Here's my choice. I haven't put in this list very important recordings of English traditional music that are in collections that include music and songs from also Scotland and Ireland (The Voice of the People series, for instance)and America too (The Long Harvest recordings, by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger, for instance). Some of the recordings in my list are in LP format, but still available, with a little luck, at eBay's auctions or at Gemm's. Thay are treasures worth searching for. It has been difficult to exclude from this list many other beautiful recordings. I have put in the list maximum three recordings for artist. Roberto

Anthologies

1.        A Selection from The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs (rec. 1985,1993,1994), with Martin Carthy, Roy Harris, Jez Lowe, Linda Adams, John Bowden, Fellside, FECD47
2.        The Bird in the Bush, Traditional Songs of Love & Lust, Erotic Folk Songs (1966), with Anne Briggs, Louis Killen, A. L. Lloyd, Frankie Armstrong, Norman Kennedy, Topic TSCD479
3.        Blow the Man Down, A collection of Sea Songs & Shanties, with Louis Killen, Ian Campbell, Ewan MacColl, Harry H Corbett, Sam Larner, Bob Davenport, The Watersons, Bob Hart, A. L. Lloyd, Bob Roberts etc, Topic Topic TSCD464
4.        Deep Lancashire, with Harry Boardman, Oldham Tinkers, Pete Smith etc, 1968 e 1970, Topic, TSCD485
5.        Hidden English, a celebration of English traditional music, with Joseph Taylor, Copper Family, Walter Pardon, Cyril Poacher, Bob Hart, Harry Cox, Sam Larner, Fred Jordan, Pop Maynard, etc, Topic, TSCD600
6.        Old English Nursery Rhymes, Vivien Ellis and Tim Laycock with The Broadside Band, 1996 (Saydisc, CD-SDL 419)
7.        Round Cape Horn, Traditional songs of sailors, ships and the sea, with Ewan MacColl, A. L. Lloyd, Louis Killen, Peter Bellamy, Roy Harris, The Watersons, Mike Waterson etc, Topic, TSCD499
8.        Sea Shanties, with Roy Harris, A. L. Lloyd, Ian Manuel, Bernard Wrigley, Martyn Wyndham-Read, Topic 12TS234 (LP)
9.        Sea Songs & Shanties, Traditional English Sea Songs & Shanties from the last days of sail, 1950-60, with Bob Roberts, Copper Family, Harry Cox etc (Saydisc, CD-SDL 405)
10.        The Tale of Ale, The Story of the Englishman and his beer, 1976, with Vic Gammon, Peter Bellamy, Roy Harris etc (Free Reed)
11.        The Valiant Sailor, Songs & Ballads of Nelson's Navy, with Frankie Armstrong, Roy Harris, A. L. Lloyd, Martyn Wyndham-Read (Topic 12TS232) (LP)
12.        Voices, English Traditional Songs, with Maddy Prior, Cyril Tawney, The Watersons, A. L. Lloyd, Roy Bailey, Martyn Wyndham-Read, Frankie Armstrong, John Kirkpatrick, Roy Harris, Jez Lowe, Dave Burland, June Tabor, Shirley Collins, Martin Carthy, Peter Bellamy, Linda Adams, etc, Fellside FECD87


