Podcast: Folk on Foot
/By Sara Bellini
“I have forgotten the cold” repeats Nancy Kerr in a song about the ragwort with its “crown of gold” and the cinnabar moth whose life entirely depends on it. It is a song “about climate, about weather and about love”. Her words particularly resonated with me this winter that feels unjustly deprived of cold.
Later on she talks about the link between nature writing and writing folk songs, the stories that folk musicians carry with them and the landscape that is one with these stories. The beauty of nature and the concept of communality, of sharing the same piece of Earth and looking after it together, appreciating it, being part of it.
The conversation between singer-songwriter Nancy Kerr and host Matthew Bannister reminded me again why I listen to Folk on Foot. Because through this podcast you get to know folk musicians in their own words and at the same time you walk with them in the places all over the UK that inspire them and they call home. For example you find out that Peggy Seeger has an apple tree in her garden in Iffley and the locals pick the fruits and make apple juice out of it, which sounds just lovely.
The episode I referenced earlier (and you can find at the top of this post) followed Nancy Kerr along the Kennet and Avon Canal and coming soon in this Season 4 is Frank Turner. In the real world, footage from various podcast recordings will be shown by Matthew Bannister himself at King’s Place, London, on the 14th of March. The Wild Singing weekend is part of the Nature Unwrapped series and features performances by folk musicians and environmentally inspired artists, so have a look at the programme and ticket availability. Meanwhile, as usual, be nice to the bees.
