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01 Jun 11 - 06:07 AM (#3163596) Subject: Ballad Books From: GUEST,STM Hello all, I've been really interested in collecting ballad books of late, so decided to do a bit of research about them. I've created an online survey and would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to fill it in. It's only 10 questions and they're all multiple choice (with an option to add in your own text if you want to elaborate). Thanks, Sinéad. |
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01 Jun 11 - 06:08 AM (#3163597) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: GUEST,STM Oh, and it would really help if I gave you the link! Traditional Ballad Book Survey |
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01 Jun 11 - 06:10 AM (#3163598) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: harmonic miner Someone else has done something similar here CLICK HERE |
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01 Jun 11 - 06:20 AM (#3163600) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: harmonic miner I still completed your survey though! Is it an academic project, or just for your own interest etc? |
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01 Jun 11 - 07:15 AM (#3163623) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: GUEST,Reinhard I tried to answer as many questions as possible. I couldn't submit my questions though because the survey refuses me to leave out some answers. So you won't get any answers at all from me. |
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01 Jun 11 - 07:50 AM (#3163645) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: GUEST,STM Thank you harmonic miner :) The project was inspired by school work and I guess I could submit it for extra points or something but it's mainly for my own interest really. Reinhard, thanks for trying- I'm not quite sure what you mean by leaves out some answers? Do you mean it just won't let you answer or...? I tried to include an "other + comments" bit incase anything like this happened- has this failed too? I found it really hard to find an online survey that was for free, non-commcercial use. |
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01 Jun 11 - 07:54 AM (#3163647) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: Dave MacKenzie I filled it in. One of the questions I had to use the other + comments box. No problems. |
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01 Jun 11 - 10:56 AM (#3163734) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray Just filled it in. |
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01 Jun 11 - 12:38 PM (#3163783) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: Anne Neilson Sinead, I've just completed your questionnaire and am delighted that you are so enthused by an interest in ballads. But I'd love to know if you have any awareness of them as songs.... And if so, might you consider singing them? |
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01 Jun 11 - 05:07 PM (#3163909) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: Steve Gardham Done. I'm curious to know why you're asking for this info. Is it because you have access to an unpublished collection we don't know about? If you're looking for something of that ilk, what would be very useful is an unpublished collection of a manuscript, as opposed to an edited collection like Scott. Or how about an English translation of one or more of the many wonderful Scandinavian collections? Harmonic miner, I followed your clicky and came to that long thread listing the contents of Irish song books. Is there a questionnaire in there somewhere? Joe, It's your thread. perhaps you can answer this one? |
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02 Jun 11 - 03:41 AM (#3164059) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: GUEST,STM Alas, I do not have access to any unpublished collections! Just to get that out there right away! The Scandinavia idea is a nice one, I know a couple of those ballads. Right now I'm not doing this for any particular reason; I was just curious as lately I've seemed to be on a bit of an obsessive hunt for ballad books and in the last year, I have found more and more; I wanted to know if this was because interest in them was declining or whether I just happened to be lucky. Also, I met a lady who will only collect beautifully illustrated books, which I thought was interesting as many people seem comfortable buying old, tatty very unattractive copies, simply for their content. Again, I was wondering what was most popular about them; the illustrations or the more "artistic" side of them, or the content of them...and why! EKanne, I do occasionally sing them at singarounds...but I'm afraid to say I don't have much of an ear for unaccompanied ballad singing (and I can't play an instrument!) |
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02 Jun 11 - 03:42 AM (#3164060) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: GUEST,STM Oh, and a big thank you to everyone who has filled it in; it's very interesting to look at some of the "other" responses. Thanks a lot :) |
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02 Jun 11 - 04:23 AM (#3164068) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray Again, I was wondering what was most popular about them; the illustrations or the more "artistic" side of them, or the content of them...and why! You seen this one? Charles Vess - The Book of Ballads Worth a punt if you want to see The Great Selkie as a graphic fantasy; and King Henry, Tam Lin, Twa Corbies, True Thomas, Alison Gross etc. |
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02 Jun 11 - 09:19 PM (#3164485) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: Joybell I filled it in but I had big problems with the word "only" in several of the questions. Got around it in the "other" section but still found this word a problem. Cheers, Joy |
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03 Jun 11 - 02:30 AM (#3164563) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: Joe Offer I had trouble with the "only" selections, too. Then I found out I could choose more than one item, so I had three "onlys" to answer some questions. I do have to say that too many books of ballads seem like recycled condensations of Child, maybe with the words modernized a bit. If almost the same version is available in Child, I don't want to see it in another ballad book. -Joe- |
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03 Jun 11 - 02:53 AM (#3164574) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: Little Robyn I don't buy as many books these days - firstly because I don't have much spare cash but also because, with Mudcat right here, I don't need any more music/song/ballad books. I can find most of what I want on-line! Robyn |
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03 Jun 11 - 03:02 AM (#3164576) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: Jim Carroll "I don't want to see it in another ballad book." I think it depends on the purpose of the book Joe. We have a large collection of English language ballad and song books, and it is interesting to compare say, Sharp's Appalachian versions with Davis's West Virginia ones, or Randolph's Ozark or North Carolina sets..... and then look at them to find what changes have taken place with their having crossed the pond. I would agree that there are a number of pot-boilers that simple take their examples from other collections, but I feel that the serious collections quite often carry information that takes our undertanding just that little bit further. Quite often, the value of having these collections lies in the annotations. Not too long ago I became aware of, and acquired a copy of Cazden, Hautfrecht and Studer's 'Folk Songs of the Catskills' and am staggered by (and extremely grateful for) the work that has gone into annotating the songs. Long may collections like these continue to be produced. Jim Carroll |
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03 Jun 11 - 04:48 AM (#3164601) Subject: RE: Ballad Books From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray If almost the same version is available in Child, I don't want to see it in another ballad book. It can be refreshing to get away from Child sometimes; I've got any amount of old ballad books - originals / facsimiles and weird little early 20th century in which traditional material is presented alongside Tennyson, Keats, Kipling and WS Gilbert! I find it heartening that Alison Gross, Binnorie and The Wife of Ushers Well existed in such popular editions back in 1924, where the focus is very much on Literature rather than the emergent (!) Folk Revival. I love Faber Books in general for their classic design and would recommend The Faber Book of Popular Verse to any lover of Folk Song and Ballad; likewise, of course, The Faber Book of Ballads. A favourire recent find was Robert Graves' English and Scottish Ballads in its first (and only?) 1957 hardback edition which cost the pincely sum of £1 from a noted antiquarian bookseller in a picturesque town on the Lancashire coast. And a 60ukpennies who could resist the Dover Thrift edition of Child's Lord Randall and Other British Ballads (unabridged) which would have cost me 95p in 1996 (or $1 in USA). I love Dover books too. Do I mention Llanerch? Hmmmm - dodgy editions, but not without a certain charm; I have numerous volumes, including Roy Palmer's Book of British Ballads and The Nortumbrian Minstrelsy which I wouldn't have otherwise. Maybe my love of books is on a par with my love of ballads. But sometimes seeing a ballad outside of Child gives them a life that otherwise they wouldn't have. Like I say, just the idea that poetry lovers read Binnorie back in 1924 is very special to me, especially when that particular volume came from the bookshelf of a favourite aunt who to my certain knowledge never spoke the word Folk in her life... |