The Fight Game

A radio-ballad is a sound tapestry woven of four basic elements: songs, instrumental music, sound effects, and the recorded voices of those with whose lives each programme deals. The radio-ballads were a joint creation by Ewan MacColl, Charles Parker and Peggy Seeger. These programmes were revolutionary at the time, using as they did the actual spoken words of the 'informants'. Up until this time, this 'actuality' (as the trio dubbed it) was transcribed and then interpreted by trained radio speakers. The radio-ballads led you effortlessly from song to music to sound effect to the spoken word and back again, revealing the effort of a way of life upon those who lead it. They are entertaining, informative, musical, poetic and educational. There were eight radio-ballads, created between 1957 and 1964.