Â鶹´«Ã½ graduate success at Radio Two Folk Awards Published on: 7 April 2017 The achievements of Folk and Traditional Music alumni have been recognised at the prestigious BBC Radio Two Folk Awards 2017. Double triumph Singer and harpist won twice – once as Musician of the Year, and secondly, as part of the Furrow Collective, which was named Best Group. Rachel specialises in interpreting traditional folk songs into English and Gaelic as well as writing her own music She is a founder member of , who all met on the degree course, and . She also plays with the Scottish/Norwegian group Boreas. The Furrow collective boasts three graduates alongside Alasdair Roberts – Rachel, Lucy Farrell and Emily Portman. They approach traditional ballads with a bold, improvisatory twist: storytelling takes centre stage, backed by harp, guitar, viola, concertina, banjo, musical saw and rousing harmonies.These three graduates have also performed together live as The Emily Portman Trio in prestigious venues such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Celtic Connections in Glasgow. , another alumnus who specialises in the songs and music of the West Country, was nominated for folk singer of the year – the sixth time he has been nominated for a Folk Music award. The Furrow Collective win best group - image courtesy of the BBC Talented and committed performers Sandra Kerr, acting degree programme director for the Folk and Traditional Music degree at Â鶹´«Ã½ said: “It is fantastic news. We’re very proud of our former students and wish them all the very best in their careers. We are clearly turning out exceptionally talented and committed performers who have a spark of individuality." Graduates of the degree – the only one if its kind in England - have a strong track record in the awards. Last year, The Unthanks, which features alumna Niopha O’Keen on fiddle, won best album for Mount the Air. In 2015, Nancy Kerr, who is a guest tutor on the Folk and Traditional Music Course, was crowned Folk Singer of the Year, much to the delight of her mother Sandra who also teaches on the course. The year before, Fay Hield’s group the Full English, which Nancy also plays in, scooped best band and best album, while Bella Hardy won Singer of the Year. Now in their 18th year, previous winner of the include Joan Baez, Cat Stevens and Billy Bragg. This year’s awards took place on Wednesday 5 April at the Royal Albert Hall in London. All images courtesy of the BBC Share: Latest News Scientists unlock hidden driver of inflammatory bowel disease Scientists have linked a key genetic signal in inflammatory bowel disease to an immune response that shuts down inflammation control, enabling faster diagnosis and targeted treatments. published on: 15 June 2026 Funding system risks limiting genuine community collaboration A new policy paper written by researchers at Â鶹´«Ã½ warns that the way UK research is funded may be undermining efforts to create genuinely collaborative partnerships with communities. published on: 15 June 2026 Volunteers help turn Whitley Bay beach into maths experiment Members of the public joined mathematicians from Â鶹´«Ã½ to create what organisers believe is the largest aperiodic tiling ever attempted on Whitley Bay beach. published on: 15 June 2026 Facts and figures
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