CONGRATULATIONS to the Black Swan Folk Club in York on being selected as Folk Club of the Year in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2009.

As the BBC’s official announcement explains, the award is “voted for by professional folk musicians to honour the often-lifelong contribution of those who run the venues which provide folk’s lifeblood”.

“We’d been tipped off about it a week or so before the announcement,” says Roland Walls, the club’s main organiser since 1987. “The award came out of the blue and I still have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure I’m not dreaming it.”

The York club has been meeting almost every Thursday evening for more than 30 years at the Black Swan Inn, the Peasholme Green pub from which it takes its name.

“We’re delighted that a panel of hard-working and experienced musicians has chosen us above a host of other venues for this prestigious prize,” says Roland.

“We hope this reflects the efficient organisation, friendly welcome and great atmosphere of our events.

“In particular, we’re very pleased that our small venue, comfortably full with 50 people in the audience, has taken an award that has usually gone to much larger clubs seating upwards of a hundred or more.”

Roland will travel to London for the awards ceremony on Monday, February 2, joined by long-serving resident singers Eddie Affleck, Stan Graham and Phil Cerny, who will fly over from the United States, where he teaches in term time.

No records survive from the club’s early days, when it was run largely by students, but it seems to have been established in the mid-1970s.

Roland, who describes himself as enthusiastic listener rather than a performer, turned up in the audience one night in 1982 and was hooked. He now co-ordinates the club with the aid of a loose committee of resident singers, musicians and other supporters.

“Although a relatively small venue, the club has always aimed to present the very best professional and semi-professional performers in this delightfully atmospheric setting for live acoustic music,” he says.

“For example, this coming year brings return bookings for two iconic names in Irish and Scottish music, Andy Irvine and Dick Gaughan respectively, while the doyen of English folk singers, Martin Carthy, is also a frequent visitor, selling out two shows in 2008.

“Our musical remit is a broad one, with singer-songwriters, acoustic blues and other styles alongside traditional folk. There’s a strong international theme, with frequent guest artists from USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and continental Europe, and we also seek to nurture new talent, with young performer showcase events and other initiatives.” The club promotes ten concerts a year at the National Centre for Early Music, in Walmgate, and is the driving force behind the City of York Folk Weekend, a free two-day celebration of the York folk music scene on May 30 and 31 at the Black Swan.

In addition, the club will be involved in the York Residents’ Festival, presenting Sunday Afternoon Folk at the Black Swan from 2pm on February 1, when half a dozen of the best local musicians will be doing short sets. Meanwhile, the main Thursday night programme continues with the Sheffield’s traditional quartet Crucible on January 29 and songwriter-guitarist Steve Tilston on February 5. Tickets will be available on the door from 8pm.

In between those concerts comes the club’s gong at the tenth anniversary ceremony of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Radio 2’s Radcliffe & Maconie Show will be broadcast live from backstage on February 2, followed by extended highlights on Mike Harding’s Radio 2 show on February 4.