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British folk singer Shirley Collins was a significant contributor to the English Folk revival of the '60s and '70s. She talks to Cerys Matthews about her remarkable career.

Described by fellow UK musician Billy Bragg as one of the country’s greatest cultural treasures, she visited America’s Southern states in 1959, with American protest singer Alan Lomax, to collect songs by musicians in religious communities, serving prison sentences and on chain gangs.

Some of the recordings from this were later re-enacted in the acclaimed Coen brothers’ film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou.
Her seminal recording is considered by many to be Anthems in Eden, released in 1969. The pioneering album was seen by critics as a forerunner to the electric-folk movement popularised by Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span.

Still as enthusiastic about music as she was during her childhood by the southern English coast, Shirley recently released her first album in over 30 years, and she joins Cerys to talk through her remarkable career.

(Photo: Shirley Collins. Credit: Eva Vermandel)

50 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Sat 12 Nov 2016 14:06GMT
  • Sun 13 Nov 2016 20:06GMT

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