POLITICAL manoeuvering is much in the news at present, and some well-known folk names have found themselves unwittingly embroiled in the antics of the British National Party, which has used a gap in the copyright laws to purloin recordings by bands like Fairport Convention and The Albion Band for use on fund-raising CDs.

What’s more, the indignant and angry musicians involved have been told there’s nothing they can do about it, a strange and worrying state of affairs.

It’s not the first time that folk music has been hijacked for extreme nationalistic misuse, of course. The German Nazi Party did exactly that in the Thirties, before going on to bigger and more detestable crimes. Hard times of Olde England indeed.

Folk music with a purer heart is much in evidence across the region this week, with Jim Bainbridge at Skelton’s Duke William tonight, and a huge choice on Saturday between Ewan MacLennan and Eilidh Grant at Washington’s Davy Lamp, Richard Grainger at Osmotherley Village Hall, John Brundel and Acoustica at Seaton Delaval Arts Centre, and George Welch and Stewart Hardy at Middleton’s White Hart.

Synergy are at Guisborough Rugby Club on Friday, and Monday’s choice is between The Windy Gyle Band at Stockton’s Sun Inn and Scots entertainer Tich Frier at Coatham Munderville’s Foresters.

Wednesday has my longtime favourite local singer Jim Sharp at Birtley Catholic Club, and don’t forget that Durham Traditional Music Festival is running all weekend at Croxdale Community Centre, with concerts, singarounds and workshops. I’m off on my travels to the Old Songs Festival in New York this weekend, so more news on