It is with sdaness that Spiral Earth notes the passing of Heather Wood, the final survivor of acapella trio The Young Tradition who came to dominate the folk scene of the late 1960s with their flambouyant outfits more akin to pop stars than folk singers, yet who managed to make their distinctive individual voices fit in appealing fashion.

They were named after the folk club where all three met in Cambridge Circus where Heather fell in with Peter Bellamy and Royston Wood – who, as a later album confimed was no relation. By 1966 not only had they a regular network of clubs and performance venues they’d got a recording contract with Transatlantic which ran for three albums and an EP which became folk best sellers. They sang as part of the  revival on both sides of the Atlantic appearing at Newport Festival in 1967. The USA made a great impression on Heather Wood. When the Young Tradition parted at the close of the 60s, the two Woods stayed performing together whilst Peter Bellamy went on to solo success, Wood and Wood released a final vinyl offering ‘No Relation’ in 1977.

Even though she was a Yorkshire lass, Heather Wood moved across the Big Pond in the late 1970s and became a US citizen, however she remained involved in folk music circles whilst diversifying into books for children and compiling roots music directories. She died on July 15th having kept up an interest in the traditional music from Britain and America for almost 80 years.