Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?

Subject: Francis James Child, BALLADS
From:
Date: 06 Jun 97 - 01:13 PM

I wish to hear Child ballads without spending all my money on CD's which may have only 1 or 2 on them! Does anyone know the best way to go about hearing them? My local library didn't know what I was talking about!

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS
From:
Date: 06 Jun 97 - 02:57 PM

Randy, It sounds like the Child ballads are new to you. You should know that Child collected these songs not as "correct" specimens,but as examples of a living oral tradition. Many variants exist and they are all valid, if you hear a song referred to by a Child number, it's only an arbitrary identification. Most good folk song collections contain Child ballads. But to the core of your question, if you yourself don't sing, find someone to sing them for you! Many printed collections are available, and anyone who can carry a tune and likes to sing can let you hear these songs the way they were meant to be heard. Good luck. Cathub.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS
From: Bill D
Date: 07 Jun 97 - 12:57 PM

and there are a number of collections on record of just Child Balladss...I'm not sure which ones may currently be in print, but there ARE sources....where do you live? Someone near you may have some ideas? And do you want the 'old' classic versions, or just any processed version which can be traced to a Child source??

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 14 Jun 97 - 12:19 AM

Check the threads "John of Hazelgreen" and "Sol-fa Notation"

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: cnd
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 03:17 AM

So, I have to revive a 23-year old thread, but I don't think there's really a need to start a new one for this since it's so fitting.

This (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr-Yww8BJQcRkZVg78euK_g/videos) YouTube channel is uploading scores of Child Ballads to YouTube. I know I've seen one of their albums shared on here, but I thought anyone interested in Child recordings would want to see this resource. All in one place

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: cnd
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 03:18 AM

Oops, I meant to say "I hate to revive"

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 04:20 AM

A superb selection C -
Have to say I approach sites like that with some trepidation, but the choice of versions and singers seems excellent
Thanks
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: GUEST,Keith Price
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 04:50 AM

John Barber ( Child 100 ) Kevin Conneff. Much to my shame I'd forgotten what a good singer Kevin Conneff is. Thank cnd.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: GUEST,Erich
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 05:52 AM

There are some great CDs containing Child Ballads, one of the best ist by Brian Peters (Songs of Trial and Triumph). But if you don't want to spend money try Spotify (free version is good enough) and surch "Child Ballads", they hava a big collection compiled from numerous CDs. Happy listening.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 06:15 AM

There was an attempt some years ago to list "all" recordings of all of the Child ballads. Here is a link to one of its mirrors - the original vanished some years ago.

Child Ballad Project

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 06:35 AM

""all" recordings of all of the Child ballads."
Good luck with 'The Outlaw Murray
MacColl and Seeger's 'Long Harvest' (12 vol) and 'Blood and Roses' (5 vol) which set out compare the British and American ballad traditions are my particular favoorites, followed by 'The Muckle Sangs' on the School of Scottish Studies series
Bronson described the Lloyd/MacColl Riverside series as "the most important addition to our knowledge of the traditional song tradition since Sharp"

I have now managed to put together nearly 100 of the Child ballads which became part of the Irish singing tradition, with at least three times that many versions
Ireland probably had more ballads in is oral tradition than England
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Reinhard
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 12:26 PM

Susan, I think this is the current version of Halewijn's Child Ballad Database.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Howard Jones
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 02:33 PM

Any collection which includes the Kipper Family can't be faulted.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Reinhard
Date: 05 Apr 20 - 03:12 PM

Some albums with (mostly) Child Ballads:

A.L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume I, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-621/622, 1956

--, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume II, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-623/624, 1956

--, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume III, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-625/626, 1956

--, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume IV, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-627/628, 1956

Note: These albums have been re-released in the 1960s as The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volumes 1-8, 8 LP, Washington WLP 715 - WLP 722

Various Artists, The Child Ballads 1 (The Folk Songs of Britain Vol. 4), LP, Caedmon TC1145, 1961; Topic 12T160, 1968; CD, Rounder 1775, 2000

Various Artists, The Child Ballads 2 (The Folk Songs of Britain Vol. 5), LP, Caedmon TC1146, 1961; Topic 12T161, 1968; CD, Rounder 1776, 2000

Lucy Stewart, Traditional Singer from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Vol. 1 - Child Ballads, LP, Folkways FG 3519, 1961

Ewan MacColl, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 1—Child Ballads, LP, Folkways FG 3509, 1961

Ewan MacColl, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 2—Child Ballads, LP, Folkways FG 3510, 1964

Ewan MacColl, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 3—Child Ballads, LP, Folkways FG 3511, 1964

A.L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, English and Scottish Folk Ballads, LP, Topic 12T103, 1964

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, Blood & Roses Volume 1, LP, Blackthorne ESB 79, 1979; Camsco Blackthorn CD 79; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, Blood & Roses Volume 2, LP, Blackthorne ESB 80, 1982; Camsco Blackthorn CD 80; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, Blood & Roses Volume 3, LP, Blackthorne ESB 81, 1982; Camsco Blackthorn CD 81; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, Blood & Roses Volume 4, LP, Blackthorne ESB 82, 1986; Camsco Blackthorn CD 82; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, Blood & Roses Volume 5, LP, Blackthorne ESB 83, 1986; Camsco Blackthorn CD 83; 2006

