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21st Century Folk returns to BBC Radio 2 with songs inspired by the sea

Lifeboats News Release

Radio 2 puts the spotlight on folk music across a week of programming

Following last year’s award-winning 21st Century Folk, this ambitious and unique initiative returns later this month with five folk artists writing a song about five inspiring people from around the UK, as Radio 2 puts the spotlight on folk music across a week of programming from Monday 29 July to Sunday 4 August.

Once again, 21st Century Folk features five Radio 2 listeners from across the UK and, as the RNLI marks its 200th anniversary in 2024, this year’s theme is about people whose lives are intertwined with the sea. Each of the listeners have been paired with five folk singer-songwriters who will write original songs based on their lives and tales of the water.

Mark Radcliffe says: “I'm so proud to be part of the return of the award-winning 21st Century Folk and genuinely so proud of Radio 2 for putting so much behind the project. It is a wholly noble endeavour. It adheres to the age old tradition of telling the stories of peoples' lives in folk song whilst simultaneously highlighting experiences that chime with many of us. In addition it showcases the work of some of our finest contemporary folk artists and gives them the lifeblood of mainstream exposure. I couldn’t be prouder, and especially in the year RNLI celebrates its 200th anniversary. As I said, it is a wholly noble endeavour.”

Helen Thomas says: “Radio 2’s commitment to specialist music is unsurpassed on UK radio and, following last year’s award-winning 21st Century Folk, I’m proud that it is returning later this month. Once again, we’ll be putting beautifully crafted British story-telling through the prism of folk music at the heart of our daytime output and on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer with five new songs about five extraordinary people from across the UK.”

21st Century Folk in 2023 put the focus on five people who live and work in the North East of England and won Gold for Best Music Special at the ARIAs, Silver for Best Music Special and Bronze for Best Original Music at the 2023 New York Festivals Radio Awards, and won ‘Audio Production of the Year’ at the Prolific North Champions Awards. Watch the performances of all last year’s songs here.

This year’s contributors and singer-songwriters are:

  • Anna Heslop, the first female helm at RNLI Cullercoats’, has had her bespoke song – called Anna – co-written and performed by Lady Nade and Boo Hewerdine.
  • Kayaker, yachtsman and former soldier, Jeff Allen, has dedicated himself to boat-building and kayaking as a way to find peace, and leads expeditions on water around the world. His song - called Flow – is co-written and performed by Cara Dillon and Sam Lakeman.
  • Vicky Murphy from Cornwall was eight months pregnant when she was rescued from a flooding cave with her husband Marc, and their song - called Chapel Porth Beach – is written and performed by Martyn Joseph.
  • Emma Neave-Webb lives in Orkney and is a marine conservationist whose work and efforts to save a stranded whale has inspired the song – called Pilot Whales - written and performed by Kris Drever. Emma recently commented to the media when 70 whales were beached on the beach on Sanday, just seven days after the photo shoot for 21st Century Folk took place.
  • Rescued from the sea then becoming an RNLI lifeboat volunteer in London, Al Kassim’s song - called Brave Volunteers – has been co-written and performed by Seth Lakeman and Fisherman’s Friends.

Hear the songs, contributors and songwriters in 21st Century Folk 2024 on BBC Sounds from Monday 29 July and on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday 4 August, 8-10pm; and watch the five songs being performed in 21st Century Folk 2024 on BBC iPlayer from Monday 29 July.

The contributors and singer-songwriters will also be interviewed on The Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2 across the week (from Monday 29 July - Friday 2 August, 12-2pm) where each song will be played on air. Friday’s edition of the show will be an outside broadcast from one of the UK’s most loved music festivals, the Sidmouth Folk Festival, where Seth Lakeman and Fisherman’s Friends will perform their song live.

Radio 2’s Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe will also feature the songs and interviews with the artists (Wednesday 31 July, 9-10pm), and the following week it will feature music from some of the artists who performed live at Sidmouth Folk Festival (Wednesday 7 August, 9-10pm).

