Star date: 18th January 2015

SALFORD ICON FORGOTTEN IN HOME CITY

Next Sunday, 25th January, marks one hundred years since the birth of Ewan MacColl, socialist activist, actor, playwright, poet and the writer of stunning songs like Dirty Old Town and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

In Glasgow there's to be a special tribute concert featuring, amongst loads of artists, Jarvis Cocker and Ewan's four grandsons. Radio 4 is broadcasting a special documentary The Real MacColl with John Cooper Clarke, and there's also the release of a Ewan McColl cover album. But in Salford, his home town, there is nothing planned at all.

Full details here...

Ewan MacColl, one of Salford's most famous sons, was born James Henry Miller on 25th January 1915 and lived in Coburg Street in Lower Broughton. Next Sunday marks the centenary of the socialist activist, actor, playwright, poet and songwriter whose work was steeped in the city's struggles.

Famous for writing the Salford `anthem' Dirty Old Town and the stunning hit The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face plus a zillion incredible people's songs, he was way more than this body of work.

Ewan MacColl's name is also synonymous with the founding of political theatre in the UK. With groups like Red Megaphones and the Theatre of Action his plays were seen as so dangerous they got raided by the police and at one point he was banned from performing for two years. He was also one of the leaders of the Battle of Bexley Square in Salford, recounted in his autobiography, Journeyman (read it here).

Ewan MacColl is a Salford icon who has a plaque in his honour at the Working Class Movement Library on The Crescent. But nowhere in Salford is his centenary being remembered.

The only event for next Sunday listed on Salford Council's `what's on' website, is a celebration of the poems of Wilfred Owen at Ordsall Hall. Neither does the Working Class Movement Library have anything listed. And there's no banners hanging off Salford Civic Centre, no appreciation from Salford City Mayor, no special recitals of his songs...no nothing that we can find. Surely Salford couldn't have forgotten one of its greatest sons?

Meanwhile, Radio 4 has produced a special documentary, The Real MacColl, in which Salford's John Cooper Clarke looks back at Ewan's incredible body of work. It's to be broadcast on Thursday 22nd at 11:30am (see here).

And on Sunday 25th, at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall, there's a special concert, Blood and Roses: The Songs of Ewan MacColl, which is curated by Ewan's sons Neill and Calum MacColl. Special guests including Jarvis Cocker, Paul Buchanan, Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Dick Gaughan, Karine Polwart and Chaim Tennenbaum who will perform MacColl's songs, with four of his grandsons, Jamie MacColl (Bombay Bicycle Club), Harry Mead (Klangkarussell), Alex MacColl and Tom MacColl taking part (for details see here). Radio 2 is set to broadcast a programme about the concert. 

This year there's loads of Ewan MacColl related celebrations, including an album of cover versions of his songs plus a CD boxed set of his greatest original recordings.

On the Radio 4 website it states "Ewan MacColl immortalised his city" – it's a shame his city seems to have ignored him...

• The Salford Star will be having a special online celebration of Ewan MacColl next Sunday 25th January.... See Ewan MacColl: A Three Part Salford Centenary Tribute - click here for Part 1