It's been an exciting first week for everyone involved with The People's Songs. Last Wednesday, you finally got to hear the result of all the hard work that the production team (and you!) have been putting in. We're grateful to all those whose very personal stories featured in the programme - we look forward to bringing you more of the same throughout this year, so please do get in touch if you have a story to share.
Don't forget that we still want you to help us: even if an episode has already been broadcast, your contributions could still be used here on our website!
The first episode was all about wartime Britain and the songs that kept us going through those darkest of days.
The responses (some of which are shared below) have been overwhelmingly positive, both online and in the press. And what's become clear is how much listeners have loved to hear the real memories of people who actually experienced the events and connected with the music of the time. In many cases the recollections of those who remember the stresses and strangeness of a country gripped by conflict reminded you of lost relatives and the hardships they endured.
Here are a selection of tweets seen on the @BBCPeoplesSongs timeline:
The predominant use of listeners' memories was also remarked upon by Miranda Sawyer in her review of the show in The Observer: ‘These interviews were lovely: unsentimental, warm, with details you remembered… It was beautiful stuff, gorgeously crafted’.
Stuart Maconie has also written about how the songs chosen for the series have helped shape our history over the last 50 years in the Daily Mirror.
Our next episode looks at war of a different kind – The Cold War, to be precise, and its return to popular consciousness via songs such as Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Two Tribes. Here's a preview:
Stuart Maconie looks ahead to episode 2 of The People's Songs: The Threat of Nuclear War
As the year goes by there will be regular updates from Stuart and others on this blog, as well as via social media, and we'll also be adding extra material to our website, including galleries, profiles and background information on the songs and artists featured.
Of course none of this is possible without your contributions. On each episode page you’ll find some questions to get you thinking.
You can still contact us or contribute in a number of ways, including by email; via Twitter; or you can record a contribution via our Audioboo website. All the details can be found on our ‘Ways To Contribute’ page. We really look forward to hearing from you.
