IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF EWAN MacCOLL……and what hugely influential footsteps they are.
In the 50s and 60s Ewan
MacColl along with Charles Parker and Peggy Seeger created the groundbreaking
Radio Ballads broadcasts for the BBC Home Service covering a variety of
subjects and using an audio documentary format to highlight the experiences of
real people weaving the voices of rarely-heard communities with songs written
from and about their recorded interviews, the first time regional accents had
been heard on BBC Radio!
There were eight original programmes and they were masterpieces of radio producing many songs that have since become folk classics.
Almost half a century
later, in 2006, a new set of Radio Ballads were commissioned by BBC Radio 2
using the same format but this time involving a whole team of stellar
musicians, singers and songwriters from the folk/acoustic/roots music scene
under the guiding hands and watchful eyes of producer John Leonard and musical
director John Tams.
Now three members of
that team, Bob Fox, Jez Lowe and Julie Matthews, have put together a selection
of songs from the 2006 new Radio Ballads for a concert performance IN THE
FOOTSTEPS OF EWAN MacCOLL.
All three are
consummate engaging performers of meaningful songs and stories and are
multi-instrumentalists whose skills have been honed by decades of live touring
throughout UK, Europe, Canada, U.S.A, Australia and New Zealand. They have all
recorded extensively, worked in collaboration with many of the top folk roots
artists and bands as well as having highly successful solo careers and are well
loved and respected by audiences and colleagues alike.
Expect to be entertained and enlightened by songs of joy, love, hardship and humour.
More info here:
The Fleece Inn, WR11 7JE