The Folk Handbook is the most comprehensive book of English folk songs for half a century. It includes words and musical notation for 87 songs collected from singers in the early years of the 20^th century or more recently from unaccompanied singers in the same tradition.

The songs have been selected by Malcolm Taylor and David Atkinson of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, with annotations by David Atkinson, and are based on the original handwritten field notes of collectors such as Cecil Sharp, working at the beginning of the 20^th century.

The Folk Story

1. An Introduction to Folk
   by Vic Gammon
2. Folk Portraits
   by John Morrish
3. Folk and the English
   by John Morrish
4. English Folk Song in America
   by Stephanie Smith
5. The Folk Revivals
   by Mark Brend
6. Folk in Britain Today
   by Nigel Williamson
7. Folk in America Today
   by David Sheppard
8. The Music of English Folk Song
   by Rikky Rooksby
9. Working With Folk Song
   by Martin Carthy

The Folk Songbook

Selected by Malcolm Taylor, David Atkinson and John Howson;
Annotated by David Atkinson

The songs are referenced by page numbers.

Songs of Death

70. Death and the Lady (Roud 1031)
72. The Death of Queen Jane (Roud 77; Child 170; G/D 3:693)
74. Geordie (Roud 90; Child 209; G/D 2:249)
76. George Collins (Giles Collins) (Roud 147; Child 42, 85)
78. Rosin the Beau (Roud 1192; G/D 3:698; Henry H698)
80. The Trees They Do Grow High (The Trees They Grow So High) (Roud 31; Laws O35; G/D 6:1222)
82. The Unfortunate Rake (The Unfortunate Lad) (Roud 2; Laws Q26/B1; G/D 7:1404; Henry H680)
86. The Unquiet Grave (Cold Blows the Wind) (Roud 51; Child 78)
88. What Is the Life of a Man? (The Fall of the Leaf) (Roud 848)

Songs of Drinking

92. All for Me Grog (The Nobby Hat) (Roud 475; G/D 3:580)
94. The Barley Mow (Roud 944, 10722)
97. Drink Old England Dry (Roud 882)
99. Fathom the Bowl (Roud 880)
101. Good Ale (Home Brewed Ale) (Roud 203; G/D 3:590)
103. John Barleycorn (Roud 164; G/D 3:559)
106. When Jones’s Ale Was New (When Joan’s Ale Was New) (Roud 139; G/D 3:561)

Songs of Love

110. The Banks of Sweet Primroses (Roud 586; G/D 8:1841)
112. Barbara Allen (Roud 54; Child 84; G/D 6:1193; Henry H236)
114. A Blacksmith Courted Me (Roud 816)
117. The Bold Fisherman (Roud 291; Laws O24; G/D 4:834)
119. The Bonny Labouring Boy (Roud 1162; Laws M14; Henry H576)
121. Claudy Banks (Roud 266; Laws N40; G/D 5:1036; Henry H5, H693)
123. Come Write Me Down (Roud 381; G/D 5:980)
125. The Daemon Lover (Well Met, Well Met My Own True Love) (Roud 14; Child 243; G/D 2:332)
128. The Dark-Eyed Sailor (Fair Phoebe and Her Sailor) (Roud 265; Laws N35; G/D 5:1037; Henry H232)
130. The Drowned Lover (Roud 185; Laws K18; G/D 1:20; TYG 7)
132. Green Bushes (Roud 1040; Laws P2; Henry H143)
134. The Grey Cock (The Lover’s Ghost, The Time Is Come) (Roud 179; Child 248)
136. The Gypsy Laddie (The Draggletail Gypsies) (Roud 1; Child 200; G/D 2:278; Henry H124)
138. Hear the Nightingale Sing (The Grenadier) (Roud 140; Laws P14; TYG 34)
140. The Keys of Canterbury (Madam I Will Give to Thee) (Roud 573)
142. Pleasant and Delightful (Roud 660; Laws O30; TYG 51)
145. Seventeen Come Sunday (Sixteen Come Sunday) (Roud 277; Laws O17; G/D 4:791; Henry H152)

