The Child Ballads

[Tragic_Comedian]

Does anyone know where I can find a set of the complete Child Ballads that includes the music? Thanks in advance.

Oh, and if you happen to like folk music, you can talk about the Child Ballads here as well.

[Hazkali]

Here (http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/) are all of the lyrics, but no music to accompany them. It's possible there are no 'official' melodies- folk music isn't something that is really set in stone, despite what some academics would like to think.

I personally love modern folk interpretations of Child ballads- Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span do some quite powerful renditions, if the folk-rock is your slant.

[Jorkens]

Here (http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/) are all of the lyrics, but no music to accompany them. It's possible there are no 'official' melodies- folk music isn't something that is really set in stone, despite what some academics would like to think.

I personally love modern folk interpretations of Child ballads- Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span do some quite powerful renditions, if the folk-rock is your slant.
Quite a lot of "oh so that's where that came from" moments in there.

Relatedly: "Things I’ve learned from British folk ballads" (http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/006448.html)

[dish]

Quite a lot of "oh so that's where that came from" moments in there.

Relatedly: "Things I’ve learned from British folk ballads" (http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/006448.html)

I absolutely adored that Making Light thread. (Sent it to my sister, whose name is Janet, with orders for her to change it immediately.) Thank you for reminding me of that.

[Closet_Skeleton]

I personally love modern folk interpretations of Child ballads- Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span do some quite powerful renditions, if the folk-rock is your slant.

Incidently, those are the two folk rock bands I find tame and boring.

[Jorkens]

Incidently, those are the two folk rock bands I find tame and boring.
Who do you prefer?

I mostly listen to folk that's free from this newfangled 'rock' nonsense (:smallbiggrin:) but I am rather partial to a bit of Liege and Lief...

[Tragic_Comedian]

Quite a lot of "oh so that's where that came from" moments in there.

Relatedly: "Things I’ve learned from British folk ballads" (http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/006448.html)

Oh my, I love that site.

[ZombieRockStar]

It's possible there are no 'official' melodies- folk music isn't something that is really set in stone, despite what some academics would like to think.

This is close to the truth. Take, for instance, the ballad of "The Cruel Sister." I've heard several distinct melodies for it (Pentangle does my favourite version). For folk songs, mostly what happens is that melodies get re-written, or changed over time, but then a melody or two hooks into the public consciousness and becomes standard. But not always. For the Child ballads, the melodies seem to mostly be lost to obscurity and I think the only way you can find one out is by being taught it by an old, blind, Welsh guy who was taught it by another old, blind, Welsh guy, who was taught it...&c. :smalltongue:

The Child Ballads, as a published book, have no "music," I don't think. They were just attempts to write them down to preserve the stories. Fortunately, they're really easy to write a simple folk tune for, since they have a pretty simple cadence to them.

[Hazkali]

Incidently, those are the two folk rock bands I find tame and boring.

Each to their own, I suppose, but who would you recommend? I'm up for anything (and if there's a song on YouTube, then I have utterly no reason not to).