmes I
enthused about.
I quite see the reservations - finances mis-aimed, not presenting a
complete picture, selected musicians only, others not credited, and then
the folk programme of dubious quality, and trad or not? etc., but intend
to stick to my guns.
I agree with lots of the points people made.
I know there were lots of flaws... gwawn, it's TV!!.. but in the midst
of so much repeatedly narcissistic self-referencing tat, with ever more
paint-shopped celebrities doing ever more dumbed-down things -
... [no, hang on, I hardly ever watch TV, so can't really say that, but
the bits I do see, and all the things I hear and read reported, don't
inspire me to go anywhere near most of it! Those who do, correct me if
I'm utterly wrong] ...
- with a commercially pushed wannabe image of cool things to do which
reeeaaally reaaally need you to buy expensive cool stuff, and
particularly not just go out and have fun doing apparently
unsophisticated but skilled things in a community, like traditional
dance and music, (ha ha, Morris dancers they're all elderly gay drunks
anyway, and folk dancing, always good for a laugh too), it was so
refreshingly constructive to see lots of people having a great time
being un-cool and practising doing these same creative things, relating
to the tradition of their region, enjoying it, and encouraging other
people to go and try it, with no holding back on show.
And watching the reaction on the faces of the public who realised that
indeed good street theatre is vitally good stuff, if only for 5 minutes.
Yes, of course it was edited carefully.
Do you detect a little rant, here, dear reader? In the non-NE dance sense!
So now I'm a grandfather I'm allowed to be a grumpy old man, huh? And I
hate watching children being taught that it's wrong, by the media and by
carefully commercially-pushed peer-pressure, to have this very
enjoyment, so as you'll realise from the above, it hit a nerve.
And indeed it would be great to see it all done properly, but at least
TV was showing it, if only on BBC4, and it's hopefully a thin end of a
wedge.
OK, back to the washing up.
Salutations.
Richard.
On 11/12/2010 21:18, Richard York wrote:
And a truly smashing hour it was! Cheered up our evening no end, it did.
Stuff like this really is what we need now, it was truly inspiring.
The 60's Folk prog which followed was a right trip down nostalgia lane :)
What's happening to TV? - all this, and last night the super programme
by the Unthanks about dancing round England.
At this rate folk culture will be in danger of being not uncool with
The Masses!! And I've watched more TV in the last two nights than I
have for a month.
Best wishes,
Richard.
On 11/12/2010 13:36, Anthony Robb wrote:
Here's a link to a snippet of tonight's programme on clogging.
[1]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11930757
Cheers
Anthony
--
References
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11930757
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