'Shoals of Herring'

See MS 4000/6/1/17 for tapes from the Radio Ballad 'Singing the Fishing' and MS 4000/6/1/43 for 'To Make a Fisherman', a version of 'Singing the Fishing' recorded for schools.

A documentary film based on the Radio Ballad `Singing the fishing' by Ewan McColl, Peggy Seeger and Charles Parker, about the rise and decline of the herring industry on the east coast of Scotland and East Anglia. Contemporary footage of the fishermen at work is intercut with interviews and archive photos, clips from John Greirson's 'Drifters', Harry Watts' 'North Sea', and Campbell Harper's 'Calling Herring'. Traditional folk songs are used throughout. It was adapted and produced by Philip Donnellan at BBC Birmingham and edited by Henry Fowler. Instrumentalists were Pete Seeger, Banjo, Bruce Turner, Clarinet, Alfred Edwards Concertina, with other music provided by the Clarion Singers and instrumentalists Fitzroy Coleman, Jim Bray, Katherine Graham, Paul Bellamy, Jack Fallon and Brian Daly. The music recording was by Larry Goodson, location sound by Bill Barker, and dubbing by Brian Watkins.