Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 29 May 12 - 11:39 AM

From Smooth Operations:

Dear Chris,

I understand you're having trouble finding out about the new series of Radio Ballads, which are due to be broadcast on Radio 2 this summer.

I'm afraid I can't offer you exact details about the programmes, as they are still in production as I write. However, I can say that they will air on Monday nights at 10pm, for six weeks, beginning on July 2nd.

I'm sorry we were slow to get you this information. It really is a work in progress. They have certainly not been abandoned! More detailed information will be available from the BBC Press Office in the coming weeks.

Kind regards,
Jon

Jon Lewis
Producer, Mike Harding Show, BBC Radio 2

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST,folkymick
Date: 29 Jan 13 - 08:45 AM

thanks for the links to the original radio ballads and the later ones.

I'm still looking for the radio ballad about the sheffield steel industry, the bbc has some of the songs, but others (particularly Julie matthews 'crane driver' are not present.

does anyone have a downloaded version of this radio ballad?

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 29 Jan 13 - 11:52 AM

Henryp, ref your post of 1.April.12. The'Landmarks' radio ballad series was produced by Charles Parker and only broadcast in the Midlands Region, but it was not specific to Birmingham. 'The episode called 'The Factory' was about Morris Motors, Cowley, Oxford

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: greg stephens
Date: 29 Jan 13 - 04:22 PM

I did a job for Charles Parker preparing for the Factory show, recording some singers in the Oxford region for his consideration. Of those I submitted, he chose Wymond Symes for the programme, but vehemently rejected Tony Rose as being wholly unsuitable! (I didn't record RoyH then, by the way. And Roy, I am still looking for the Bert Lloyd tape!)

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 27 Mar 15 - 06:18 AM

The mystery of "Landmarks: The Factory." This appears to not have been a Radio Ballad per se. It was actually a series of 6 documentary films produced by PHILIP DONNELLAN.

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=Landmarks+%22The+Factory%22#search

Thus the entry for episode 3 is:

====

BBC 2 - 27 December 1964 21.10
BBC 1 - 22 July 1965 19.00

LANDMARKS
of life from birth to old age in six documentary films
3: THE FACTORY
The Raleigh Works, Nottingham
Directed by CHARLES DENTON
Cameraman, Stewart A. Farnell
Sound recordist, Bill Barker
Still photography, Roger Mayne
Music,
EWAN MACCOLL , PEGGY SEEGER
Editor. Bill Veitch
A series from Birmingham
Produced by PHILIP DONNELLAN
First shown on BBC-2

====

In the above thread a similar programme is reported to have been made at Morris Oxford's in Cowley. The subjects of the other episodes are unknown. A web search for Landmarks produces nothing.

Only episode 3 is actually listed in the Radio Times Genome database.

One assumes that the Beeb still has copies of the films in its archives, but then the 1960s/70s was when, to its enduring disgrace, it junked a lot of its recordings. The programmes have never been aired since the 1960s (according to Genome). In fact this applies to most (all?) of Donnellan's films.

Sadly the recent largely unknown (under publicised) 'Flatpack' event in Birmingham which featured a few of Donnellan's films failed to feature any of the Landmark films.

====

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 27 Mar 15 - 06:32 AM

Returning to Fred's original post, here is the link:

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=folk+on+2+radio+ballads#search

Scroll down for the entry required:

BBC Radio 2
29 June 1988 19.00

Jim Lloyd
with Folk on 2 'The most originally conceived, most brilliantly executed and most moving radio programme I have ever heard' was how Sir Hugh Greene described The Ballad of John Axon when it was first broadcast, 30 years ago this week.

Tonight Jim Lloyd looks back on the radio ballads with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger.
Producer GEOFFREY HEWITT BBC Pebble Mill

====

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 15 - 06:43 AM

Another 'lost' Radio Ballad recently discovered - and never rebroadcast by the Beeb (do they still have a copy?).

18 May 1966 14.20

BALLAD AND FOLK SONG

Part 1

A Radio Ballad by CHARLES PARKER based on Romeo and Juliet re-cast in the language and experience of today with songs and music by EWAN MACCOLL and PEGGY SEEGER

25 May 1966 14.20

BALLAD AND FOLK SONG

Part 2

A Radio Ballad by EWAN MACCOLL based on Romeo and Juliet recast in the language and experience of today with songs and music by EWAN MACCOLL and PEGGY SEEGER

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 28 Mar 15 - 07:51 AM

Fred - any chance of a copy of said Jim Lloyd 'Folk on 2' programme please? Thanks.

