PPS
A couple of things.
Just read through the thread carefully (didn't come across it till late last night).
I wasn't a member of the Critics Group for 20 years - it only lasted for 10 and I didn't join it till the latter years. My wife Pat Mackenzie was a member at least four years longer than I was.
We did continue to associate with Ewan and Peg up to his death and Pat and I interviewed him at length about his work over about a year.
MacColl did not claim to write traditional songs; he argued that traditional song forms and working-class speech were valid forms in which to create new songs (he did use other models, such as Kurt Weill and on at least one occasion Gilbert and Sullivan). He encouraged other singers to study traditional styles to see if they were relevant to modern composition and performance. He never claimed his songs to be traditional, but he was highly chuffed when they were mistaken for such (we recorded versions of Freeborn Man on at least three occasions from Travellers). It is ironic that he has been accused of stealing 'Freeborn' and 'Shoals of Herring' from the tradition (completely devoid of evidence) and claiming them as his own, but I'm sure it would have pleased and amused him greatly.
MacColl's best friend couldn't call him a pussy-cat, but he was far from the arrogant monster he is usually painted. His main problem was that he spoke his mind and when he was asked a question he said what he thought, which was as popular as a fart in a telephone box in a revival that was in general sycophantic, self congratulatory and first-name dropping. Personally he was quite shy and often adopted a front to get over this.
His first influences were Scots songs; his mother and several of the people he grew up with in Salford told me this. His environment was largely Scots, and in order to sing the songs he grew up with he did what many actors do and adopted a neutral Scots accent so that they were understandable to non-Scots. I can understand why this disturbed a number of people, though it never did me.
I am in the process of indexing all the recordings of the Critics Group workshops in the hope that one day they will become freely available (when it is sorted out who owns them!!!!!).
Thank you Lizziefor starting this thread. Personally I couldn't give a toss whether you sing, dance or perform handstands. I get more than a little hacked off sometimes at the self-appointed 'big league' who seem to have given themselves a sole right to hold and express opinions.
Jim Carroll