Help: Your favorite Irish or English ballad

Subject: Your favorite Irish or English ballad
From: GUEST,Gary Rosen
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 02:42 AM

I'm new to these folk song parts, and would greatly appreciate any biased information any of you could relate to me regarding the most beautiful traditional Irish or English ballad that you have ever heard. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Help: Your favorite Irish or English ballad
From: Fiolar
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 05:04 AM

Sorry - too many to list.

Subject: RE: Help: Your favorite Irish or English ballad
From: Hollowfox
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 10:01 AM

I'd be able to answer your question better if you could tell us why you're asking. Have you just discovered ballads, are you doing a paper, just curious what we ballad junkies like? Are Scottish ballads all right? Do you have a time frame; are you only interested in the old ones, or would something written in the last few years be fine? (Jeez, you ask a simple question and the librarian asks a bunch back...)

Subject: RE: Help: Your favorite Irish or English ballad
From: Desdemona
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 10:03 AM

Can't answer; it hurts my brain just thinking about it!

But a warm welcome to the wonderful world of traditional music!

Subject: RE: Help: Your favorite Irish or English ballad
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 10:50 AM

The Battle of Otterbourne, sung by Alex Campbell
Kilkelly, sung by Iain MacKintosh
Jamie Foyers, sung by Dolores Keane & John Faulkner

That's for starters. Would you like the other 1349? :-)

Subject: RE: Help: Your favorite Irish or English ballad
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 12:11 PM

Gary, we're not trying to be vague here...there are just too many lovely songs to talk about. I would suggest going to The Contemplator Site (and also Taylor's Traditional Tunebook at this site) and do some browsing. When you find one you love, use the SuperSearch here to find out what folks say about it and also different words in the DT. Also check out the Child Ballads at The Contemplator site.

To get started:

I Once Loved a Lass (The False Bride in the DT)

The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry

The Four Marys

Subject: RE: Help: Your favorite Irish or English ballad
From: nosluap57
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 12:15 PM

Two that immediately come to mind:

Kilkelly

There Were Roses

Subject: RE: Help: Your favorite Irish or English ballad
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Feb 02 - 12:24 PM

It's not fair to be asked to name one favorite...and anyway, the MOST beautiful ballads to me are the Scottish...

(A lot depends on tune....the same ballad can be hauntingly beautiful, stark and chilling, or just plain silly, depending on version and melody....various versions of The Three Ravens (Twa Corbies) can illustrate this) same with "Gypsy Davey" or "Matty Groves"

A long time favorite, (mostly because I know someone who sings it beautifully is "Ned of the Hill")