Another invaluable on-line resource. Kist of Riches from the holdings of the School of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh University.

That site covers the full range of folklore recordings which SOSS has collected over the years, so it's not exclusively balladry by any means. But there's some fabulous material in there.

Also check out Smithsonian Folkways . Smithsonian is in effect a world ethnic music label, very highly respected, and it has some very important ballad recordings in its catalogue. The best bit is that virtually everything in its catalogue can be downloaded for just 99 cents a track.

In particular, look out for Frank Proffitt (North Carolina/Tennessee), Lucy Stewart (Aberdeenshire), and Dilard Chandler (North Carolina).

Also, the Smithsonian catalogue has three LPs of Ewan MacColl singing Child ballads, and I would number some of these as being among his finest recordings anywhere.

Mention of Lucy Stewart reminds me of the time when I found a copy of her LP of Child ballads in a record sale. The surprise caused me to say "Jesus Christ" so loud that they startled the woman who was rooting in the next bin along. I apologised, explained who Lucy Stewart was, what a great singer she was, what a stunning repertoire she had, and how I'd been trying to track this LP down for donkey's years. (This was long before the Internet made finding gems like that one such a doddle.)

She just said "oh", and carried on rooting among the Steeleye Span records.