Obituary

A. Heather Wood, 1945-2024

Heather Wood, traditional singer, humorist, songwriter, writer and editor died on July 15, 2024, at Stony Brook Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. From early appearances with the British group, The Young Tradition, in the late 60s, to recent years as a performer, organizer and mentor in the New York folk music community, she was an iconic figure in traditional music. Heather Wood was 79.

Heather Wood was born on March 31, 1945 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK. A riveting and engaging singer, Heather was a member of the musical group, The Young Tradition (1965-1969), with Peter Bellamy and Royston Wood. The trio was at the forefront of the English Folk Revival, releasing 4 albums and an EP of largely traditional folk songs sung a capella with tight harmonies. A final, much acclaimed live album was released in 2013 from an Oberlin College concert (1968).

Many of The Young Tradition’s songs were sourced from traditional English singers including the Copper Family (a multi-generation singing family from Sussex), Harry Fred Cox, and Walter Pardon.  The group also sang sea shanties and a selection of composed songs with lyrics by Cyril Tawney, Rudyard Kipling, and others. Heather Wood and Royston Wood also performed traditional songs as duo No Relation, a play on their shared last name.

Heather and The Young Tradition  toured across the UK and US, at venues ranging from the Royal Albert Hall to local folk clubs. Together and individually, they performed with other giants of the folk scene, including Anne Briggs, Bert Jansch, John Renbourne, Shirley Collins, Norma Waterson, Martin and Eliza Carthy, John Roberts & Tony Barrand, Helen Schnayer, and Louisa Jo Killen.

In 1977, Heather moved to New York City, becoming a US citizen in 2003. She continued bringing her brilliant harmony arrangements to traditional and original music in numerous groups, including with Crossover with Andy Wallace (1984-86); Poor Old Horse with David Jones and Tom Gibney; and Trad More with David Kleiman and Ken Schatz.

Heather’s love of words and narrative led her not only to singing and songwriting, but to editing and publishing . Focused both on the past and the future, she was a consulting editor for Tor Books, a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and a writer of fiction, verse, and articles. Heather excelled at spoken word and often included recitation and verse in her performances.

Over the years, Heather sang both formally and more casually with some of America’s best known folk singers, including Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Dave Van Ronk, Jean Ritchie and Odetta. One of her favorite memories to share was singing sea shanties with Janis Joplin backstage at the Newport Folk Festival. Heather appeared at many of the major folk festivals including the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Mystic and Connecticut Sea Music Festivals, the New England Folk Festival, Old Songs Festival, and the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival.

Heather Wood was a key figure in the NYC and New England folk scenes. In addition to her contributions as a performer, she served as program chair and treasurer of the Folk Music Society of New York, co-director of TradMaD Camp at Pinewoods (“more fun than adults should be allowed to have,” as she described it), and was a founding pillar of Exceedingly Good Song Night, NYC’s premier monthly song session.

Heather was a dedicated teacher and powerful mentor to singers of multiple generations. She took particular delight in encouraging new singers to lead a song, and in ridding people of the belief that they “can’t sing,” regardless of what they were told as children. She believed that everyone can sing; that the song, not the singer, was the priority when choosing what music to share; and that songs want to be sung. She often said that what helped her sing through stage fright was knowing, “It’s the song that matters. If you don’t sing it, maybe nobody will.” Generations of those who were fortunate enough to learn from her are carrying her legacy forward, through community singing and their performances of her old favorites and original songs.Heather left the world as she lived, surrounded by generations of her folk community singing for her. Her quick wit and clever turn of phrase will be deeply missed. She is survived by traditional singers everywhere.