JOHN Tams is a man of many talents - radio producer, actor, and respected songwriter.

In 2001, he won BBC Album of the Year and Song of the Year at the Folk Awards with his album Unity.

His follow-up album, Home, was regarded by many as the finest folk album of 2002.

John, a guitarist and singer, has also been performing as a folk duo for 18 months with keyboard player and singer Barry Coope. Those who enjoy their folk music will be delighted that they will be bringing their humour to Worcester's Huntingdon Hall on Wednesday.

John and Barry go back a long way having known each other for around 20 years.

"Barry has been a musician in his own right for that period, and sings with a capella group, Coope, Boyes and Simpson," says John.

However, John began his career as a news journalist before writing for music papers Melody Maker and the NME, and presenting music shows.

As a journalist, he was playing music as a semi-professional and now produces plays and drama for BBC Radio Four.

If that is not enough, he has been acting for around 30 years, including performances at the Old Vic, and the RSC.

John has been described by Music magazine Mojo as "one of the ultimate British songwriters" and his career spans four decades in every medium. But he is perhaps best known for his work at the National Theatre and as rifleman Daniel Hagman in the Sharpe television series.

John is currently recording a new album, scheduled for release in March next year. It will be a mixture of traditional songs and John's original work.

He says he gained an interest in folk music because of its capacity for story-telling.

"Because of my journalism, I am interested in words, therefore folk lyrics interested me," he says.

"It's an important area because there would be no music such as rock n' roll and jazz without folk - that was the first music of all."

John says his Huntingdon Hall gig with Barry Coope will be entertaining but light.

"We're not at all heavy going," he says. "I've only played twice at Huntingdon Hall, it's a smashing place. "I'm really looking forward to coming back again, it's my favourite place in the country, with remarkable space and its very well monitored."

Tickets for the Huntingdon Hall gig at CrownGate, Worcester, are £10.

Metal babies show 2,000 festival audience full fury

A BAND formed on a Worcester music course, performed in front of 2,000 at the National Festival of New Music.

Metal band Fury travelled to Leicester to perform at the De Montfort Hall event.

Fury were one of 50 acts performing across four stages of live music ranging from urban, to acoustic, to punk.

The four-piece has been together six months and formed on Worcester College of Technology's Access to Music course.

The line-up is guitar and vocalist Julian Jenkins, aged 17, drummer Chad Ingram, aged 16, guitarist Jake Beesley aged 18, and Charlie Elcock aged 17 on bass.

"It was a really good day and we had loads of fun," said front-man Julian.

"I enjoyed seeing the other bands. There was a great drum and bass DJ, in fact the standard of all the acts was high.

"My birthday was the day before and so it felt like a really rock and roll way to celebrate."

The National Festival is part of Access to Music's National Events Programme (NEP).

The event held on Thursday, June 10 attracted a guest list of some top names in the industry.