Looking for a copy of Child's ballads

Subject: Looking for a copy of Child's ballads
From: jennyr
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 08:44 AM

I'm new here, so I apologise if this has already been done to death but I couldn't find anything...

I'm looking for a copy of Child's 'English and Scottish popular ballads', and I've found about five different editions online. The trouble is, the only one I can actually find a review for says that it doesn't include any of Child's notes, just the text of the ballads themselves. Given that I do want the scholarly notes as well, can anyone recommend which edition I should be going for? (preferably one that's in print, but I know that might not be possible!)

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Looking for a copy of Child's ballads
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 09:30 AM

Loomis House Press have published four volumes of the set, with the fifth in preparation. http://search.store.yahoo.net/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=doverpublications&query=ballads

Also, Dover Publications has all five volumes in catalogue at around $25-00 per volume.

While you're checking those two don't forget the Loomis House/Camsco republication of Bertrand Bronson's Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads. At just $39.95 per volume, that surely has to be the scoop of the century.

Subject: RE: Looking for a copy of Child's ballads
From: Brian Peters
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 09:40 AM

I bought a new set of the Dover edition from Blackwells online about a year ago, at a discounted price of £40 for the set. Even at full price they're pretty reasonable. And, yes, you definitely want Child's notes in full. And Bronson.

Subject: RE: Looking for a copy of Child's ballads
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 09:56 AM

Try collectors folk be on web

Subject: RE: Looking for a copy of Child's ballads
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 11:54 AM

A Dover set can be got quite cheaply on eBay nowadays. My set is invaluable and I couldn't do without it. Having said that if I was starting out afresh I would want a Loomis set as all of the appendixes/addenda have been placed with the appropriate ballads now which is very useful. If you're after just the traditional ballads to sing I would strongly recommend the wonderful reprint of Bronson. Child is very useful for texts and background info, but you only get the traditional ballads in Bronson that have tunes. A lot of the material in Child has never seen oral tradition or has been cobbled together by poets. Bronson by and large (unintentionally) weeds these out. There is little or no evidence to suggest for instance that the 40+ Robin Hood ballads were ever part of an oral tradition. They were almost all written for the garland press and whilst they all have designated tunes the only ones found in oral tradition are those few that were reprinted in the 19th century on cheap broadsides.

Subject: RE: Looking for a copy of Child's ballads
From: Hollowfox
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 01:13 PM

To tide you over while your personal copy is on the way, check your local library.

Subject: RE: Looking for a copy of Child's ballads
From: Folkiedave
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 01:54 PM

Thanks for the plug Jim (and I am in Sheffield!!) and was the chap who sold Brian his copy of Bronson.

I have a couple of copies of the Loomis House ones in more or less perfect nick which you can have for less than that!!

Contact me via PM if you are interested.

Dave

Subject: RE: Looking for a copy of Child's ballads
From: jennyr
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 01:58 PM

Thank you, you are all very helpful!

Don't know why I didn't think of you first, Dave.

Subject: RE: Looking for a copy of Child's ballads
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 31 Oct 09 - 02:49 PM

The Loomis House/CAMSCO Bronson set is being printed in both the US and the UK, to eliminate transAtlantic shipping costs. It's available in either soft cover ($40 or 23.75 GBPounds) per volume or hardcover ($50 or 28.50 GBPounds) per volume, and can be ordered from either Loomis House or CAMSCO.

We think it's a great Christmas present for the folkie who has everything else.