Various Artists, The Muckle Sangs (Scottish Tradition 5), LP, Tangent TNGM 119, 1975, CD, Greentrax CDTRAX9005, 1992

Various Artists, Ballads, CD, Fellside FECD110, 1997

Alison McMorland & Geordie McIntyre, Ballad Tree, CD, Tradition Bearers LTCD1051, 2003

Katherine Campbell, The Songs of Amelia and Jane Harris, CD, Springthyme SPRCD 1041, 2004

Brian Peters, Songs of Trial and Triumph, CD, Pugwash PUG CD 007, 2008

Ewan MacColl, Ballads: Murder·Intrigue·Love·Discord, 2 CD, Topic TSCD576D, 2009

A.L. Lloyd, Bramble Briars and Beams of the Sun, 2 CD, Fellside FECD240, 2011

Note: These two albums are CD reissues of ballads from the 1956 Riverside albums.

Anaïs Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer, Child Ballads, CD, Wilderland WILDER 002, 2013

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: The Doctor
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 06:03 AM

I made a list of all the recordings of Child ballads I have in my CD collection, and it totals 137.

If anyone is interested I can email a copy.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 06:26 AM

I hven't begun to examine the Carpenter collection since it went on line as we already had prints from of some of the microfesch of o them
Carpenter originally set out (1927-1955) to gather "the largest collection of ballads ever" according to Ken Goldstein
His work covered Britain and the US - a sizeable goldmine
It looks as if he might well have managed that
They are on line and freely available
Jim Caarroll

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 06:26 AM

I hven't begun to examine the Carpenter collection since it went on line as we already had prints from of some of the microfesch of o them
Carpenter originally set out (1927-1955) to gather "the largest collection of ballads ever" according to Ken Goldstein
His work covered Britain and the US - a sizeable goldmine
It looks as if he might well have managed that
They are on line and freely available
Jim Caarroll

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 05:20 PM

Most of the ballad recordings in the Child Ballad Project were actually posted to a USENET site a number of years ago. There were 3 main contributors and a few added by volunteers. This was revised and updated at least once, with "add-ons" of new items.

(I see that was Dec. 2010 and into 2011.... but that may be the 2nd round update) I still monitor the Newsgroup, but almost no 'old' music recently... and very little of any kind.

I may have a record of the first set of posting on an old computer.

I think there were something like 8000+ recordings involved.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 06:56 PM

I have the files, on my current computer, that I got from Bill D, but it is not the most recent version that Bill has: a mere 26 gigs and 6500 files. I guess that would fit onto a thumb drive if people want it. PM me if you are interested.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 08:18 PM

Audie o' Fyle posted in 2011, after someone asked for them, that there was about 65 gigs.... I think I have just over 50...

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Reinhard
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 08:32 PM

Sorry but what does 'gigs' and 'files' mean in this context?

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 08:58 PM

Reinhard - If you wanted a copy of the recordings, this tells you how big it is. Each song is a file and the gigs tells you how much spece they take on a computer.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Apr 20 - 10:22 PM

gigs= gigabytes
I have 150 or so versions of #10, which amount to about 2 gigabytes. All others are fewer versions, and some very few... and a couple have none...yet. An average song is 4-10 or so kilobytes.... a few smaller, some larger. Thumb drives can be from 4 to 64 (or more) gigabytes. The entire collection would take 3-4 thumb drives unless one spent big money on high-capacity ones. I have a couple on 1 **terabyte** external drives for backup. That would take up quite a stack of CDs.

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Reinhard
Date: 07 Apr 20 - 06:39 AM

Ah. I somehow had the assiciation gigs = concerts since it's all about songs, and didn't make the connection to size...

Subject: RE: Francis James Child, BALLADS - recordings?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Oct 20 - 08:43 PM

Australian Raymond Crook has recorded all the Child Ballads

Raymond's Child Ballad page The first ballad I ever heard from the collection of Francis James Child was Barbara Allen, from my parents' Burl Ives collection, followed closely by his rendition of Henry Martin. As a teenager, I listened to Joan Baez, and learned from her the significance of the bracketed Child number. As I gradually learned more of these songs, I formed the idea of recording all of them, but it is only a few years ago that I actually set about to fulfill this ambition. I have now recorded at least one version of each of the Child ballads on YouTube. Although I have completed this project I will still add other versions to the collection, particularly where I have previously sung variations that are quite different from those collected by Child ...

1. Riddles Wisely Expounded

This English song is an example of the ancient tradition of riddling in folklore. It dates back to at least 1450 and exists in several variants. The first known tune was attached to it in 1719. In the earliest surviving version, the devil threatens to abduct a maiden unless she can answer a series of riddles. The woman prays to Jesus for wisdom and answers the riddles correctly.

In later versions, a knight puts a woman to a test before agreeing to marry her, usually after seducing her. The woman knows the answers and is accepted as the knight's bride.

The American version,The Devil's Nine Questions, goes back to the earliest English version and lists a set of riddles being asked of a maid by the devil who may or may not be in disguise. I have yet to find a version which actually has a ninth question. This version, like the others I've heard, only has eight!

Here is my performance of the English version and here are the lyrics.

You can see my performance of the American version, the lyrics of which are here. (read on)