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Ballad Lines and Beyond the Tradition

Anna Massie with the very best of folk and roots music from Scotland and beyond.

Anna chats to the cast and band of Ballad Lines, a folk musical by Scottish composer Finn Anderson and director Tania Azevedo.

Blending original music with traditional Scottish, Irish, and Appalachian ballads, Ballad Lines is a story of love, legacy, and the ties that bind us all and is currently on its first run at the Southwark Playhouse in London. Anna hears about the crucial role music plays in the production and how the performers and musicians approached working with traditional material.

Plus we have highlights from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra & Special Guests: Beyond The Tradition concert recently performed at Celtic Connections.

In this unique concert, five of Scotland’s most acclaimed folk song performers join forces with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for newly commissioned arrangements of classic Scots folk songs and ballads.

Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Emily Smith, Fiona Hunter and Janice Burns & Jon Doran join a house-band featuring MD Duncan Lyall, David Milligan, Calum MacCrimmon and Anna Massie alongside the BBC SSO for a night of compelling traditional song and symphonic majesty.

27 days left to listen

1 hour, 55 minutes

Last on

Thursday20:00
BBC Radio Scotland

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Music Played

  • Queen Among the Heather

    • Ballad Lines (Studio Cast Recording).
    • Finn Anderson and KT Producing.

  • Rebecca Trehearn, Ballad Lines studio cast

    Prologue

    • Ballad Lines (Studio Cast Recording).
    • Finn Anderson and KT Producing.

  • Rebecca Trehearn, Ballad Lines studio cast

    Prologue

    • Ballad Lines (Studio Cast Recording).
    • Finn Anderson and KT Producing.

  • Frances McNamee, Kirsty Findlay, Parisa Shahmir, Amber Sylvia Edwards, Ballad Lines Studio Cast

    Second Hand Shame

    • Ballad Lines (Studio Cast Recording).
    • Finn Anderson and KT Producing.

  • Frances McNamee, Kirsty Findlay, Parisa Shahmir, Rebecca Trehearn, Amber Sylvia Edwards, Dylan Wood, Owen Johnston

    Sarah’s song

    • Ballad Lines (Studio Cast Recording).
    • Finn Anderson and KT Producing.

  • Kirsty Findlay

    The Four Marys

    • Ballad Lines (Studio Cast Recording).
    • Finn Anderson and KT Producing.

  • Frances McNamee, Kirsty Findlay, Parisa Shahmir, Amber Sylvia Edwards, Rebecca Trehearn, Ballad Lines Studio Cast

    Back in the box

    • Ballad Lines (Studio Cast Recording).
    • Finn Anderson and KT Producing.

  • Frances McNamee

    Out of the dark

    • Ballad Lines (Studio Cast Recording).
    • Finn Anderson and KT Producing.

  • Danielle Fiamanya, Frances McNamee, Siobhan Miller

    Red Red River

    • Ballad Lines (Studio Cast Recording).
    • Finn Anderson and KT Producing.

  • Emily Smith

    Clerk Saunders

    • BBC Scotland SSO Recording.

  • Emily Smith, Kris Drever

    King Orfeo

    • BBC Scotland SSO Recording.

  • Janice Burns & Jon Doran

    Johnny My Man

    • BBC Scotland SSO Recording.

  • Karine Polwart and Dave Milligan

    Let Earth and Stone Still Witness Bear

    • BBC Scotland SSO Recording.

  • Lori Watson

    Winter Cheer

    • BBC Scotland SSO Recording.

  • Fiona Hunter

    Maccrimmon’s Lament

    • BBC Scotland SSO Recording.

  • Kris Drever

    Parcel of Rogues

    • BBC Scotland SSO Recording.

  • Karine Polwart

    Wild Mountain Thyme

    • BBC Scotland SSO Recording.

  • Emily Smith

    The Final Trawl

    • BBC Scotland SSO Recording.

Broadcast

  • Thursday20:00
    BBC Radio Scotland