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Ewan MacColl will be known to the most people as a songwriter, and as a singer,
but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio
broadcasting. He was a committed socialist all his life and his political
sensibilities underpinned all his creative activities.
Ewan MacColl was Salford born and bred and, in the early 1930's, a political
comrade of
Eddie Frow
(co-founder of the WCML). The Library's holdings include material from all
aspects of Ewan's political and cultural life. These pages are an exploration,
in greater or lesser depth, of that material.
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Quotations from Ewan MacColl throughout this site are taken from three books:
Theatres of the Left, 1880-1935, Workers' Theatre Movements in Britain and
America, by Raphael Samuel, Ewan MacColl and Stuart Cosgrove. 1985. (TL:...)
Agit-Prop to Theatre Workshop, Political Playscripts, 1930-1950, edited by
Howard Goorney and Ewan MacColl. 1986. (A-P:...)
Journeyman, an Autobiography, by Ewan MacColl. 1990. (J:...)
(All material copyright Peggy Seeger and reproduced with kind permission)
Comments from Eddie Frow are from a taped interview from 1990 (EF)
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Below is a simple timeline covering Ewan's life, followed by a site map.
The material is divided into four sections:
formative years
,
theatre
,
music
and
radio/ oral history
.
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Life and times
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1915
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A son, James, born to Betsy and William Miller of Salford
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1918
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End of World War One
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1926
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General Strike
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1929
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Stock Market crash triggers massive economic depression
'National' government formed by right wing Labour, Tories and Liberals
February 2nd, Jimmy Miller leaves school, a week after he turns 14.
April, gets job at Anaconda Wire
Joins the
Clarion Players
, later called the
Workers' Theatre Movement
Joins Young Communist League
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1929 - 1934
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Temporary jobs, self-education, socialist politics, agit-prop theatre,
rambling...
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1931
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March, back on the dole.
Unemployed members of the Manchester W.T.M. form the
Red Megaphones
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1933
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First radio work
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1934
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Red Megaphones change name to
Theatre of Action
Meets Joan Littlewood who joins Theatre of Action
Joan and Jimmy marry
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1935
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Jimmy and Joan head for Moscow, make it to London...
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1936
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Back in Manchester, form
Theatre Union
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1940
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The Last Edition 'a living newspaper' has performance halted by police.
Jimmy and Joan bound over for two years for 'breach of peace.'
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1940 - 1945
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Throughout the war, Theatre Union members keep studying their craft
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1945
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Theatre Workshop
is formed
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1945 - 1953
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Theatre Workshop touring productions
Jimmy Miller becomes Ewan MacColl
Joan and Ewan divorce
Ewan marries Jean Newlove, they have two children, Hamish and Kirsty
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1953
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Theatre Workshop settles in Theatre Royal, Stratford, E. London
Ewan starts to separate himself from Theatre Workshop, concentrating more on
promotion and performance of folk-music.
First Ballad and Blues concerts
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1956
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Meets Peggy Seeger
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1957 - 1989
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Life and musical partnership with Peggy Seeger.
Ewan and Peggy have three children, Calum, Neill and Kitty
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1958 - 1964
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Production of
Radio Ballads
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1960
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Ballad and Blues Club is renamed the Singers Club
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1965
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The Critics Group forms
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1965 - 1971
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Critics Group organises annual Festival of Fools
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1968 - 1985
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Peggy and Ewan publish 21 issues of
New City Songster
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1985
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Seventieth Birthday Concert
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1989
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After several years of illness, dies, aged 74.
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The Essential Ewan MacColl, a collection of lyrics and music of 200 songs has
been produced by Peggy Seeger, and was published in summer 2001. The
theatre introduction
, and lists of radio and TV presentations are from there. The book also
includes a
biography
and a close up view of the man by Peggy Seeger -
"The Songmaker"
. Thanks to Peggy for permission to reproduce this information.
An archive relating to the music and work of Ewan MacColl and
Peggy Seeger
was established by Peggy Seeger at Ruskin College, Oxford, in 1991. It
contains copies of most of their published recordings, together with
correspondence, playscripts, photographs, videos, books and other documents and
memorabilia relating to their work together, and as individual artists. There
is material on the Radio Ballads and other radio and television broadcasts, the
Critics' Group and the Singers' Club. There are playback facilities and a
catalogue of the collection.
The Librarian is David Horsfield and the Assistant Librarian (with special
responsibility for the collection) is Christine Keable. The archive is open by
prior appointment only. Researchers should write to:
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The Librarian, Ruskin College, Oxford, OX1 2HE
telephone: 01865 554331;
fax: 01865 554372;
e-mail:
Library@ruskin.ac.uk
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