As far as eye-catching headlines go this is one that’s hard to ignore:
“Between 1959 & 1980 Shirley Collins changed the course of folk music in England & America. Thirty years after disappearing, she’s back.”
Burning Bridges & Fifth Column Films have stated a Kickstarter campaign which we are supporting to make a feature documentary called The Ballad of Shirley Collins. The film will be a lyrical response to the life and work of this musical pioneer and folk legend. For the project to succeed they only have 25 days left to reach their £25,000 goal so please support the project and share this far and wide.
Watch the campaign trailer below:
“Shirley is beyond folk, it’s more than that. Put a pair of lips on a heart and that’s what Shirley sounds like.” – David Tibet
The Film
Partly inspired by her beguiling autobiography America Over the Water, the film will retell the tale of the famous song-collecting trip she took around the Deep South of America with legendary field-recordist Alan Lomax – a trip on which they uncovered and documented the music that would later inspire the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers’ O Brother Where Art Thou.
But the real story is more fascinating than the myth. We will blend the story of the trip with a celebration of her role in the folk revival of the 50s, 60s and 70s, when – amongst many other achievements – she and her sister Dolly produced the era’s most defining monuments in their seminal albums Anthems in Eden and Love, Death and the Lady. Largely forgotten outside hardcore folk circles due to her enforced absence from the world stage, the film will also reclaim Shirley and her sister’s contribution to music for posterity.
The rewards for backing the project are very special:
We have put together some very special rewards for backers, including exclusive musical treats and one-off experiences. As part of the range of rewards, we’re incredibly excited to offer a special edition of a new book Shirley is currently writing. Part songbook, part travelogue, part psychogeography, By the Mark On His Hand will explore her relationship with the English countryside she so dearly loves.
Shirley’s work has been an inspiration to so many people. Performers through the decades have cited her as a huge influence, and some of them have worked with us to put together an album of songs inspired by and dedicated to her – read on for more about this and how you can hear it via backing this project.
Find out more about the project here and join us in backing this project. Please share this far and wide to help meet the goal:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shirleycollins/the-ballad-of-shirley-collins