The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #132492   Message #3007649
Posted By: GUEST,John Miles of Smiles
15-Oct-10 - 07:19 AM
Thread Name: Shirley Collins, Cecil Sharp House, 30th October
Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, CSH, 30th October
Just in case there is any remaining confusion - this is a multimedia presentation; I presume that most people know that Shirley sadly doesn't sing in public any longer, but I've had a few people asking so I thought it best to qualify! Shirley's talks, like her music, remain fascinating, joyous and very poignant. Here's the blurb from the South Bank Centre performance a few years ago:

Shirley Collins presents A Most Sunshiny Day, a fascinating and timely look at a remarkable part of English culture, the traditional music of the working people of her native Sussex. Illustrating the talk with genuine field recordings, and with many fascinating photographs and pictures, Shirley shows how essential the music and customs were to people's lives. She tells of the importance of the folksong collecting done by such people as Lucy Broadwood, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Bob Copper, and of the men and women of real character they found. Not only did this music influence the compositions of Vaughan Williams and Butterworth, it is also a source of inspiration for many young singers today, and a direct and important connection to our roots and social history. The talk is given with Shirley's blend of knowledge, compassion and humour, and she is joined by actor Pip Barnes for some of the readings.