In 20th century New England, collectors like Phillips Barry, Fanny Hardy Eckstorm,and Helen Hartness Flanders found living versions of just about all the Child ballads. And don't forget Helen Creighton and Edith Fowkes in the Canadian Maritime provinces.
Wonderful to see the rich breadth of versions as well as the commonalities from one region to another.

Then there are the descendants of the ballads- several cowboy songs come to mind, as well as some that made the hit parade like the Gypsy Davy and the Butcher Boy

Questions- how does learning from a recording versus differ from learning from a live person? I learn songs from archive recordings made by collectors of people who heard the songs from their elders. Does this mean I am not a traditional singer? I certainly would have liked to have heard them from a live person, but that person was not available. Is this better or worse than consulting Child's published printed collection?(Shall I duck and run?)

Singing and grinning

Julia L