Liz Clark has been involved in one format or another with music all her life. Her passion for Scottish Traditional music started when at six years of age when her parents moved to the North East of Scotland.
Between the women singing in the fishing sheds at Stonehaven and the bothy ballads of Aberdeenshire to the travellers with their stories and songs, she learned a new language or languages through these songs which she used to good end on her Rutherglen aunt who she had ‘words’ with from time to time and was able to say extremely rude things to and no one knew what she was saying! That was the start!
She was also brought up with the Blues and old 78’s recordings of Bessie Smith, Ledy Belly, Henry Thomas and Blind Willie Johnson listened to avidly on her own ‘wind up’ record player.
From the first Glasgow folk club she attended in 1966 to the Danny Kyle club in The Attic in Paisley, it sealed her fate as a ‘folkie’. Political and protest songs and the emerging new tradition, any music, as long as it was good.
She has compared and co-ordinated competitions at the Stonehaven Folk Festival ; Orkney Folk Festival ; Girvan Folk Festival and Newcastleton Folk Festival in the Borders to name but a few.
Always a good organiser, her BA Hons. in Computing Science, IT and Business Management Accounting being put to good use, Liz is always in demand to help the arranging of concerts, competitions and festivals throughout the UK for the last 50 years. Also working with Danny Kyle on start up festivals such as The Isle of Bute Festival and the Killin Folk Festivals in the 90’s.
Danny’s Wikipedia Link:
On Danny’s passing in 1998, then Celtic Connections festival director Colin Hynd asked her and performer Gibb Todd to take on and organise The Danny Kyle Open Stage at Celtic Connections festival, Liz is now the Producer / Co-ordinator and Presenter of the DKOS .
A director (now retired) and staunch supporter of the TMSA (Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland) for over 40 years where she was awarded an Honorary Membership for her contribution to the organisation and the music. Liz also loves the emerging music by our talented young musicians. She has seen almost 2000 acts come through the Danny Kyle Open Stage she promotes these musicians where ever she can. Colin brought presenters to Liz from Celtic Music Radio embryotic stage she was asked if she would ‘mind’ the DKOS being sent out on radio and they have broadcast the stage ever since! Mark Sheridan then suggested that Liz should do a programme on the station and as they say – the rest is history!
Due to the large number of festivals – 20 plus per annum – Liz attends and for the last 15 years in conjunction with John Weatherby and Kris Korn of Soundsense Liz records concerts, ceilidhs, interviews, ‘In Conversation With’ and festivals throughout the UK bringing to the attention of promoters, festivals and audience, talent that may not otherwise be broadcast either at home or worldwide!
Liz was also inducted into The Scottish Traditional Hall of Fame in 2017 for her significant contribution to the music scene.
Liz Clark presents ‘Travels with my Aunt’ on Celtic Music Radio every Tuesday night 8.00-10.00pm.
Festival Fling – Saturdays 2 -4pm
Some links you may find useful