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An eerie tale of forgotten songs and vengeful spirits by Belfast author Colin Carberry (‘Good Vibrations.’) As read by Aoibhéann McCann ('Blue Lights.')

‘The Song Thief’ series follows Harry Probyn on his journey across Ireland to find Aislinn Byrne, the woman he recorded singing years before in Ireland. Harry stole her song ‘Bluebell Wood’, and made his fortune. Now penniless and on the run from the violent Shanks family, Harry must return to Ireland and find a new hit song.

Song-collectors – hobbyists who collect sound recordings, most often of music – are responsible for most of what we now know as traditional folk music that has been preserved down the years. However the practice has a darker legacy and is littered with examples of artists being exploited by unscrupulous recordists. While the ‘Folk Revival’ of the 1960s saw many from the traditional music communities become famous, most of them were men, while women artists were silenced.

Featuring traditional folk music from the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Archives recorded on location in Ireland and America in the 1950s.

Author
Colin Carberry is a writer of screenplays and fiction from Belfast. With Glenn Patterson he co-wrote the film ‘Good Vibrations’ for which the pair were nominated for Outstanding Debut at the 2014 BAFTA Film awards. ‘Good Vibrations’ has since been adapted into a stage musical. A frequent contributor of new fiction to ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4’s Short Works series, he is currently working on a collection of short stories and developing a number of projects for film, television and theatre.

Reader: Aoibhéann McCann
Writer: Colin Carberry
Music: Alabama Sacred Heart Singers
Music: Gerard O'Kane
Music: Patrick O'Kane
Interviewer: Ophelia Byrne
Producer: Michael Shannon
Editor: Andy Martin

A ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Northern Ireland production.