We're back again with a selection of songs and tunes - quite a few new ones this time!

At last we're back - bigger and badder!

Ever wondered what it would sound like if you took 6 or 7 guys playing a range of instruments and you told them not to pay attention to the lead player/singer in terms of timing or chord progressions?

Well………… this is what it sounds like.

Matt McGinn, Scottish folk singer-song writer and poet, came up with the perfect word to describe a night like this - 'shite'!

There are nights when 'lousin' time' just can't come quick enough!!

Here are just a few of the tunes and songs that Andy played and sang during his all too short time with Aff the Cuff.

These should bring back good memories of the man and his music to the many friends who shared Andy's life.

'Irreplaceable' aptly describes the man.

From a historical perspective, folk music had these characteristics:
It was transmitted through an Oral tradition.
Before the twentieth century, ordinary farm workers and factory workers were illiterate. They acquired songs by memorising them. Primarily, it is not mediated by books, recorded or transmitted media. Singers may extend their repertoire using broadsheets, song books or CDs, but these secondary enhancements are of the same character as the primary songs experienced in the flesh.
The music was often related to national culture.
It was culturally particular - from a particular region or culture. In the context of an immigrant group, folk music acquires an extra dimension for social cohesion. It is particularly conspicuous in the United States, where Polish-Americans, Irish-Americans and Asian-Americans strive to emphasise differences from the mainstream. They will learn songs and dances that originate in the countries where their grandparents came from.
They commemorate historical and personal events.
On certain days of the year, such as Easter, May Day and Christmas hoe, particular songs celebrate the yearly cycle. Weddings, birthdays and funerals may also be noted with songs, dances and special costumes. Religious festivals often have a folk music component. Choral music at these events brings children and non-professional singers to participate in a public arena, giving an emotional bonding that is unrelated to the aethetic qualities of the music.
As a side-effect, the following characteristics are sometimes present:
Lack of copyright on songs
There are hundreds of songs from the nineteenth century have known authors. However, they have continued in oral tradition, to the point where they are classified as "Traditional", for purposes of music publishing. This has become much less frequent since the 1970s. Today, almost every folk song that is recorded is credited with an arrangement e.g. "Trad arr Dylan".
Fusion of cultures
In the same way that people can have a mixed background, with parents originating in different continents, so too music can be a blend of influences. A particular rhythmic pattern, or a characteristic instrument, is enough to give a traditional feel to music, even when it has been composed recently. It is easy to recognise the presence of a bagpipe or a tabla in a piece of music. The young are usually much less offended by the dilution or adaptation of songs this way. Equally an electric guitar can be added to an old song. It is a matter of personal taste as to whether this is an enhancement to the music, or a cheap gimmick. The relevant factors may include instrumentation, tunings, voicings, phrasing, subject matter, and even production methods.
Non-commercial.
Celebrations of cultural identity are occasionally performed without any profit motive. The absence of financial reward for the organiser was much more common in the past.

It's a big night for smallpipes!!!

It's a night of hot Christmas string action.

Eclectic must be an anagram of Aff the Cuff??????????

It's a night of multicultural mayhem for the boys as they travel the world with their tunes and songs.....................

At last - a host of predominantly Scottish tunes and songs - with a few Irish tunes thrown in for good measure............

The name-droppers' session with lots of things to listen to............