Farmland Museum's CD of Farming Songs

Aim

Help us create a CD of songs in celebration of farming past and present to link with the museum's agricultural collection.

Project aim

Help the Farmland Museum create a CD of songs in celebration of farming life past and present.

About the project

This project is an exciting collaboration between the Farmland Museum and musician Mike Ruff to create a CD of songs relating to Farming Life specifically that of Cambridgeshire.

Part of the Museum’s mission statement is to enable a wider audience to participate in and enjoy the Museum’s work, enabling every individual to gain an understanding of rural life in Cambridgeshire.

Located in a stunning rural location, next to the 12th Century Denny Abbey, the Farmland Museum's collection of historic buildings tell the story of rural Cambridgeshire through the centuries. The 17th century Stone Barn and the Pig Sheds house displays of artefacts and agricultural machinery to celebrate and explore the tradtional crafts, industries and traditions of the area.

The songs passed down through generations of farmers, agricultural workers and villagers are an important part of our heritage. This project ensures that this important aspect of our history doesn't disappear and at the same time helps us to raise funds to preserve the museum's buildings and collections for future generations.

Already a feature at our big events we have turned to musician Mike Ruff to create a CD of songs about Farming Life. It will have 16 songs relating to the museum’s agricultural collection and farming life in the area and will include a short booklet about the songs and information about how they link to the collection and individual artefacts.

  Mike Ruff performing at The Farmland Museum in 2014.

Mike started singing and playing accordion while still at school and his 25 year career has seen him working at events large and small around the country and abroad. He has recorded over a dozen albums as a soloist and with different groups. There’s lots more on his web site www.mikeruffmusic.co.uk 

This collaboration will result in a unique product to sell in the Museum’s shop but through Mike’s appearances at festivals and other events it will raise the profile of this fantastic museum as well as creating a perfect celebration of farming past and present.

These photographs show what a stunning place The Framland Museum is. Many of the songs on the CD will be linked with the machinery and objects in the photographs and will add another dimension to our visitors understanding and appreciation of our rural past. Part 2 of the project will eventually be to use the tracks on the CD as part of the interpretation in the displays so that visitors will hear history as well as see it.

This project closed unsuccessfully on 30th May 2015