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Mar 15 - 09:56 AM

Romeo & Juliet - Radio Ballad

Enjoy!!

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST,Barney_S
Date: 04 Apr 15 - 06:28 PM

Sorry to bother you Guest, but I missed the Romeo and Juliet link above, any chance you could reupload it please?

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 11:26 AM

Hmm - appears that the said link has been deleted.

Try here for:

"Romeo & Juliet"

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g6wtehxhb61ltzd/AACD0xLXNQV7_Q_F5U0XwNc6a?dl=0

Also recently discovered is:

"The Iron Box" (only aired once in 1971)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m5maw23hgol7r3v/AAAZlPKgl16w7OOD-NYsFGBIa?dl=0

And then there is the banned "Off Limits 2"

https://soundcloud.com/jackaro/off-limits-2
(use a SoundCloud Downloader to extract the file)

There is also a favourite Radio Ballad of mine as part of the BBC's Abolition season in 2014. As Pete Seeger once remarked "The Power of Song" ... indeed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2007/03/17/abolition_sound_the_jubilee_feature.shtml (**)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/image_galleries/sound_the_jubilee_gallery.shtml

You can listen to the programme via the website (**) above.

CJB.

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 11:32 AM

Sorry blue clicky links above are:

"Romeo & Juliet"

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g6wtehxhb61ltzd/AACD0xLXNQV7_Q_F5U0XwNc6a?dl=0

"The Iron Box"

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m5maw23hgol7r3v/AAAZlPKgl16w7OOD-NYsFGBIa?dl=0

"Off Limits 2"

https://soundcloud.com/jackaro/off-limits-2
(use a SoundCloud Downloader to extract the file)

"Sound The Jubilee"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2007/03/17/abolition_sound_the_jubilee_feature.shtml (**)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/image_galleries/sound_the_jubilee_gallery.shtml

CJB.

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST,Barney_S
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 01:26 PM

Thanks for those CJB, much appreciated!

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 06 Apr 15 - 09:46 AM

I might recommend that everyone in the US at least downloads two Radio Ballads "The Iron Box" and "Off Limits 2" - they are both about black racial issues in prisons and also in Vietnam. They are quite profound and explore deep issues. Indeed they are outstanding examples of this genre. CJB

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST,Barney_S
Date: 08 Apr 15 - 05:26 AM

Would you happen to have the personnel for Romeo and Juliet, CJB? I think I recognised Kerr and Faulkner...

Thanks for The Iron Box - a massively powerful piece of work. It's inspired me to re-read Eldridge Cleaver's 'Soul On Ice', anyway.

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Apr 15 - 02:03 PM

For personal for Romeo & Juliet maybe see Genome:

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=0&q=romeo+and+juliet+ballad+song&media=all&yf=1923&yt=2009&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00%3A00&tt=00%3A00

BBC Home Service
18 May 1966 14.20

BALLAD AND FOLK SONG A Radio Ballad by CHARLES PARKER based on Romeo and Juliet re-cast in the language and experience of today with songs and music by EWAN MACCOI. L and PEGGY SEEGER
Part 1
Books. Plays, Poems series         

BBC Home Service

25 May 1966 14.20

BALLAD AND FOLK SONG A Radio Ballad by EWAN MACCOLL based on Romeo and Juliet recast in the language and experience of today with songs and music by EWAN MACCOLL and PEGGY SEEGER
Part 2
Books. Plays. Poems series

====

http://www.wcml.org.uk/contents/activists/ewan-maccoll/radio-and-oral-history/the-radio-ballads/

1966 Romeo and Juliet

Not a Radio Ballad but related in terms of radio technique, this was an hour-long modem version of Shakespeare's play, improvised and performed by the London Critics Group. Broadcast by the BBC and produced by Charles Parker.

songs:
Down the Lane
Friday Night
Juliet's Song
After the Weekend It's Monday
Sweet Thames, Flow Softly
Death of Tim and Wizz

====

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=7910

Subject: RE: BBC Radio Balads by Ewan McColl/Chas. Parker
From: Nerd
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 11:20 PM

Dick and co:

MacColl's Romeo and Juliet was not a radio ballad, it was a radio drama he did after the Radio Ballads proper. Peggy Seeger calls it "not a radio ballad but related in terms of radio technique." Radio Ballads were documentary programmes created out of hours of ethnographic or journalistic interviews. Romeo and Juliet was an updated version of the Shakespeare drama, improvised and performed by the Critics Group.. But it had some great songs, including Sweet Thames Flow Softly.

