> Folk Music > Books > Francis James Child: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Francis James Child
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898)

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Volume 1

Francis James Child,
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads
in five volumes
New York: Dover, 1965.
Northfield: Loomis House Press, 2001-2011.

Other books of (mostly) Child Ballads

The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads Volume 1

Bertrand Harris Bronson,
The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads
in four volumes.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1959,
Northfield: Loomis House Press, 2009.

James Kinsley: The Oxford Book of Ballads

James Kinsley (editor),
The Oxford Book of Ballads.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1969,
ISBN 19 812133 4

John Jacob Niles: The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles (University Press of Kentucky ISBN 978-0813109879)

John Jacob Niles
The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles.
Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2000
ISBN 978-0813109879

Albums of (mostly) Child Ballads

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume I (Riverside RLP 12-621/622) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 1 (Washington WLP 715) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 2 (Washington WLP 716) 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 (Riverside RLP 623) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 3 (Washington WLP 717) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 4 (Washington WLP 718) —, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume II, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-623/624, 1956

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume III (Riverside RLP 12-625/626) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 5 (Washington WLP 719) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 6 (Washington WLP 720) —, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume III, 2 LP, Riverside RLP 12-625/626, 1956

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume IV (Riverside RLP 627) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 7 (Washington WLP 721) The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume 8 (Washington WLP 722) —, 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

Jean Ritchie: British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 1 (Folkways FA 2301) Jean Ritchie, British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 1, LP, Folkways FA 2301, 1960

Jean Ritchie: British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 2 (Folkways FA 2302) —, British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 2, LP, Folkways FA 2302, 1960

The Child Ballads 1 (Topic 12T160) The Child Ballads 1 (Topic 12T160) The Child Ballads 1 (Topic 12T160) Classic Ballads  of Britain and Ireland Volume 1 (Rounder 11661-1775-2) Various Artists: The Child Ballads 1 (The Folk Songs of Britain Vol. 4), LP, Caedmon TC1145, 1961; Topic 12T160, 1968; CD, Rounder 1775, 2000

The Child Ballads 2 (Caedmon TC1146) The Child Ballads 2 (Topic 12T161) The Child Ballads 2 (Topic 12T161) Classic Ballads  of Britain and Ireland Volume 2 (Rounder 11661-1776-2) 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 (Folkways FG 3519) 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 (Folkways FG 3509) 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 (Folkways FG 3510) —, 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 (Folkways FG 3511) —, 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 (Topic 12T103) A.L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, English and Scottish Folk Ballads, LP, Topic 12T103, 1964

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

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 1 (Blackthorne ESB79) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 1 (Blackthorne CD79) 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 (Blackthorne ESB80) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 2 (Blackthorne CD80) —, Blood & Roses Volume 2, LP, Blackthorne ESB 80, 1982; Camsco Blackthorn CD 80; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 3 (Blackthorne ESB81) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 3 (Blackthorne CD81) —, Blood & Roses Volume 3, LP, Blackthorne ESB 81, 1982; Camsco Blackthorn CD 81; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 4 (Blackthorne ESB82) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 4 (Blackthorne CD82) —, Blood & Roses Volume 4, LP, Blackthorne ESB 82, 1986; Camsco Blackthorn CD 82; 2006

Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 5 (Blackthorne ESB83) Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger: Blood & Roses Volume 5 (Blackthorne CD83) —, Blood & Roses Volume 5, LP, Blackthorne ESB 83, 1986; Camsco Blackthorn CD 83; 2006

Various Artists: Early Ballads in Ireland 1968-1985 (An Goílín 007-8) Various Artists: Early Ballads in Ireland 1968-1985, 2 cassettes, 1985; 2 CD, An Goílín 007-8, 2015

Ballads (Fellside FECD110) Various Artists: Ballads, CD, Fellside FECD110, 1997

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

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

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

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

A.L. Lloyd: Bramble Briars and Beams of the Sun (Fellside FECD219) 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 Lloyd and MacColl’s 1956 Riverside albums.

Rosaleen Gregory: Sheath and Knife Rosaleen Gregory, Sheath and Knife, CD, Rosaleen Gregory, 2012

Rosaleen Gregory: Serpent’s Knee Rosaleen Gregory, Serpent’s Knee, CD, Rosaleen Gregory, 2013

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

Helen Lindley: Awakening the Lady (Helen Lindley) Helen Lindley, Awakening the Lady, DL EP, Helen Lindley, 3 November 2023

Texts

There used to be texts for a few Child Ballads in this place but there is not much sense in doubling the work that has been done on the net in several places. I have replaced them with links to Wikisource in the head of the individual song pages, see e.g. Child 1, Riddles Wisely Expounded.

Links