Sam Lakeman, who co-wrote Jeff’s song with Cara Dillon, says: “Jeff's story was incredibly inspiring - we simply took his experiences and the emotions he expressed so vividly and put them to music. It was an unexpectedly powerful thing to do. Radio 2’s 21st Century Folk is such an important and valuable project, connecting folk story-tellers like us with remarkable people to celebrate and preserve their inspiring stories of lives linked to the sea.”

Cara Dillon, who co-wrote Jeff’s song with Sam Lakeman, says: “Folk music is everyone's music, so creating new songs about our lives today is incredibly important. You feel you are making a real difference as music can be such a powerful healing force and a song can convey so much to so many. We’re really proud to be involved in 21st Century Folk, it's been a such a genuinely rewarding experience for us.”

Lady Nade, who co-wrote Anna’s song with Boo Hewerdine, said: “Radio 2 has supported me, playing my music, and I love taking people’s experiences and turning them into songs so when they approached me about doing just that for 21st Century Folk I was all in! I loved meeting Anna, hearing her amazing stories, being the youngest female helm at her lifeboat station, and inspiring other women to get involved. To be trusted to immortalise such a special lady in song is an honour.”

Martyn Joseph, who wrote Vicky’s song and also wrote the song, Albert’s Place, for 21st Century Folk 2023, says: “I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this brilliant Radio 2 initiative once again. Music can play a huge role in making us feel our voices are heard and that we are not alone. Vicky and Marc’s story was both heartbreaking and uplifting- believing they weren’t going to make it, her being pregnant, saying their goodbyes and, thankfully, their ultimate rescue thanks to an unknown surfer and the amazing skill of the RNLI. It really needed to be a documentary not a song! However, playing it for them and seeing the beautiful emotion it evoked for Marc and Vicky meant a lot to me.”

Seth Lakeman, who has co-written and performed Al’s song with Fisherman’s Friends, says: “The whole thing has been a wonderful journey since Radio 2 asked me to be involved. I loved writing about Al’s story and combining it with Fisherman’s Friends’ voices. When Al heard the song for the first time we could see the emotion of the moment on his face, and performing it in the St James the Great Church made the spiritual side of it really come alive.”

Fishermen’s Friends, who co-wrote Al’s song with Seth Lakeman, said: “The BBC has always been a strong supporter of folk music and 21stCentury Folk is a great project as it involves so many folk artists. We have loved the opportunity to write with Seth about Al, who has the most amazing story of being rescued on the water then paying that forward through becoming a volunteer himself on the London lifeboats.”

Kris Drever, who has written Emma’s song, says: “When I was invited to take part in 21st Century Folk, the whole concept sounded really intriguing to me, and even more so when I heard about Emma’s incredible story and that she is based in Sanday where my family is from. Emma’s journey, from being a PA in London then moving to Orkney to save whales, was fascinating to me and provided such inspiration to craft a song about her beautiful life.”

BBC Radio 2 is the UK’s most listened to radio station, with a weekly audience of 13.23 million (RAJAR Q1, 2024) and The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show is most listened to Breakfast show in the UK with 6.65 million listeners (RAJAR Q1, 2024). The network’s presenters include Michael Ball, Zoe Ball, Rob Beckett, Tony Blackburn, OJ Borg, Revd. Kate Bottley, Rylan, Fearne Cotton, Sara Cox, Jamie Cullum, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gary Davies, Paul Gambaccini, Mark Goodier, Angela Griffin, Bob Harris, Vernon Kay, Cerys Matthews, Paddy McGuinness, Scott Mills, Jason Mohammad, Trevor Nelson, Dermot O’Leary, Elaine Paige, Mark Radcliffe, Romesh Ranganathan, DJ Spoony, Liza Tarbuck, Jeremy Vine, Michelle Visage, Johnnie Walker, Jo Whiley, Phil Williams and Owain Wyn Evans.

At the 2024 Audio and Radio Industry Awards, also known as the ARIAs, Scott Mills won Gold for the Best Music Entertainment Show, 21st Century Folk won Gold for the Best Music Special, Windrush 75 won Gold for Best Coverage of an Event, and The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show won Bronze for the Best Music Breakfast Show. Plus, Cerys Matthews won the Best Blues Broadcaster Award for the third time at the annual UK Blues Awards so she has now been elected into the UK Blues Hall Of Fame.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.

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