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Woman's Hour

Women and Folk Music

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.22.9K Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2022

⏱️ 53 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This May bank holiday Emma looks at women and the tradition of folk music. You may have a stereotypical image of a woman in a floaty dress walking through a flower meadow - but we want to challenge that. From protest songs and feminist anthems - it's not all whimsy in the world of folk. Emma talks to Peggy Seeger who has enjoyed six decades of success with her music. Peggy was married to the singer Ewen McColl. He wrote the song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" for her. Together they revitalised the British Folk Scene during the 50s and 60s, working on the BBC Radio Ballads; ground-breaking documentaries - which wove a story from the words of real people working in the mining and fishing industry or building the M1 motorway with sound effects, and songs. Now 86 years old, Peggy's own songs have become anthems for feminists, anti-nuclear campaigners and those fighting for social justice. Emma examines the uncomfortable elements of folk music, and how artists are finding ways of reinterpreting old songs, or writing new ones to represent missing narratives and stories. Who were the female tradition-bearers, writers and performers and the often forgotten collectors - those who would record and notate traditional songs handed down orally from generation to generation? And what is being done to improve the gender equality and diversity in folk music? Emma is joined by: Peggy Seeger http://www.peggyseeger.com/about Fay Hield https://fayhield.com/about.html Anne Martin https://www.annemartin.scot/ Amy Hollinrake https://www.amyhollinrake.com/about Rachel Newton http://www.rachelnewtonmusic.com/about.html Grace Petrie https://gracepetrie.com/ Angeline Morrison https://linktr.ee/angelcakepie Peggy Seeger and Grace Petrie will be playing at Norfolk & Norwich Festival's 250th anniversary later this month.

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

0:05.6

Hello, I'm Emma Barnett and welcome to Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4.

0:10.6

Hello and on this Maybank holiday when you might be thinking of dancing around a Maypole

0:14.8

or perhaps watching some Morris dancers or none of those things, we thought here on Woman's

0:19.1

Hour we would take the opportunity to learn a lot more about women and the tradition of

0:23.7

folk music.

0:24.7

Now, you may have a stereotypical image of a woman, I don't know, in a floaty dress,

0:29.4

looking through a flower meadow, but we want to challenge that somewhat.

0:33.4

From protest songs to feminist anthems, it is not all whimsy in the world of folk, far

0:38.1

from it.

0:39.1

And I should say at this point, folk music to give a loose definition, but hopefully

0:42.6

a bit of a framework, its music transmitted orally, often unknown composers, played on traditional

0:48.4

instruments and taking in themes of cultural and national identity, but of course, it's

0:53.6

also evolving.

0:55.2

In today's programme, we'll be examining some of the uncomfortable elements of folk music

0:59.5

to and how artists are finding ways of reinterpreting old songs or writing new ones to represent

1:04.9

missing narratives and stories.

1:06.9

We'll hear about the women who were the tradition bearers, writers and performers and

1:11.5

they often forgotten female collectors.

1:14.6

Collectors being in this instance those who would record and notate traditional songs

1:19.0

handed down orally from generation to generation.

1:22.4

I should say we are not live today, but you can still get in touch on social media.

...

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