Songs of Murder

148. Banks of Green Willow (Roud 172; Child 24; G/D 6:1225)
150. Bruton Town (Roud 18; Laws M32)
152. The Constant Farmer’s Son (Roud 675; Laws M33; G/D 2:221; Henry H806)
154. The Cruel Ship’s Carpenter (Roud 15; Laws P36A; G/D 2:201, 2:202)
156. Lamkin (Lankin) (Roud 6; Child 93; G/D 2:187; Henry H735)
158. Lord Randal (Lord Rendle) (Roud 10; Child 12; G/D 2:209; Henry H814)
161. Poison in a Glass of Wine (Oxford City) (Roud 218; Laws P30; G/D 2:210)
163. The Three Butchers (Jovial Butchers) (Roud 17; Laws L4; G/D 2:186; Henry H185)
165. The Wexford Girl (The Miller’s Apprentice) (Roud 263; Laws P35; G/D 2:200)

Songs of Sailors and the Sea

168. Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy (Roud 165)
170. Admiral Benbow (Roud 227)
172. The Bold Princess Royal (Princess Royal) (Roud 528; Laws K29; G/D 1:47)
174. Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold (Roud 553; Laws N17; G/D 1:176)
176. The Female Cabin Boy (Roud 239; Laws N13; G/D 1:181)
178. The Golden Vanity (Roud 122; Child 286; G/D 1:37)
181. The Greenland Whale Fishery (Roud 347; Laws K21; G/D 1:9)
183. Henry Martin (Roud 104; Child 250)
185. The Loss of the Ramillies (The Ram-Be-Lay) (Roud 523; Laws K1; G/D 1:28)
187. The Mermaid (Roud 124; Child 289; G/D 1:27)
189. Spanish Ladies (Farewell and Adieu to You Spanish Ladies) (Roud 687)

Songs of Sex and Seduction

192. The Bedmaking (My Mother Sent Me to Service) (Roud 1631)
194. The Crabfish (Tom Doddler) (Roud 149)
196. The Cunning Cobbler (The Cobbler and the Butcher) (Roud 174)
200. The Game of All Fours (The Pack of Cards) (Roud 232)
202. The Molecatcher (Roud 1052)
204. My Husband’s Got No Courage in Him (Oh Dear No) (Roud 870; G/D 7:1367)
206. The Nutting Girl (Roud 509; G/D 7:1475)
208. The Thrashing Machine (Roud 1491)

Songs of Trickery and Outwitting

212. The Baffled Knight (New Mown Hay) (Roud 11; Child 112; G/D 2:301)
214. Bonny Kate (Roud 1633)
216. The Broomfield Wager (Broomfield Hill) (Roud 34; Child 43; G/D 2:322; Henry H135)
220. The Farmer’s Curst Wife (Devil and Farmer) (Roud 160; Child 278; G/D 2:320)
222. The Gypsy Lass (Roud 229; Laws O4)
224. The Highwayman Outwitted (Roud 2638; Laws L2)
226. Marrow Bones (There Was an Old Woman, The Rich Old Lady) (Roud 183; Laws Q2; G/D 2:318; Henry H174; TYG 6)
228. The Outlandish Knight (Roud 21; Child 4; G/D 2:225; Henry H163)
232. The Oyster Girl (Roud 875; Laws Q13; G/D 2:304; Henry H725)
234. The Poor Old Couple (“Cleverly Done,” Said He) (Roud 491)
236. Scarborough Fair (The Lover’s Tasks) (Roud 12; Child 2; G/D 2:329)

Songs of War and Army Life

240. Bold General Wolfe (Roud 624)
242. The Bonny Bunch of Roses (Roud 664; Laws J5; G/D 1:155)
245. The Bonny Light Horseman (Roud 1185; G/D 8:1584; Henry H122a)
247. The Deserter (Roud 493; G/D 1:83)
249. The Duke of Marlborough (Marlborough) (Roud 233)
251. The Grand Conversation on Napoleon (Roud 1189)
254. Muddley Barracks (Bungy Roger) (Roud 1735)

Songs of Work and Protest

258. Adieu to Old England (Roud 1703; G/D 6:1083)
260. All Jolly Fellows That Follow the Plough (Roud 346; G/D 3:418)
262. The Gallant Poacher (Roud 793; Laws L14)
265. The Husbandman and the Servingman (Servingman and Husbandman) (Roud 873)
268. The Painful Plough (Roud 355; G/D 3:448)
270. The Rambling Blade (Roud 490; Laws L12; G/D 2:260; Henry H691)
272. Van Diemen’s Land (Roud 519; Laws L18; G/D 2:252)
274. Virginia (Roud 1488)

