A memoir from one of Britain's legendary singers, folklorists, and
music historians.
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 sister Dolly on the Sussex
Downs, she writes of the obstacles that led to her withdrawal from the
spotlight and the redemption of a new artistic flourishing that
continues today with her unexpected return to recording in 2016.
Through it all, Shirley Collins has been guided and supported by three
vital and inseparable loves: traditional English song, the people and
landscape of her native Sussex, and an unwavering sense of artistic
integrity. All in the Downs pays tribute to these passions, and in
doing so, illustrates a way of life as old as England, that has all but
vanished from this land.
Generously illustrated with rare archival material.