´óÏó´«Ã½

...terrific music.

I'm sure everyone is aware by now that this year's Glastonbury FestivalÌýis underway - there is, as usual, a whole rake of folkies performing including Seth Lakeman, Eddi Reader, Sharon Shannon and Joan Baez. By the way, I've had a sneak preview of Joan Baez's new album Day After Tomorrow and it's really good stuff, produced by Steve Earle. It's not coming out until September but I'll be playing a track or two from it on the programme in the coming weeks.

If you're thinking of packing up your tent and wellies and heading off to a folk festival - check out our Festival DiaryÌýwhich gives info about which festivals are happening when and there's links through to all the festivals' own website for full details. It's good to see the Saul Canal Festival (4 - 6 July) back on track after having to cancel last year due to the terrible floods - Oysterband and Show of Hands are headlining there. Also the Hebridean Celtic Festival (16 - 19 July) looks a real corker with The Saw Doctors, Shooglenifty and Julie Fowlis amongst others.

Once again, we will be at the Cambridge Folk Festival this year (31 July - 3 August), the music is always fantastic and it really gladdens my heart to see so many people sprawled out in the sun - from families with toddlers to old timers with walking sticks - having the time of their lives. The line-up this year looks terrific.Ìý I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Tim O'Brien, who I think is a musical genius, The Imagined Village - a wonderful project involving Eliza Carthy, Billy Bragg and Chris Wood -amongst others and also Judy Collins who was in fine fettle on her album of last year Judy Collins Sings Lennon & McCartney.