Babelsongs

Local music with a global history

People and families from all over the world have made Sheffield their home – and the home to the music and songs they brought with them. Sheffield Babelsongs are a small voluntary organisation that collects and share these songs that now form a part of the city’s life and culture. We share our material by arranging performances. But we want people in Sheffield to enjoy singing these songs as well as listening to them, so we also work with singing groups to teach them the songs, and provide song sheets to help people learn them.

For this project, we searched for new musicians and community groups to work with. We recorded new material and released on a CD to spread this music beyond the groups who practice it. We also collected stories and memories about the musical heritages brought to Sheffield. A song book was prepared to help share these songs around other communities of Sheffield such as schools.

Babelsongs website

Videos

Participants

• Liberian Choir

• Spanish School

• Kieran Boyle