====

I'll research further.

CJB

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Apr 15 - 10:24 AM

Re: Personnel involved with Romeo & Juliet

There are these links:

http://www.wcml.org.uk/contents/activists/ewan-maccoll/radio-and-oral-history/the-radio-ballads/

1966 Romeo and Juliet

Not a Radio Ballad but related in terms of radio technique, this was an hour-long modem version of Shakespeare's play, improvised and performed by the London Critics Group. Broadcast by the BBC and produced by Charles Parker.

Songs:
Down the Lane
Friday Night
Juliet's Song
After the Weekend It's Monday
Sweet Thames, Flow Softly
Death of Tim and Wizz

====

http://www.peggyseeger.com/about/press/peggy-seeger-long-cv

1966 - Romeo and Juliet - not a radio ballad but related in terms of radio technique, this was an hour-long modern version of Shakespeare's play, improvised and performed by the London Critics Group. Broadcast by the BBC and produced by Charles Parker.

====

Aha - it was member's of the Critics Group that performed the 'ballad.

Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Critics_Group

"Members of the group at various times included Frankie Armstrong, Bob Blair, Brian Byrne (UK), Helen Campbell (UK), Jim Carroll (UK), Phil Colclough, Aldwyn Cooper, Ted Culver, John Faulkner, Richard Humm, Allen Ives, Sandra Kerr, Paul Lenihan, Pat Mackenzie, Jim O'Connor, Maggie O'Murphy, Charles Parker, Brian Pearson, Michael Rosen, Buff Rosenthal, Susanna Steele, Denis Turner, Jack Warshaw, Terry Yarnell and others who joined for individual Festival of Fools shows."

Discography incl.

Sweet Thames, Flow Softly 1966 Argo ZDA 47 (John Faulkner, Sandra Kerr, Terry Yarnell, Ted Culver and Jim O'Connor)

Review

http://www.netrhythms.co.uk/reviewsc.html#critics

====

And in the dusty archives is even more information - locked out from the rest of us ...

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=romeo+juliet+maccoll

====

CJB

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST,Barney_S
Date: 10 Apr 15 - 05:10 AM

Cheers for that, CJB. Am possibly going to see Sandra Kerr play later this year, may have to ask her about this.

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Apr 15 - 08:01 AM

And here's a treat:

Two restored recordings of original ballad operas that likely inspired Charles Parker, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger to write their own version(s) of the Radio Ballads:

The Lonesome Train - Lincoln's last train ride (original 78s) (1944)

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/a8p6lbj1r653e/The_Lonesome_Train_Cantata

The Old Chisholm Trail - BBC (NYC) (1966)

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/pj8cq8cbccsdy/The_Old_Chisholm_Trail

Sadly one important but still missing ballad opera is:

"The Man Who Went to War, 1944. A "ballad opera" by Langston Hughes with folk music chosen by Alan Lomax. It starred Canada Lee, Paul Robeson, Ethel Waters, William Vesey, Josh White, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee."

Anyway enjoy.

CJB

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Apr 15 - 08:24 AM

Woops - sorry The Old Chisholm Trail is also from 1944. CJB

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Apr 15 - 08:26 AM

Hmmm - sorry forgot the blue clickies ...

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/a8p6lbj1r653e/The_Lonesome_Train_Cantata

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/pj8cq8cbccsdy/The_Old_Chisholm_Trail

CJB

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Apr 15 - 09:23 AM

Two more lost radio ballad / operas:

http://research.culturalequity.org/home-radio.jsp

Stone of Tory, 1950. A full-scale ballad opera, broadcast from Dublin, featuring Irish rural singers and a cast from the Abbey Theatre.

Over the Sea to Skye, 1951. A ballad opera on the flight of Prince Charlie through the Highlands, with Ewan MacColl and a cast of Scots and Hebridean folk singers.

CJB.

