The National Library of Ireland has sponsored a series of concerts of Child Ballads over the he last couple of years entitled 'Man, Woman and Child' inspired and organised by an enterprising Wexford couple, Aileen Lambert and Mick Fortune - these included a team of singers, some of whom had never sung and were unaware of the Child Ballads before this project in venues throughout Ireland, culminating in a day dedicated to the subject, a CD launch (Early Ballads in Ireland) and a highly enjoyable evening at the Goilín Club in Dublin.
The end result was excellent - now it it possible to sing and hear Child Ballads without being self-conscious about "long, narrative songs".
Hopefully, there will be similar projects in the not-too-distant future.
MAN, WOMAN and CHILD
Jim Carroll