Folk song a day project

On 24th June 2010 – Midsummer’s Day – acclaimed singer, Jon Boden, launched an ambitious new project – A Folk Song A Day. Every day for one year Jon is posting a traditional song online to promote the art of ‘social’ (or communal) singing. Now largely confined to football grounds and places of worship, social singing was once the domain of public houses throughout the land. Ending with 12 digital albums (one released each month), containing a total of 365 songs, Jon Boden will also be providing a unique, traditional folk song resource for those looking for inspiration; social singing made possible by contemporary technology.

Aside from the two solo albums mentioned below Jon has released several highly acclaimed albums with fast-rising big band Bellowhead (the latest of which is due to be released later this year) as well as Vagabond with the equally feted traditional duo, Spiers & Boden (2008). He has also recorded and performed with Eliza Carthy on one of her Mercury Prize nominated albums.

Jon Boden was born in Chicago in 1977, grew up in Winchester, graduated in Mediaeval Studies from Durham University and since becoming a parent, has settled in the South Yorkshire dales.

Jon has toured internationally with Bellowhead, performed on Later with Jools Holland (alongside new fans, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers) and also made two televised appearances at the BBC 2008 Proms. Bellowhead were recently appointed Band in Residence at London’s South Bank Centre, following in the footsteps of St Etienne.

Additionally, Jon has composed several theatre scores, most recently for ‘The Merchant of Venice’ at the RSC’s Statford-upon-Avon Theatre as well as for ‘Hamlet’ at The Globe (2008).