All in the Downs - Shirley Collins

All in the Downs by Shirley Collins / ISBN: 9781907222412 / paperback with flaps / Strange Attractor Press A memoir from one of Britain's legendary singers, folklorists, and music historians. Generously illustrated with rare archival material. *** A legendary singer, folklorist, and music historian, Shirley Collins has been an integral part of the folk-music revival for more than sixty years. In her new memoir, All in the Downs, Collins tells the story of that lifelong relationship with English folksong—a dedication to artistic integrity that has guided her through the triumphs and tragedies of her life. All in the Downs combines elements of memoir—from her working-class origins in wartime Hastings to the bright lights of the 1950s folk revival in London—alongside reflections on the role traditional music and the English landscape have played in shaping her vision. From formative field recordings made with Alan Lomax in the United States to the “crowning glories” recorded with her sist