For most of those five years the organisation has been ably led by John Sheldon as Chairman (a position more like a chief executive than a figurehead). John has instigated a number of successful projects, such as the BBMA CD, which was the first British Bluegrass album in recent times to receive extensive radio coverage. It made a major contribution to our main aim, which was to raise the general awareness of the existence of British Bluegrass. Despite some criticism the project succeeded in its aims and actually made some money into the bargain!

The aims mentioned above have been pursued in a number of other ways:

• there is now a National Bluegrass Award, financed by the BBMA, as part of the Great British Country Music Awards seen annually on TV.
• the Association has ensured that British Bluegrass gets a reasonable airing on the media by supplying information and assisting in the production of various radio programmes. The BBMA:
  • has been a prime mover in setting up the European branch of the IBMA and it now assists in the running of an annual European Bluegrass Conference.
  • is one of a small number of DofE -approved employers of foreign artists. If you have seen an American Bluegrass band recently it is most likely to be courtesy of a BBMA work permit application.
  • has been a strong supporter of children’s and youth musical activities both at home and abroad and obtained National lottery funding (see ‘In Brief’, NWBN March 1997)
  • runs an annual summer school (Sore Fingers Week) and provides scholarships for young musicians to attend free of charge.

For the average enthusiast the prime production of the BBMA is the quarterly British Bluegrass News, but this is only a small part of the function of the organisation on the wider scene. By supporting the organisation members are supporting the furtherance of the music they love and are not just paying to receive a magazine. Unfortunately the dedicated following for Bluegrass in Britain remains very small and it is only by working together that we can raise the general awareness of the music. There is no room for a divided movement or rival projects. Any expansion outside the BBMA in terms of magazines or publicity projects is likely to be counterproductive as we are too small a group to sustain more than one dynamic campaign. It would be nice to see all the recipients of this journal supporting the wider effort and fully integrating with the common cause.

Our next step must be to use our well-established base to move positively into the Country and Folk spheres. A very small number of bands are doing this successfully, although only the Down County Boys play pure Bluegrass. The others are The Daily Planet, the Backwater Band and Same Train Different Teapot, all of whom have achieved prestigious gigs in the folk world, and the ‘Teapots’ have achieved very extensive radio play for their album in the wake of the BBMA CD. We stand a chance of lasting success only if we all work together and do not see our relationships in terms of rivalry. By the same token we must be supportive of the newer forms of the idiom and the related genre of Old Time because, if we are honest about it, it is bands playing these branches of the music that are having the greatest outside success. The BBMA’s function is to support and, if necessary, co-ordinate this success, but this can only be achieved through a wide enthusiast membership (which must be our continuing enabling aim.) The Association is currently very short of active people willing to take on major projects to further the cause of the music but with our current strong financial base we are well able to support individual enthusiasm. If you feel able to help, beyond being an ordinary member, why not contact me or new Chairman Tom Travis to offer your services... even if it is only to write an article for the BBN as well as one for your local journal!

Mike Preston, New Milton

Updated 23rd Jan 1999