The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Vol 1

Rating:
Summary: Another One Bites the Dust
Review: Had I the time, I'd write my own ballad here - a tragic song mourning the fact that Dover Books has apparently let the anchor of any decent Anglo-Celtic folk music collection go out of print. I take comfort in the fact that I've got mine, but those just building their libraries will have to search used bookstores and haunt the bookfinding services of the Net. Meanwhile, one more brick is placed in the wall of time that separates us from the ancestral voices.

Rating:
Summary: finally back in print
Review: I first heard of the Child ballads when I was about 13 years old and have been looking for a copy ever since. I was delighted to discover they have been brought back into print. This publication is particularly exciting since the editors have chosen to include musical notation collected by Child but not included in the original publication. Many of the ballads still sung today in Eastern Canada and the US were derived from these ballads, so these books are a facinating study of the earlier origins of these and many other ballads from the british iles.

Rating:
Summary: English & Scottish Popular Ballads Vol 1 by Francis James Ch
Review: Superb. For anyone interested in either the words or origins of English & Scottish folk music this is essential. You can settle those arguments (over a beer) as to who has the correct words or the origin.

The biblography needs some getting used to but when you understand it you will find this book a good companion.

Rating:
Summary: English & Scottish Popular Ballads Vol 1 by Francis James Ch
Review: Superb. For anyone interested in either the words or origins of English & Scottish folk music this is essential. You can settle those arguments (over a beer) as to who has the correct words or the origin.

The biblography needs some getting used to but when you understand it you will find this book a good companion.

Rating:
Summary: It's alive ...
Review: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads are, as noted here, out of print in their Dover edition ... but fear not, they are being re-issued (in 5 volumes, 2 of which are actually done) by the folks at Loomis House Press. (I am not affiliated with Loomis in any way; do a Google search if you want to find 'em.) The books are authoritative and complete, and it's disappointing that Amazon doesn't list them.