Who is Shirley Collins? This is our latest installment in the program's segment that looks to focus attention on particular artists from around the Celtic World and, in this case, the very English world of music and song.
From the late 1950s thru 1978, Shirley Collins recorded a pervasive body of English folk songs. These recordings were sometimes solo but also with her sister Dolly and various musical groups, including The Young Tradition and the Albion Band.
She is perhaps the greatest living embodiment of the musical threads that connect her beloved England with its history.
From her website: "As a significant presence during the Second English Folk Revival, Shirley formed a duo with her sister Dolly, who accompanied Shirley's raw and direct voice on piano and portative organ; together they recorded the startling Anthems In Eden and Love, Death & The Lady. Following a period of silence spanning three decades during which she barely sang, Shirley released Lodestar, her first new material since 1978."
This past summer (2020), Collins released Hearts Ease, her second collection since nearly losing her voice in 1978. It's a beauty.
I spoke extensively with Collins from that her home in Lewes, and much of that conversation is included in this audio documentary.
