minstrel: Child's Ballads

[david ball]

A belated thank you to all who offered help and information. I am really 
still at the stumbling about in the dark stage of my learning of period 
music. It is a shame that the Child books are not more easily available. I 
heard rumors that a "facsimile" copy was available somewhere. Does anyone 
know what the copyright implications would be to buying such a copy, and 
then typing it into a CD/computer version? It would be nice to have the 
option of hearing some of the 100 tunes while reading the words. Similar 
work is being done with sword manuals on another group I belong to. Anyone 
know where I can get such a facsimile version? Could I copy a later print 
version as the words are from the older edition?

David Falcone


>From: "Lisa and Ken Theriot" <lnktheriot at cox.net>
>To: <minstrel at pbm.com>
>Subject: Re:minstrel: Child's Ballads
>Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 18:52:17 -0400
>
>David wrote:
>
>[I've been looking for the "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads" in
>
>print.]
>
>Sorry, it ain't.
>
>
>[ The original had at least 5 volumes (perhaps 7). All I can find is
>one volume versions that do not have the full content of the original.]
>
>
>The original printing was 8 volumes of odd sizes; it was reprinted as 5
>volumes, and it really isn't missing much.  I have a lovely
>leather-bound 5-volume set that I got off eBay.  They turn up on the
>auction sites as well as used book sites periodically, but I will not
>kid you, be prepared to pay dearly for them.  The Dover soft covers will
>run you $200 and hard covers even more.  I heartily recommend your
>nearest University library, which probably owns a set.  There's so much
>material that you can't use it all at once anyway...  The single volume
>edited by George Lyman Kittridge is an affordable starting point, too.
>There's a copy up right now at eBay:
>
>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=885936886
>
>It's way overpriced, though it does seem to be in nice condition.  These
>come up on eBay regularly, and you can get one for $10-$12 if you're
>patient.
>
>
>[Loomis House press (link below) is offering volume 1, with intentions
>of
>publishing the rest someday.]
>
>By the time the last volume is published, the first will be
>out-of-print; that's what happened to the definitive version of the
>melodies of the Child Ballads published by B. Bronson.  He did four
>massive volumes (of which, sadly, I own only Volume IV, and it makes me
>slaver my fangs after the other three), published piecemeal, and it was
>so hard to get them together he finally did a single volume which is the
>one you normally see as _The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads_.
>
>
>[Anyone have recommendations on what edition by whom and where to get it
>that would be most useful for a non-music scholar?]
>
>
>As there is NO MUSIC in Child at all, music scholarship doesn't enter
>into it.  For tunes, you need Bronson.  As far as study goes, Child's
>discussion is pretty accessible.  I also recommend checking your library
>for _The Ballad Book_ edited by MacEdward Leach (beware, there's a 200
>page version which is useless; the version you want is 800+ pages).  If
>you lean towards the Scottish side of the house, there are more helpful
>volumes; if you're interested, contact me offlist.
>
>
>[I don't suppose someone did a good audio version of all 360 songs?]
>
>What would happen to man's search for knowledge?
>
>Seriously, since Bronson has in some cases more than 100 tunes PER
>ballad, that would be some task.  Ewan McColl did an excellent series
>back in the sixties, but they're hard to find.  Again, check your
>library.  Joan Baez's "Ballad Book" is pretty much Victorian versions
>and tunes; some of McColl's are older.  Get a copy of Bronson (good luck
>there, too) and buy a nice dinner for someone who reads music and get
>them to play some of the tunes into a tape machine for you.
>
>
>Where are you located?
>
>
>Adelaide
>
>
>
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