Folk on Foot at Off The Page: Matthew Bannister and Duncan Chisholm in Conversation

Folk on Foot at Off The Page: Via Facebook live

Folk on Foot is and award winning podcast by the broadcaster and former BBC executive Matthew Bannister, bringing together his three passions: folk music, walking and telling stories in sound. In an Off The Page special, Matthew will be joined acclaimed Scottish musician Duncan Chisolm for an online discussion. They will look back at a walk they took together to the spectacular Sandwood Bay on the North Western tip of Scotland – a place that inspired Duncan’s album ‘Sandwood’. They’ll share some wonderful film and photos of that day and discuss how landscape can inspire music and how important walking and the freedom it allows has become to all of us in recent times together pre-covid, and share some wonderful imagery and film of that walk with us, as well as discuss how important walking and the freedom it allows, has become to all of us in recent times.

Would you like to put a question to Matthew or Duncan ahead of their discussion?  Send us your questions by 12^th May to [email protected]

or DM us, and we’ll share our favourites with the guys ahead of their chat!

Matthew Bannister
In a media career lasting over forty years, Matthew has been a senior BBC executive, launching BBC GLR in the 1980s, re-positioning Radio 1 and becoming Director of Radio in the 1990s.   Matthew is also a broadcaster, starting out on BBC Radio Nottingham, London’s Capital Radio and Radio 1 Newsbeat and more recently presenting shows on Radio 5Live, the BBC World Service and Radio 4 where he still hosts the weekly obituary programme Last Word.  Folk on Foot is Matthew’s personal project and reflects his three life-long passions: folk music, which he has loved since he was a teenage fiddle player in a band touring the clubs around Sheffield; walking, which again started in his youth, when he first explored the Peak District with his family; and telling stories in sound which has given him the greatest pleasure throughout his working life.

“In short, after all this time, I have finally created my perfect job.” Matthew Bannister

 Duncan Chisholm

Duncan Chisholm is one of Scotland’s most recognised and accomplished fiddle players and composers.  Born and brought up near Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland, Duncan has spent most of his life developing his unique musical voice.  Fiddle playing at its best, Duncan’s feather-light handling of dynamics and ornamentation, allied with his pure-distilled tone, lend his characteristic spine-tingling magic to his music.

Taught to play by the great Donald Riddell, few can match Duncan’s expressive feel for a Highland air.  Duncan’s well-established musical career has taken him throughout the UK, Europe and the USA, both through his solo work and while playing with other musicians and bands.  Duncan plays regularly with Gaelic singing sensation Julie Fowlis, sets the heather on fire with his folk rock band Wolfstone and is much sought after as a composer and accompanist.