A look at the life and times of the woman widely regarded as the 20th century's most important singer of English traditional song. Alongside her sister Dolly, she stood at the epicentre of the folk music revival during the 1960s and '70s. However, in 1980 she developed a disorder of the vocal chords known as dysphonia, which robbed her of her unique singing voice and forced her into early retirement
To fans of traditional folk music, Shirley Collins is a living legend. Accompanied by her late sister Dolly, she was first lady of the 1960s and 70s English folk revival, championing the old songs of her native Sussex while exploring new musical pathways. This no-frills documentary chronicles Shirley's struggle to make her first new recordings in almost 40 years, after the emotional upset from her failed marriage left her unable to perform. It also looks back over her long career as both singer and folk archivist. It's not the most detailed nor in-depth of studies - there's none of the contextual interviews with surviving contemporaries that you might expect, and maybe a touch too much emphasis on the recording of new album Lodestar. But, like Shirley herself, it's warm and likeable, and a tribute to the octogenarian's triumph over a lack of self-belief.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Hannah Arterton |
| Shirley Collins | Shirley Collins |
| Stewart Lee | Stewart Lee |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Rob Curry |
| Director | Tim Plester |