CD Tracks

1. Harry Chambers: The Barley Mow (Roud 944) (2.32)
2. Will Noble & John Cocking: Drink Old England Dry (Roud 882) (3.31)
3. Tom Smith: John Barleycorn (Roud 164; G/D 3:559) (3.16)
4. Vic Legg: The Banks of Sweet Primroses (Roud 586; G/D 8:1841) (3.03)
5. Vic Legg: Barbara Allen (Roud 54; Child 84; G/D 6:1193; Henry H236) (4.00)
6. Tommy Morrissey & Charlie Pitman: Pleasant and Delightful (Roud 660; Laws O30; TYG 51) (4.02)
7. Jean Orchard: Sixteen Come Sunday (Roud 277; Laws O17; G/D 4:791; Henry H152) (4.21)
8. Charlie Stringer: Tommy Doddler (The Crabfish) (Roud 149) (1.04)
9. Gordon Hall: Broomfield Hill (Roud 34; Child 43; G/D 2:322; Henry H135) (10.30)
10. Vic Legg: The Outlandish Knight (Roud 21; Child 4; G/D 2:225; Henry H163) (3.13)
11. Manny Aldous: “Cleverly Done,” Said He (The Poor Old Couple) (Roud 491) (3.43)
12. Gordon Hall: The Grand Conversation on Napoleon (Roud 1189) (5.44)
13. Charlie Hancy: Bungay Roger (Roud 1735) (2.40)
14. Walter Pardon: The Rambling Blade (Roud 490; Laws L12; G/D 2:260; Henry H691) (3.26)

Tracks 1, 3, 13 are from Songs Sung in Suffolk (Veteran VTC2CD, 2000);
Track 2 is from Yon Green Banks (Veteran VT147CD, 2004);
Tracks 4-5, 10 are from I’ve Come to Sing a Song (Veteran VT129CD, 2000);
Track 6 is from Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh and All (Veteran VTC9CD, 2004);
Track 7 is from Holsworthy Fair (Veteran VT151CD, 2005);
Track 8 is from Who Owns the Game? (Veteran VT130CD, 2001);
Tracks 9, 12 is from When the May Is All in Bloom (Veteran VT131CD, 1995);
Track 11 is from Stepping It Out! (Veteran VTC1CD, 1993);
Track 14 is previously unpublished

A CD of modern recordings of traditional English songs to accompany The Folk Handbook.

Tracks 1, 5, 10-13, 15 were especially recorded for this CD.

Tracks

1. Lucy Wainwright Roche: Barbara Allen (Roud 54; Child 84; G/D 6:1193; Henry H236) (3.07)
2. The Devil’s Interval: Long Lankin (Roud 6; Child 93; G/D 2:187; Henry H735) (5.20)
   from Blood and Honey (WildGoose WGS335CD, 2006)
3. Madeleine Worral & The Green House Band: Geordie (Roud 90; Child 209; G/D 2:249) (4.17)
4. James Raynard: The Outlandish Knight (Roud 21; Child 4; G/D 2:225; Henry H163) (7.56)
   from Strange Histories (One little Indian TPLP 487CD, 2005)
5. Noel Harrison: O Pleasant and Delightful (Roud 660; Laws O30; TYG 51) (3.36)
6. Julie Murphy: Oxford City / Poison in a Glass of Wine (Roud 218; Laws P30; G/D 2:210) (4.02)
7. Lisa Knapp: A Blacksmith Courted Me (Roud 816) (5.35)
   from Wild and Undaunted (Ear to the Ground ETTGCD 001, 2007)
8. Barry Dransfield: John Barleycorn (Roud 164; G/D 3:559) (3.21)
   from Be Your Own Man (Rhiannon RHYD5003, 1994)
9. James Yorkston & The Athletes: Edward (Roud 200; Child 13; TYG 35) (6.10)
10. Michael Weston King: What Is the Life of a Man? (Roud 848) (4.44)
11. Robin & Bina Williamson: The Little Gypsy Girl (Roud 229; Laws O4) (4.23)
12. Sabbath Folk: The Bonny Labouring Boy (Roud 1162; Laws M14; Henry H576) (4.19)
13. Serafina Steer: Come Write Me Down (Roud 381; G/D 5:980) (2.00)
14. Circulus: The Unquiet Grave (Roud 51; Child 78) (4.03)
15. Tom Paxton: The Banks of Sweet Primroses (Roud 586; G/D 8:1841) (2.59)
16. Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle: The Broomfield Wager (Roud 34; Child 43; G/D 2:322; Henry H135) (7.49)
17. Shirley Collins: Adieu to Old England (Roud 1703) (2.00)
    from Adieu to Old England (Topic 12TS328, 1974)