H aunting ballads and jaunty folk-fuelled numbers inhabit the set list of singer songwriter Patsy Matheson, who is back on the road just months after the farewell tour of Waking the Witch, the highly acclaimed, all-female band she founded.

ORGANISERS of Liverpool's first festival of Working Classic Music believe it should become an annual event, attracting acclaimed activist artists from all over the world.

Plymouth-based folk musician James Dumbleton is among the leading performers at one of the most popular and well-established music events in the country, Sidmouth FolkWeek which begins tonight.

By Jim Gilchrist Two young singers and a veteran solo balladeer have released albums at opposite ends of their journey into the heart of Scottish traditional music, with fine results "TIME wears awa'," as the song goes.

Debra Cowan sings beautifully and draws from the traditions of England, Scotland, Ireland and North America. She is normally unaccompanied or with her own guitar backing, but has now joined forces with the amazing finger style guitar-player Pete Smith - no stranger to the Tump himself.