Lyr Req: F. J. Child ballads

Subject: F. Child Lyrics
From: Bo Vandenberg
Date: 25 Mar 97 - 01:07 PM

I'd like to put together a file of Child Ballads, but I dont want to re-invent the wheel. I know there are a lot out there, and in the DT but I'd like to know if there is a single organized source.

If anyone has any suggestions or knows of a file I'd be much obliged.

Bo Vandenberg

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: F. Child Lyrics
From:
Date: 25 Mar 97 - 07:34 PM

I'm sorry for being vague, my request was for _FRANCIS CHILD_ ballads not childrens songs.

Bo

Subject: RE: F. Child Lyrics
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 25 Mar 97 - 09:48 PM

The two basic books are Childs' The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, and (for tunes) Bronson's The Singing Tradition of the Child Ballads (I may have that name wrong). Both are out of print, but available at libraries. The Digital Tradition has most of Childs' 305 ballads, some in several versions.

Subject: RE: F. Child Lyrics
From: Murray
Date: 27 Mar 97 - 02:52 AM

A big library may have the original edition of Child from the 1880s; a smaller one the nice paperback reprint from Dover. There's also the one-volume "student's edition brought out by Kittredge & Sargent in 1905, which gives one example (presumably the best) of all but a few ballads. --The tunes are collected in Bertrand Harris Bronson, The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads [along with the texts], from Princeton U.P.1959+. Four big volumes, and very well done.

Subject: RE: F. Child Lyrics
From: bo
Date: 28 Mar 97 - 03:14 AM

Subject: RE: F. Child Lyrics
From: bo vandenberg
Date: 28 Mar 97 - 03:16 AM

I know of the two paper sources. But Bronson and Child are so traditional, such a staple to university study that I hoped there was an electronic version out there. Guess I'll have to start gathering.

Thanx for the help though.

bo

Subject: RE: F. Child Lyrics
From: Gene Graham
Date: 28 Mar 97 - 10:19 AM

Hi BO: Here's a little known fact about your local library that may of help to you (at least it wasn't known by me for MANY years, mainly because I never thought to ask - and no one at any of our local libraries volunteered the information) ...that has proved to be VERY useful....

Our local library didn't have a book of Western Songs by Jim Bob Tinsley (For A Cowboy Has To Sing) that I had learned of...so they REQUESTED it from another library in a another part of the state or even a different state (they didn't say which) and in about 2/3 weeks - I got a call to pick it up.

So apparently, it the book exists anywhere in the libary system, it can be SPECIAL ORDERED - FREE OF CHARGE.

Subject: RE: F. Child Lyrics
From: Susan of DT
Date: 31 Mar 97 - 05:53 PM

It is still in the DREAM STAGE, but we (Dick, Max of Mudcat) are thinking about rereleasing out of print/out of copyright books on CD ROM after scanning them. The first disk proposed is a combo of Child and Bronson, with Bronson's tunes playing on demand. Don't hold your breath, but we are thinking about it. In the meantime, use interlibrary loan.

Subject: RE: F. Child Lyrics
From:
Date: 29 Apr 97 - 05:08 PM

I've scanned a couple of out-of-copyright books of ballads already -- check out

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ballads/

Child would be a fine one to scan, but you'd have a copyright problem with Bronson's tunes. Although he isn't dead, so you could ask him for permission.

Subject: RE: F. Child Lyrics
From: Bo Vandenberg
Date: 29 Apr 97 - 07:15 PM

What a great site.

Ambitious, but a wonderful idea.