Welcome to the CD-ROM version of

Travellers' Songs from
England and Scotland
by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, 1977

Important - please read this first!

When compiling their book, MacColl and Seeger presented the songs in the best possible way - they used the most stable tune, in a good singable key, utilising verses from more than one recording when available, and presented in a sensible order. So, in some cases, the sound file you hear will not exactly match what's printed on the page.

Moreover, most of these recordings were made in the early-1960s, and have been archived in various places since then. Unfortunately, this has meant that a good number of the recordings have not been traceable in their principal archives at the British Library, London, or Ruskin College, Oxford - although Raymond King, Learning Resources Manager at Ruskin, has been extremely helpful. In these cases, I am very grateful to Jim Carroll and Pat Mackenzie for supplying copies of many of the missing recordings. And also to Tom Spiers, Vic Smith, and Terry Yarnell for the very last four, which are not actually MacColl and Seeger recordings. Only one of the 156 songs does not have a sound file.

And - for what is now the fifth MT Records' publication containing recordings made by Ewan and Peggy - I must express my sincere thanks to Peggy Seeger for her enthusiastic permission to use the text and recordings you will find in these pages.

This CD-ROM project is composed of Web Pages, and runs in your Web Browser - though be aware of a problem with Chrome (see below). It works in exactly the same way as most websites do. There is a 'side of page' Navigation Bar, always in view, which provides links to all parts of the book. All the individual songs are accessible from either the Table of Contents page, the Singers page, or the two Index pages. Furthermore, there are links on each Song page 'On' to the next song and 'Back' to the previous one.

Since this book contains some large pages of text, and since wide lines of text are difficult read (particularly on modern wide-screen monitors), it has been designed to run in a relatively narrow window.

The staff notations for songs are displayed as graphics with MP3 sound file links - shown by them being outlined in blue (or purple). Where there is no sound file available, the outline is in black. When clicked, the link will activate your currently installed media player - which may obscure the page you were reading at the time!

Unfortunately, if you use Google's Chrome browser you will have no choice about this although, if you right-click the notation graphic and choose 'open in a new tab', it doesn't obscure the page ... but you will end up with tabs open for each song you listen to! Most other browsers allow you to choose which media player to use. If you use the Windows Media Player, you can set it to run in 'Compact Mode', which overcomes this problem. To do this, click the button in the bottom/right corner of the Player (the text 'Switch to compact mode' pops up). If you use a different Media Player, you can probably set it to run in a similar compact mode.

Once activated by playing the first MP3 sound file, just click anywhere in the main page (even whilst it's still playing) and it will disappear, but continue to play, and will play again when you click the next sound file.

Another new MT Records' CD-ROM release
Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland, by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger (MTCD254). Songs collected in 1962 - 1976, a 387 page digital book with 155 embedded MP3 sound files.

MacColl and Seeger's 1977 book was years ahead of its time in terms of its detailed consideration of all aspects of Gypsy and Traveller songs and culture in the UK. The Introduction and Music Notes are hugely informative, as are the 12 pages on the 18 singers.

All the 131 songs (in 155 versions!) are here as full length MP3 recordings, as well as the original texts and staff notations. Everything is cross-referenced and linked.

The singers concerned are: Emily Baker; Willie Cameron; Charlotte Higgins; Jock Higgins; Caroline Hughes; Henry Hughes; Sheila Hughes; William Hughes; Ruby Kelby; Christina MacAllister; Wilhelmina MacAllister; John MacDonald; Maggie McPhee; Big Willie McPhee; Nelson Ridley; Maria Robertson; Levi Smith; Jeannie Thompson.

This is essential reading - and listening - for anyone with an interest in Gypsy and Traveller songs and culture in the UK.

It's available now from the MT Records website, price £12.00 + p&p.