Shirley Collins

The influential English folksinger debuts her brilliant new record Heart’s Ease, alongside classic songs from her back catalogue.

Accompanied by strummed guitar or strings, Shirley Collins’s voice reflects the rich heritage of folk music, spinning stories of ocean voyages, pastoral life and ancient folk tales – traditional-style songs of rural England. Collins performs alongside her six-piece band, with arrangements by music-director Ian Kearey. This is the first time her new record, released summer 2020, has been performed live.

A key figure in the folk revival movement of the 60s and 70s, she was instrumental in the research and archiving of folk songs that might otherwise have been lost to history. After retiring early from music with the loss of her singing voice, now in her 80s she has staged a comeback in recent years. Her latest recordings outline an artist regaining her former power.