The Peggy Seeger Folk Song Collection was recently purchased by Special Collections and Archives division of Merrill-Cazier Library at Utah State University. Peggy Seeger is a prolific collector, presenter and performer of traditional music.

The Seeger collection includes more than 200 books, CDs, cassette tapes and music books on folk music and song, with an emphasis on songs of protest and social reform. Titles include “The Vietnam Songbook,” “Sing for Freedom,” “Our Singing Country: Folk Songs and Ballad” and “American Narrative Obituary Verse and Native American Balladry.”

“The book collection contains important volumes on international and American folksong scholarship,” said USU folklore curator Randy Williams. “The collection makes an excellent addition to our folksong ballad collections.”

After a 2008 visit to USU, Seeger showed interest in making her collection available to the university, Williams said.

“Ms. Seeger felt that we were a perfect fit for her book collection because USU is home to one of the strongest repositories of American folklore, including folk song, ballad and cowboy poetry in the world.”

With her husband and partner, Ewan MacColl, Seeger collected, performed and produced folk songs. In 1957, she collaborated with MacColl and Charles Parker on “The Radio-Ballads,” a series of musical documentaries for BBC which can still be heard today. MacColl’s song “The first time Ever I saw Your Face,” made famous by Roberta Flack, was written for Peggy Seeger.

Some of the volumes include Ewan MacColl/Peggy Seeger bookplates, and some have inscriptions and annotations.

Seeger grew up in a home where music was central. Her mother, Ruth Crawford Seeger, was a renowned composer, collector and teacher; her father was the famous ethnomusicologist Charles Louis Seeger. Her older brothers are famous folk singers. Pete is a folk singer, activist and a member of the group the Weavers; he is considered the father (now grandfather) of the American folk-revival since 1946. Mike performs old-time music and was a member of the New Lost City Ramblers.

“The Seeger collection will well serve USU’s thriving folklore program, one that specializes in the vernacular expressions,” Williams said.

For more information, contact Williams at 435-797-3493.

An interview by Williams with Peggy Seeger is available online (folkbistro.usu.edu).