Radio Ballads

A unique project in the history of both British folk music and British radio devised by Ewan MacColl, Charles Parker & Peggy Seeger working with a team of singers, songwriters, technicians, instrumentalists and others. Documentaries combining four audio elements: songs, instrumental music, sound effects, and most importantly, the recorded voices of those who were the subjects of the documentary.
These programs were revolutionary at the time, using as they did the actual spoken words of the 'informants'. Up until this time, this 'actuality' (as the trio dubbed it) was transcribed and then interpreted by trained radio speakers. The radio-ballads led you effortlessly from song to music to sound effect to the spoken word and back again, revealing the effort of a way of life upon those who lead it. They are entertaining, informative, musical, poetic and educational. There were eight radio-ballads, created between 1957 and 1964. They are now reissued for the first time on CD by Topic.