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Child Ballad Books

10 Aug 11 - 09:20 AM (#3205274)
Subject: Child Ballad Books With Music?
From: DrugCrazed

I'm thinking of collecting some of the Child Ballad Books, but as nice as having words and learning tunes from others is, a book of lyrics isn't helpful to me without some tune.

Are there copies with music, or do I have to collect the tunes myself?


10 Aug 11 - 09:54 AM (#3205305)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: Harmonium Hero

Google Loomis House Press. They've been publishing the collection, with some of the tunes. The final volume is about to be published. They also currently have a reprint available of Bronson's tunes. Bronson did the same job with the tunes as Child did with the words - collecting all the available versions. This is a four volume set, available for a limited period. There is also a volume of selected ballad texts, if you don't want the whole set.
John Kelly.


10 Aug 11 - 11:25 AM (#3205373)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: EBarnacle

If you are in the Western Hemisphere, contact Dick or Susan at Camsco Music.


10 Aug 11 - 05:31 PM (#3205626)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: DrugCrazed

Seems like it's mostly US based. I'm allowed to be confused by the fact that these English songs are US based right?


10 Aug 11 - 05:31 PM (#3205627)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: DrugCrazed

(I'm in the UK, btw)


10 Aug 11 - 05:40 PM (#3205630)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: DrugCrazed

And Amazon has some of them. Thanks for the hints, I'll probably order the first volume now.


10 Aug 11 - 05:54 PM (#3205642)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: tijuanatime

Google 'Springthyme Records' and see what they have to offer - based in Scotland


10 Aug 11 - 06:00 PM (#3205645)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: GUEST,Steve Gardham

Camsco were responsible for getting the Bronson volumes reprinted at very reasonable prices. Considering that prior to this they were so scarce that single volumes were selling for hundreds of pounds, you would do well to contact Dick. He has a supplier in the UK so you wouldn't have to pay a great deal of postage.


10 Aug 11 - 06:16 PM (#3205656)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: dick greenhaus

DrugCrazed -
If you order a set of four volumes of Bronson directly from CAMSCO (camscomusic.com)we throw in a searchable CDR of all four volumes... a handy adjunct.


10 Aug 11 - 06:25 PM (#3205662)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: Tootler

Link to Springthyme music home page.

There are links from there to both the full four volume set of Bronson: "The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads" and to the abridged version "The Singing Tradition of Child's Popular Ballads" where you can order them.


10 Aug 11 - 08:09 PM (#3205716)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: DrugCrazed

Didn't realise how rare these were.

Dick, I'll probably send a PM your way. $200 works out to be something like 3 quid now doesn't it? :P


10 Aug 11 - 11:24 PM (#3205783)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: Joe Offer

Drug Crazed, I've bought both the Loomis House Child and the Bronson tunes books, and I've been absolutely satisfied. These books cost a lot of money, but they're wonderful.
-Joe-


10 Aug 11 - 11:47 PM (#3205790)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: MGM·Lion

DC ~~ no wonder they are US based. Child was a professor at Harvard, and Bronson at Princeton.

~M~


11 Aug 11 - 05:48 AM (#3205875)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: DrugCrazed

Drug needs to do more folk history.

The books look beautiful...


11 Aug 11 - 06:08 AM (#3205887)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: GUEST,Jack Campin

I have these, from Camsco via their UK agent. They're terrific and so was the service.


11 Aug 11 - 06:30 AM (#3205902)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: GUEST,Shimrod

"Seems like it's mostly US based. I'm allowed to be confused by the fact that these English songs are US based right?"

Both Child and Bronson were American academics.


11 Aug 11 - 06:21 PM (#3206304)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: GUEST,SteveG

British academics are known to occasionally dabble, but 'dabble' just about covers it!


11 Aug 11 - 06:27 PM (#3206312)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: GUEST,SteveG

DC
Of the two, without taking anything away from Child's brilliant pioneering efforts, the Bronson is far superior, and not just because it has all the tunes. Child tried to be inclusive and therefore by his own admission was forced to include much that was spurious and much that had never appeared in oral tradition, whereas Bronson was taking ballads that had come from oral tradition and were much more likely to be genuine.


11 Aug 11 - 10:28 PM (#3206403)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: Joe_F

It is now well into August, but the Web site still has Vol. V "in preparation".


12 Aug 11 - 07:42 PM (#3206941)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: Van

I have a set of 5 volumes published by Dover which I bought around 1970/71 and am open to offers as I no longer refer to them. Postage and a few beer vouchers. otherwise free to a good home. I am UK based.


12 Aug 11 - 07:51 PM (#3206946)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: Joe Offer

That's generous of you, Van. It used to be that Dover editions of Child would go for up to $50 a volume. When Dover reissued its edition a few years ago, the price for used Dover sets dropped dramatically. But still, it's a generous offer from Van.

I think I'll match Van's offer for U.S. Mudcatters. First U.S. Mudcatter who asks for them, can have my Dover set for free - as soon as my Volume 5 of the Loomis House edition arrives. This is in gratitude to Blessings Barbara and other Mudcatters who have been so nice to send things to me without charge.

-Joe-


The books have been claimed, and will go to a nice home. -Joe, 17 August-


13 Aug 11 - 08:38 PM (#3207593)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: Joe_F

I rashly gave my Dover volumes away when I bought the Heritage Muse digital version in 2004. It was nice when it worked, but involved endless agony, beginning with the installation, and needed a patch every time Adobe Acrobat was updated; at length (2009) it became unpatchable because of something to do with the security software. Heritage Muse seems to have evaporated; its Web site still exists, but the links go nowhere. Accordingly, the Loomis House project will be very welcome if it is ever finished, but I'm not holding my breath.


13 Aug 11 - 10:05 PM (#3207621)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: Joe Offer

I think we're on the home stretch with Loomis House - it's been ten years since the first volume was published, and I don't know if I would have bought Volume 1 if I knew it would take ten years to get Volume 5. But I don't think they'd announce a July publication date for the fifth volume if the book weren't almost completely finished. Volume 5 will include Ballads 266-305, but it won't include the appendix included in the Dover edition because the appendix has been incorporated with the songs in the appropriate volumes. So, I wonder if Volume 5 will be really skinny, or if it will have some pleasant surprises.

-Joe-


14 Aug 11 - 12:28 PM (#3207921)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: ollaimh

is bronson the one thast includes the tunes?

there was one that included the music which to a celtoid player is essential--none of that ffffing accapella from the instrumentally challenged for me.


14 Aug 11 - 12:34 PM (#3207929)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: ollaimh

ps
for those not instrumentally handicapped--the straloch manuscript and the rowan allan manuscript do contain many tunes for the ballads. they were however gathered in the seventeenth century so they do not conform to child's numbering or arrangements and back then tunes moved around more. one tune might easily be used for different songs at different times.

i particualrilly like the tune for the battleof otterburn and for grey steil.

there is a written reference in the royal achhives of scotland that james the forth paid two musicians(a harper and a singer) four hundred pounds to perform gery steil. it says it took the whole of two evenings. a rennsissance mini series.

when i performed it for medievalists i would pick out a ten minute bit of relatively discrete action and give a talk first to set the scene them play and sing for ten or fifteen minutes. not many will listen to a nine hour song.


14 Aug 11 - 06:48 PM (#3208179)
Subject: RE: Child Ballad Books
From: DrugCrazed

Van, I'll pm you. If I forget, or you don't see, check there