Topic Records present a very special evening to celebrate the release of four additional volumes in the widely acclaimed The Voice of the People series.

The first half of this event sees Shirley Collins present her illustrated talk 'You Never Heard So Sweet' (Songs by Southern English Singers). In the second half Dr Reg Hall, with Tony Engle, Steve Roud, Rod Stradling and Shirley Collins, will introduce and describe the four new volumes in the acclaimed The Voice Of The People series.

These four albums, which will officially be released on Monday 26th March 2012, draw on material that was not previously available to the label and include important field recordings made by folklorist, Peter Kennedy, collected in the 1950s. These recordings have since been acquired by Topic Records, in conjunction with the British Library Sound Archive.

 TSCD671 – You Never Heard So Sweet

Songs by Southern English Traditional Singers. Selected and presented by Shirley Collins from classic records made in the 1950s by Peter Kennedy and Bob Copper.

 TSCD672D – I’m A Romany Rai (2 cd set)

Songs by Southern English Gypsy Traditional Singers. Selected and presented by Shirley Collins from classic recordings made in the 1950s and 60s by Peter Kennedy.

 TSCD673T – Good People Take Warning (3 cd set)

Ballads sung by British and Irish Traditional Singers. Selected and presented by Steve Roud from recordings make in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

 TSCD674 – Sarah Makem, The Heart is True

Irish Traditional songs performed by Sarah Makem. Selected and presented by Rod Stradling from classic recordings made in the 1950s & 60s.

Overseen by series editor, Dr Reg Hall, The Voice of the People has been compiled by experts in the field, the latest including Shirley Collins, Steve Roud and Rod Stradling. As thematic anthologies, each volume is designed to stand on its own, but the series as a whole presents an extensive and varied picture of traditional singing, instrumental music-making and dancing throughout the course of the 20th century. By and large, these are not the voices of ‘stars’ in the contemporary sense. These are recordings of traditional singers who explore the nooks and crannies of traditional music-making through their own experience.

The series represents, in the words of Topic Records MD Tony Engle, ‘real people’s music and not something dreamed up as a ‘heritage’ campaign or ‘Merrie England’ marketing”. The home-spun art and entertainment that enriched the lives of working people in pubs and cottages, in social clubs and village halls and on the street, and was made in the words of one singer, “by people with dirt under their finger nails.”

First released in 1998, The Voice of the People was an impressive 20 volume series which made nearly 500 recordings of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh traditional music available. Drawn from the archives of one of the world’s oldest, truly independent labels, Topic Records, this ongoing collection was critically acclaimed on release. It is now widely considered to be the UK equivalent of the Harry Smith, Alan Lomax or Smithsonian anthologies in the US.

 “Voice Of The People is the most important and rewarding series of British folk song recordings ever issued.” fRoots Magazine

“This is truly a landmark collection. Quite simply, awesome.” The Times

 More info

 Tickets: FREE advance booking recommended