LIFF 2017 presents a very special screening of documentary The Ballad of Shirley Collins, accompanied by live performances by Trembling Bells and Hladowski & Joynes. 

The Ballad of Shirley Collins with Trembling Bells, Hladowski & Joynes

Widely regarded as the 20th century’s most important singer of English traditional song, Shirley Collins stood at the epicentre of the folk music revival during the 1960s and 1970s. But in 1980 she developed a disorder of the vocal chords which robbed her of her unique singing voice and forced her into early retirement until 2016 when she returned with the astounding Lodestar. Incorporating intimate access to the recording sessions along with tremendous archival audio, this is a deeply lyrical response to the life-and-times of a totemic musical figure. Trailer

Trembling Bells

Trembling Bells are a Scottish folk rock group formed in 2008 by drummer Alex Neilson, a musician with a history of free and improvised playing. Serial musical collaborators who have worked with Shirley Collins, they seek to reanimate the psychic landscapes of Great Britain and relocate them to some vague, mythic land where basic human crises are encountered and conquered. Watch

Hladowski & Joynes

Stephanie Hladowski is a Bradford based folk and dub singer with a powerful voice. English acoustic guitarist C Joynes, a resident of Cambridge, has a heavy thumb-led finger-picking technique that harks back to traditional country-blues and early ragtime. Together, the pair recorded the 2012 album The Wild, Wild Berry. Watch

The event will start with performances from 2pm followed by an interval and then the film will screen from approximately 3.30pm.

Sunday 5 November, 2pm. Hyde Park Picture House

Tickets

LIFF 2017 is presenting other great film events with live music this year including:

British Sea Power at Leeds Town Hall: Music for Polish Animation Classics

The Lodger with organ accompaniment by Darius Battiwalla

Such is Life with piano accompaniment by Jonathan Best

Tabu: A Story of the South Seas - a Ciné-Concert with Christine Ott on piano and Ondes martenot

Ticket offers: the LIFF 2017 Pass is incredible value or see 6 films for the price of 5 (available by phone or in person only) - details here.