Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07

Subject: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: GUEST,Surreysinger (without cookie)
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 05:36 PM

I haven't seen any thread regarding this broadcast on the morning of 2 March 2007 (ie this week). The interview with Shirley is available on the replayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/03/2007_09_fri.shtml

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: GUEST,Surreysinger 9again)
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 05:36 PM

errr.. I believe that should probably be Woman's Hour... hey ho!

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: bubblyrat
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 07:26 AM

Dear Irene---I am so sorry to hear that you haven"t got a cookie !! Next time I am in Guildford, I"ll drop a packet off for you !!

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: Surreysinger
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 09:04 AM

Bubblyrat - that's so kind of you, but probably better not... I'm supposed to be on a diet!!! As you can see, I've resolved the problem.

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: GUEST,Johnmc
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 07:50 AM

Thanks. Comes across as a really warm person. Amazing about Po Lazarus singer.

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: Scrump
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 08:18 AM

I would like to hear it, but I don't think the BBC would approve of me eavesdropping on a programme for women.

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 05:26 PM

I heard it and it was a frustratingly brief interview with one of our best singers. There were also some very, very brief recordings of trad. singers (all American - no British). Ms collins mentioned her encounter with the Blues singer, Mississippi Fred McDowell, but, guess what - no recordings of the Great Man were played - typical!!

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: GUEST,edthe folkie
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 09:34 AM

Shirley is very definitely a warm person. In fact she is a lovely person.

If anyone wants to find out more about her life, especially her collecting adventures with Alan Lomax in the States, she has written a book and also does a show under the same title ("America Over The Water"). Both are well worth investigating - for instance the book has a splendid story about Shirley and sister Dolly's hero-worship of Laurence Olivier! See link below:

http://www.shirleycollins.co.uk/aotw.htm

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: NormanD
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 09:44 AM

Shirley was a guest on Charlie Gillett's BBC London show a couple of years back. Here's a link to the summary of the programme (unfortunately it hasn't been archived), which includes a list of her choices of music played that night: http://www.charliegillett.com/playlist.php?date=30April05

She talked extensively about her book and work as a song collector. The bookis a great read.

Norman

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: Surreysinger
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 08:45 PM

If you want to hear more - and there is much more including all the recordings you're obviously asking to hear, then take the chance to go and see Shirley give her illustrated talk "American over the Water" if it comes near you... really interesting stuff. (If I got the title right - I always get confused between the words Over and Across... still think it's OVer) ... and the book's great too!!

Subject: RE: Shirley Collins, Womens' Hour 2/3/07
From: GUEST,edthefolkie
Date: 09 Mar 07 - 07:31 AM

The whole AOTW show is very professional - using a good PA and LCD projector controlled by Vic and Tina Smith, with Shirley and actor Pip Barnes doing the readings and voices.

A colour slide of the 1950s Buick which Lomax and Shirley used for the field trip is alone worth the price of admission - and as somebody said in a review, the sound of 20 year old Shirley's singing voice coming out of the PA brought tears to many people's eyes (including mine).

I believe they have got a bit more grant money for the show recently, so it has been revamped and further improved.

She's doing two more similar shows about Sussex song collecting and Romanies. Any club organisers in the English Midlands reading this - PLEASE book 'em!