Mike Harding Cambridge Folk Festival Special

From 26-30 July, Smooth Operations returned once again to the ever-popular Cambridge Folk Festival with presenter Mike Harding to produce two hours of live music highlights and interviews for BBC Radio 2.

Scheduled to air at 7pm on Wednesday 1 August, this year’s coverage includes interviews and performances from Billy Bragg, The Proclaimers, Joan Armatrading, James Vincent McMorrow, Clannad and Nanci Griffith.

Folk legend Nic Jones, who has only recently returned to the live arena after suffering a serious car accident in the 1980s, will also feature in the programme. This will be the first broadcast performance in decades by the influential musician.

North East group The Unthanks talk about their incredible collaboration with the Brighouse & Rastrick Band, and folk-rock songwriter Roy Harper also joins Mike in the backstage studio.

There’s also music from Celtic supergroup the Treacherous Orchestra, English traditional group Fay Hield & The Hurricane Party (featuring Bellowhead’s Jon Boden and Sam Sweeney) and Grammy-nominated Cajun band the Pine Leaf Boys.

The programme will be followed by another Smooth Operations commission - A Long, Long Time Ago: The Don McLean Story - in which veteran broadcaster Paul Gambaccini explores the life and work of the American Pie songwriter.

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