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 10 Apr 15 - 02:51 PM

Nice bit of research for anybody who has the time and inclination.
Much of the unused actuality which was recorded for the Radio Ballads survived, both in Charles Parker's and Ewan and Peggy's personal archive - I assume Charlie's is in Birmingham, Ewan and Peg's is housed at Ruskin College in Oxford.
Some of it is spectacular stuff, particularly the Sam Larner interviews and some of the Miner's stories.
We were lucky to be able to access some of the latter for a C90 cassette of British and Irish storytelling we edited for Malcolm Taylor at The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, ".... and that's my story"..
Don't know how the BBC feels about it nowadays, but it really should be made available to anybody interested in songs, storytelling and social history
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Apr 15 - 07:38 AM

Does the BBC care about the folk programmes in its archives? I think not. So many of the 'lost' programmes that have surfaced recently and mysteriously were only ever aired once - then never saw the light of day.

Take for example the so-called Birmingham (Radio) Ballads - the disinterest of which was much lamented by the late Ian Campbell.

http://www.mustrad.org.uk/enth13.htm

BTW the HUGELY expensive i.t. project by which archival recordings would be made available online to the public for a small fee was recently abandoned at the expense of hapless licence fee payers who footed the multi-million pound bill.

Yet recently the Beeb has been increasingly aggressive against the sharing of what it regards as copyright material. RadioDownloader was forced to close down; as have numerous OTR torrent sites.

However at the same time the Beeb has become increasingly dissimissve in its response to legitimate OTR enthusiasts trying to return recordings to its archives. See:

http://wipednews.com/features/charles-norton-on-missing-episodes-and-thegraham-webb-archive/

One Robert Ross commented on January 6, 2012 at 11:51 pm:

"Incredible! Unbelievable! Crass! Stupid! If the BBC are only interested in recovering material they can sell, then surely they are effectively relinquishing copyright, and possessors of "lost" material should have the right to market it themselves – or donate it to an archive where it can be easily accessed! In years to come, I imagine the Beeb will regret their current stance!
"Crass and stupid" has been the response of the enthusiast who tried to return 'lost' recordings but was refused."

Personally I have offered back hundreds of Folkweave recordings - all junked by BBC Radio Manchester (the masters were found in a skip at the back of the building). The Beeb showed no interest at all. Likewise with the London Folk Song Cellar which we have rescued from New Zealand and around the world.

It is thanks to those home-tapers of the 1950/60/70/80s that many programmes have been saved for present and future generations to enjoy. Sadly the Beeb and its dusty archives (archivists?) think otherwise.

CJB

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 11 Apr 15 - 08:12 AM

Mixed blessing really
In the early days of our dabbling in making things available I was told that any of the Beeb's folk material was only available for use by buying it and the cost was an across the board one, so say, Phil Tanner singing 'Banks of Sweet Primroses' would cost the same as Elvis singing 'Love Me Tender'.
I am convinced that most of the best was recorded and hoarded; it is hopefully a matter of finding it.
Organisations like 'The British Institute of Recorded Sound' (now National Sound Archive at the British Library) were dedicated to recordings as much as they could manage and since the advent of musicologists such as the lovely Lucy Duran, that included folk music.
Until the time when these organisations are in the position to make their holdings freely available on line, we'll have to make to with the hard work and dedication of people like CJB, and who knows, one of these days Folk Music will be taken serious enough by them upstairs to realise that the material that has been obtained largely through our licence fees should be made freely available to us - stranger things have happened!!!
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 11 Apr 15 - 01:13 PM

Off for a few days tomorrow - thought I'd leave with a story about Charlie Parker at work
Romeo and Juliet was set in the East End of London, and Charlie, as they were finishing up, decided to record some 'atmosphere' in Angel Lane Market - basically a matter of wandering around with the tape recorder running, recording streets sounds.
At one stage he found his reel had run out, so he set about putting on a new one.
At that moment, a mother passed with an extremely reluctant loud and cranky child in tow, letting out a stream of poetic abuse at the unfortunate sprog at great length.
Charlie finished replacing the reel, sprinted after the woman and said, "madam, would you mind repeating that?"
Lovely man!
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Radio Ballads Anniversary Programme
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Apr 15 - 01:40 PM

Here's a brief interview with Charles Parker:

https://vimeo.com/108037069

CJB