Will Noble is great, isn't he. I interviewed him a few years ago, and heard some really interesting tales of the old 'sheep meets' and 'singing do's'.

What I'm puzzled by, though is your statement that Child 95 is 'one of the oldest English ballads in existence'. I thought that the earliest version we know about was from the 18th century, and would be interested to know whether you (or Steve Gardham) has managed to trace it further back.

If you're interested in the Appalachian history of Child 95, it's adaptation by African-American communities is a very interesting part of the story.