Peggy Seeger - Folk Singer, Songmaker, Activist

Review of Pete & Peggy's Concert

Peggy Seeger's New Song for Pete Seeger's 94th Birthday on May 3

IT'S PETE! (2:58). Credits - words, Peggy Seeger and Irene Pyper-Scott;  music, copyright, vocals, piano, vocal and banjo Peggy Seeger; oboe, Kate St. John; recorded by Neill MacColl who also plays bass. Please click here to play the song (MP3).

Peggy writes: I've always marvelled at Pete's ability to get people to sing together. This song, made for his 94th birthday, was recorded with my son Neill & his sweetie, Kate, is a bit of an extrapolation on that skill of his. I do hope he likes it - but whatever his reaction, I'm sure he will join in on the chorus. Happy Birthday, Pete!


BROADCASTER FOLKSPLOITATION
& FIRST TIME EVER
 

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Born in 1935, Peggy's family connections are well-known in folk and classical music circles. She is Pete Seeger's half-sister, Ruth Crawford Seeger's daughter; partner to Ewan MacColl, who wrote First Time Ever I Saw Your Face for her and to whom she bore three children. Her best-known compositions are Gonna Be an Engineer and The Ballad of Springhill (the latter rapidly becoming regarded as a traditional song).

The MacColl-Seeger work was prodigious in its scope. From 1959 onward, they encouraged and set standards for the burgeoning UK folk revival; they trolled the USA & UK field recordings and anthologies for little-known traditional songs; they trained other singers and involved them in political-musical documentary theatre; they instigated the revolutionary Radio Ballad form. Their work was halted by Ewan's death in 1989.

Peggy has made 22 solo recordings and taken part in more than 100 more with other performers. A singer and multi-instrumentalist, she is considered to be one of North America's finest female folksingers.

".... It was great to see you live, for the wonderful range of music, but also for the pleasure of seeing a woman who is so clearly at ease in her own skin. You were funny, smart, feisty, warm and wise, and managed to be very assertive without getting anyone offside, and very intelligent without making anyone feel stupid." - Siobhan McHugh, Sidney, Australia