English Dance and Song Spring 2023
This article appears in English Dance and Song, the magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. The world’s oldest magazine for folk music and dance, EDS was first published in 1936 and is essential reading for anyone with a passion for folk arts.
Elye Cuthbertson, a recent member of the National Youth Folk Ensemble, tells us how he took folk music to the heart of the Royal Albert Hall’s competition.
I am probably one of the few musicians to play solo melodeon on stage at the Royal Albert Hall. It can’t be a long list.
In November 2022 I had this exceptional opportunity, and was chosen as the Future Makers 2022 champion. Future Makers is an inaugural competition run by the Royal Albert Hall for young musicians across London, with multiple stages of auditions. It aims to inspire young people with the joys of music making, culminating in a concert with a diverse range of musicians.
Each of the final 9 musicians or groups had to play one piece that we had written in front of an audience consisting mostly of school groups. The judges wanted the Future Makers winner to be both an exceptional composer and performer, as well as someone inspiring to younger musicians. There was a mix of genres, but I was the only folk musician. The school groups and the presenters (Jess Gillam and Lionheart) were fascinated by the melodeon, most having never encountered it before. After all the finalists performed their piece, I was shocked but delighted to be announced as the winner!
I was then rushed back on stage to perform my tune again, and this time not only did the whole audience spontaneously clap along but confetti rained down and covered the stage as I finished!
This experience was incredible. My humble beginnings learning folk music and the melodeon for the first time at a Get Your Folk On! course run by EFDSS at Cecil Sharp House never led me to believe I would, in around 9 years’ time, perform at the Royal Albert Hall. Following my introduction to folk at 9 years old, I learned a lot from EFDSS’ opportunities, like the National Youth Folk Ensemble, and alongside this gigged around the country as a band member and soloist. My biggest project came during lockdown when I made an album called Covid 19 Compositions. This album brought together around 15 different musicians each playing on a different track, and all profits go to the charity Help Musicians. It s so far raised £900. All 19 tracks on the album were written by me, and it was one of these, the Doorbell and the Breadmaker, that I performed in the Future Makers competition.
As the Future Makers 2022 champion, my reward is a bespoke programme of support offered by the Royal Albert Hall. I am very excited to work with them on what they can offer, and I hope to continue sharing folk music and the melodeon with new audiences.
elyecuthbertson.com
Photo by Andy Paradise
