If you're looking for songbooks, for a start, check your library or folk music resource for "English Folk-Songs from the Southern Appalachians," collected by Cecil Sharp (the Englishman who was the source of the character who came in as our heroes were going out at the end of the movie), and for "Traditional American Folk Songs from the Anne and Frank Warner Collection", edited by Anne Warner. The Warner book has lots of lovely information about and pictures of the singers. Mr. Sharp just has lots of songs.

Of course the Mudcat permathread A Basic Folk Library" has these and more to suggest.

For source recordings (recordings of the original singers): Folk-Legacy's "Ballads and Songs of Tradition" is a good sampler, as are the two cds from the Warner collection, "Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still" and "Nothing Seems Better to Me." Rounder's Alan Lomas Collection, Portraits series has Texas Gladden (from southwest Virginia), and others.

You can get good stuff from Folk-Legacy (recordings with good notes), Country Dance & Song Society has a lot of good books and recordings, as do Andy's Front Hall, and Elderly, and Camsco (recordings only).

Have fun!

~ Becky in Tucson

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Hi, Becky. If you use quotes within a link, you have to use both opening and closing quotes. I fixed it.
-Joe Offer-