Radio ballads

The Radio Ballads tell a story and explore issues using song and music. They are concerned with ordinary people, and their lives as related to the work they do. The original radio ballads were conceived and implemented by Ewan MacColl and Charles Parker in the late 1950s and early 60s, and broadcast on the BBC Home Service (now Radio 4). http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/radioballads/original/ They covered mining, fishing, roadbuilding, train driving, but also explored social issues like psycological breakdown, juvenile delinquency, and travelling people. Recently, the concept has been revisited with great sucess by John Tams and John Leonard, this time for BBC Radio 2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/radioballads/2006/