Ban The Bomb: Music Of Aldermaston Anti-Nuclear Ban The Bomb: Music Of Aldermaston Anti-Nuclear CD

Britain in the late 1950s, a country boosted by a global economic boom, finally emerging from post-war austerity. Throughout the decade, however, Cold War tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union had escalated and Britain had entered the fray to become only the third nation to develop nuclear weapons. This led to the formation of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), a group headed by Anglican priest John Collins and the philosopher Bertrand Russell. Attracting support from across a broad spectrum of the public, a march was organised from London to the atomic weapons plant near the village of Aldermaston in Berkshire, a peaceful protest involving people of all ages; united in their horror at finding themselves living in the shadow of the bomb and in their fear for the future of mankind. So, from Trafalgar Square on Good Friday 1958, in dismal weather, they marched to a soundtrack of folk songs and jazz; the protest songs of Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, Fred and Betty Dallas and John Brunner, complemented by the revivalist New Orleans style of Ken Colyer's Omega Brass Band and standards popularised by such British jazz giants of the era as Chris Barber, Ottilie Patterson, Humphrey Lyttelton, Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk. Jeff Nuttall, in Bomb Culture: "The Aldermaston March numbers were vast, by far the largest ever for political / humanitarian aims. Teenagers among them created a carnival of optimism. It was this wild public festival spirit that spread the CND symbol through the jazz clubs and secondary schools in an incredibly short time. Protest was associated with festivity. There was a new feeling of license granted by the obvious humanitarian attitude of the ravers themselves. "

1. Interviewed at Ban the Bomb Rally-Bertrand Russell 2. Ewan MacColl and Betty Seeger-March with Us Today 3. Ewan MacColl and Betty Seeger-Brother Won't You Join in the Line? 4. Ewan MacColl and Betty Seeger-The Crooked Cross 5. Ewan MacColl and Betty Seegerthere's Better Things for You 6. Ewan MacColl and Betty Seeger-The Crow on the Cradle 7. Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and Jack Elliott - Brother Won't You Join in the Line? 8. Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger - the Crooked Cross 9. Fred and Betty Dallas - Strontium 90 10. Fred and Betty Dallas - Hey Little Man 11. Fred Dallas - Doomsday Blues (Sung in the Film, March to Aldermaston) 12. Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger - the Ballad of the Five Fingers 13. Peggy Seeger - There Are Better Things to Do 14. The London Youth Choir - the H-Bomb's Thunder 15. The London Youth Choir - Song of Hiroshima 16. The London Youth Choir - Hoist the Window 17. Ron Fielder, Ray Edwards and Members of the Robin Hood Singers - That Bomb Has Got to Go 18. Margaret McKeown - the Dove 19. The London Youth Choir - the Family of Man 20. Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Ottilie Patterson-When the Saints Go Marching in 21. Chris Barber's Jazz Band-Sweet Georgia Brown 22. Chris Barber's Jazz Band-High Society 23. Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Ottilie Patterson-Down By the Riverside 24. Chris Barber's Jazz Band with Ottilie Patterson-Just a Closer Walk with Thee 25. George Melly with Mick Mulligan's Band -Magnolia 26. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band-Blaze Away 27. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band-Under the Double Eagle 28. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band-C.R.E. March 29. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band-El Abanico 30. Sheila Hancock and Sydney Carter-Coming Down from Aldermaston 31. Ken Colyer's Jazzmeneaster Parade 32. Ken Colyer's Jazzmenthe Original Tuxedo Rag 33. Ken Colyer's Jazzmenisle of Capri 34. Humphrey Lyttelton and His Bandice Cream 35. Humphrey Lyttelton and His Bandthe Onions 36. Humphrey Lyttelton and His Bandchristopher Columbus 37. The Alberts-Morse Code Melody 38. The Alberts-Sleepy Valley 39. Ken Colyer's Omega Brass Band-Isle of Capri 40. Ken Colyer's Omega Brass Band-Panama Rag 41. Ken Colyer's Omega Brass Band-Tiger Rag 42. Ken Colyer's Omega Brass Band-Gettysburg March 43. Ken Colyer's Omega Brass Band-Over in Gloryland 44. Ken Colyer's Omega Brass Band-Just a Closer Walk with Thee 45. Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen-Breezin' Along with the Breeze 46. Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen-Riverboat Shuffle 47. Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen1919 Rag 48. George Melly with Mick Mulligan and His Band-I'm a Ding Dong Daddy 49. George Melly with Mick Mulligan's Magnolia Jazz Band-There'll Be Some Changes Made 50. George Melly with Mick Mulligan's Magnolia Jazz Bandmama Don't Allow 51. Chris Barber's Jazz Band-Everybody Loves My Baby 52. Chris Barber's Jazz Band-Didn't He Ramble 53. Chris Barber's Jazz and Blues Band-Just a Little While to Stay Here