Biography
Frankie Armstrong revitalizes ancient British ballads through her commanding soprano voice, whether performing unaccompanied or supported by sparse instrumentation. Her interpretation of the feminist anthem "I'm Gonna Be an Engineer" by Peggy Seeger stands as her most recognized work, establishing her as a key figure in the English folk scene from 1962 onward. Having long participated in the Critic's Group led by the late Ewan MacColl, she has appeared regularly at folk festivals across Great Britain and the United States. Although her initial recordings centered on traditional ballads, Armstrong expanded her scope later on. She joined forces with Dave Van Ronk, the folk singer from Greenwich Village, in 1989 to produce the duo album Let No One Deceive You, which showcased compositions by Bertolt Brecht. The year 1997 marked her peak productivity, as she not only reissued the live recording Ways of Seeing but also put out Till the Grass O'ergrown the Corn, an album devoted to child ballads, alongside her solo effort The Fair Moon Rejoices. This last release incorporates her own compositions, pieces by Leon Rosselson, and William Blake poems adapted to music featuring saxophone and bagpipes by Peter Stacey.
Albums
