Peggy Seeger in Iffley

Peggy Seeger in Iffley

Author: Matthew Bannister February 14, 2020 Duration: 55:12
After a life on the road, folk legend Peggy Seeger has settled in the village of Iffley on the outskirts of Oxford.  In this episode she talks poignantly about her mother, a talented composer who died when she was fifty-three and Peggy was just eighteen.  Peggy recites a poem called “My Mother is Younger Than Me”.  She sings old union songs, including “The Miner’s Prayer”, recalls her time on the Greenham Common protests, shows us a piece of the wire fence she keeps on her mantelpiece and sings a song called “A Woman on Wheels” which is about a protester in a  wheelchair who she saw using bolt cutters to breach that fence. Come with us on a walk through Peggy Seeger’s life in an unforgettable episode of Folk on Foot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Imagine stepping out for a walk with a friend who happens to be a brilliant musician, the path unfolding through the very hills, coastlines, or woods that shaped their songs. That’s the essence of Folk on Foot, a multi-award-winning podcast created by Matthew Bannister. Each episode is a gentle fusion of conversation, landscape, and live performance, recorded outdoors while walking with some of the most compelling voices in folk music. The format is beautifully simple yet profound: as they traverse a place of personal significance, the guests discuss their connection to the land, their creative process, and the stories behind their work, often pausing to play a tune or sing a song right there on the trail. Listeners are invited into an intimate, thoughtfully crafted soundscape that feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s been praised as a restorative listening experience and is noted for its impeccable production. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's an auditory journey that celebrates the deep, often unspoken bond between artist, music, and environment. The resulting podcast is consistently engaging, offering a unique blend of natural history, cultural insight, and, of course, fantastic music. It provides a genuine sense of accompaniment, as if you’re right there beside them, sharing in the quiet moments and the melodic ones, all woven together into a wonderfully calming and enriching hour.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 122

Folk on Foot
Podcast Episodes
Edith WeUtonga on “Varipasi”: Folk Album of the Year 2025 Nominee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:29
Born in Zimbabwe - but now resident in the UK - Edith WeUtonga is known as Mama Bass - because that’s the instrument she has made her own. She’s also an acclaimed singer, songwriter, and campaigner for musicians' rights.…
Peggy Seeger on “Teleology”: Folk Album of the Year 2025 Nominee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:07
"My first kiss with Irene was behind some wheelie bins in Penge." As she celebrates her ninetieth birthday, the legendary Peggy Seeger unpacks her current feelings about “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” - written fo…
Cynefin on “Shimli”: Folk Album of the Year 2025 Nominee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:20
Delve into the heritage of Welsh poetry, agriculture, fishing, milk processing and, of course, music as Cynefin shares the story behind his beautiful Folk Album of the Year nominated work “Shimli”.---We rely on support f…
Folk Album of the Year 2025 Nominations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:14
Matthew Bannister is joined by chair of the jury Kellie While and the nominated artists as they unveil the nine albums which have made the shortlist for the Folk Album of the Year Award. The artists give their reaction b…
Boss Morris on Rodborough Common [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:59
Dressed in costumes fashioned from vintage tea towels, the dancers of Boss Morris take us to Rodborough Common near their base in Stroud to walk and dance, accompanied by musicians Rob Harbron, Miranda Rutter and Sam Swe…
The Wilderness Yet on Iping Common [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:49
Celebrate the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness as The Wilderness Yet take us for an Autumnal musical walk across Iping Common near Midhurst in West Sussex. Singer Rosie Hodgson grew up near here and played on the…