Single artists and groups

13.        Roy Bailey, New Bell Wake, 1976
14.        Peter Bellamy, Wake the Vaulted Echoes, 2CD (Free Reed)
15.        Peter Bellamy & The Young Tradition with Shirley and Dolly Collins, The Holly Bears the Crown, 1969, Fledg'ling Records FLED 3006
16.        Anne Briggs, A Collection, Topic TSCD504
17.        Dave Burland, A Dalesman's Litany, (rec. 1971), Leader LERCD 2029
18.        Eliza Carthy, Anglicana, 2002 (Topic) TSCD539
19.        Martin Carthy, Martin Carthy, 1965, Topic, TSCD340
20.        Martin Carthy Byker Hill, con Dave Swarbrick, 1967, Topic, TSCD341
21.        Martin Carthy Signs of Life, 1998 (Topic) TSCD503
22.        Shirley Collins,The Power of the True Love Knot, Fledg'ling Records FLED 3028
23.        Coope, Boyes & Simpson, Hindsight, 1998, No Masters NMCD11
24.        The Copper Family,The Copper Family of Rottingdean, Early Recordings, Come Write Me Down, 1950s-1960s (Topic) TSCD534
25.        Harry Cox, The Bonny Labouring Boy, 1945-1970 2CD (Topic) TSCD 512D
26.        Critcs Group (Frankie Armstrong, John Faulkner, etc), Waterloo: Peterloo, English Folk Songs and Broadsides 1780-1830, Argo, ZDA86 (LP, 1968)
27.        Barry Dransfield, Wings of a Sphinx, 1996, Rhiannon RHYD5010
28.        Fairport Convention, Liege & Lief, Island remasters, IMCD 291/586 929-2
29.        Jo Freya, Traditional Songs of England, 1993 (Saydisc, CD-SDL 402
30.        John Goodluck, The Suffolk Miracle, (CD edition available at www.john.goodluck.btinternet.co.uk)
31.        Roy Harris Champions of Folly (LP Topic, 12TS256)
32.        Roy Harris The Bitter and the Sweet (LP Topic, 12TS217)
33.        Roy Harris The Rambling Soldier, Life in the lower ranks 1750-1900 through soldiers' songs, 1979 e 1997 (Fellside, FECD17)
34.        Wallace House, Robin Hood Ballads, 1953 (Folkways, F-6839)
35.        Carolyne Hughes Carolyne Hughes & Family, two CDs available, Folktrax FTX-043 and FTX-143
36.        Nic Jones, Ballads & Songs, Leader LERCD 2014
37.        Nic Jones, Penguin Eggs (rec. 1980), Topic TSCD411
38.        Nic Jones, Unearthed 2CD, Mollie Music MMCD02/03
39.        Fred Jordan, Songs of a Shropshire Lad, Folktrax, FTX-130
40.        Louis Killen, The Rose in June, 1989 and 2000, Old and New Tradition ONTCD2005
41.        Sam Larner, Now is the time for Fishing, 1958,'59,'60 (Topic), TSCD511
42.        A. L. Lloyd, Classic A. L. Lloyd (Fellside, FECD98)
43.        A. L. Lloyd, England & Her Traditional Songs, A Selection from the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, 1960, 2003 (Fellside, FECD173)
44.        A. L. Lloyd, Leviathan! Ballads & Songs of the Whaling Trade (rec. 1967), Topic, TSCD497
45.        Ewan MacColl & A. L. Lloyd, Blow Boys Blow, Tradition TCD 1024
46.        Ewan MacColl, The Manchester Angel, Tradition 2059 (LP)
47.        Pop Maynard, Down the Cherry Tree, Musical Traditions, MTCD 400
48.        Old Swan Band, Still Swanning...After All These Years, Free Reed, FRCD31
49.        Frank Purslow & John Pearce, Rap-A-Tap-Tap, English Folk Songs Miss Pringle Never Taught Us (Folktrax, FTX-219)
50.        Tony Rose, Young Hunting, 1970 (LP, Trailer LER 2013)
51.        Tony Rose Under the Greenwood Tree (LP, Trailer LER 2024)
52.        Tony Rose On Banks of Green Willow (LP, Trailer LER 2101)
53.        Martin Simpson, The Bramble Briar, 2001 (Topic) TSCD513
54.        Steeleye Span, Hark! The Village Wait, 1970
55.        Steeleye Span, Please to see the King, 1971
56.        June Tabor, Aleyn, 1997, Topic TSCD490
57.        Kathryn Tickell, The Kathryn Tickell Band, Black Crow CRO CD 227
58.        The Watersons, Early Days Topic TSCD472
59.        The Watersons, For Pence and Spicy Ale TSCD462
60.        The Watersons, Frost and Fire, Topic TSCD136
61.        Mike Waterson, Mike Waterson (rec. 1977), Topic TSCD516
62.        Norma Waterson, Bright Shiny Morning, 2000 Topic, TSCD520
63.        Waterson:Carthy Common Tongue, 1996 Topic, TSCD488
64.        Waterson:Carthy Broken Ground, 1999 Topic TSCD509
65.        Waterson:Carthy A Dark Light, 2002 Topic TSCD 536
66.        Bernard Wrigley, The Phenomenal B.Wrigley (1971) + Rough and Wrigley (1974), LOOFY 003/004