Song Books

General Antholgies

Books of folk songs can be comprehensive anthologies of songs from a region, from a country, or a nation. Three important ones published in the early part of the current revival are:

• The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, A L Loyd and Ralph Vaughan Williams, several editions from 1959 onwards, Penguin Books. One hundred songs selected from The Journal of the Folk-Song Society, with music, and the book most favoured by singers in the 60s revival as a source of songs.

• The Singing Island, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, 1960, Mills Books. Another great favourite in the early revival. Mostly traditional songs, arranged by theme, and with music.

• Folk Songs of Great Britain and Ireland, Peter Kennedy, 1975, Cassell. Again the songs are arranged by theme, largely using versions collected by Kennedy himself. Has music, and copious notes on each song, with useful references to other versions.

Specific Subjects

• Come All you Bold Miners, A L Lloyd, second edition 1978, Laurence and Wishart

• A Taste of Ale, Roy Palmer, 2000, Green Branch, Lechlade

• The Rambling Soldier, Roy Palmer, 1977, Peacock Books

• Songs and Music of The Redcoats (1642 - 1902), Lewis Winstock, 1970, Leo Cooper Ltd

• One Hundred Songs of Toil, Karl Dallas, 1974, Wolfe

• Shanties from the Seven Seas, Stan Hugill, 1961, Routledge & Kegan Paul

Collections

Books which concentrate on the songs collected by one or two collectors.

• The Folk Song Collection of Cecil Sharp, Maud Karpeles, 1975, Oxford University Press. About two thirds of the songs and tunes collected in England in the early 1900s by the most prolific collector, in their original form. In two volumes, but difficult to find outside University libraries.

• The Greig Duncan Folk Song Collection, Pat Shuldham Shaw, Emily B. Lyle and others, 1981-2002, Aberdeen University Press and Mercat Press. The entire collection of the two Scots collectors Gavin Greig and John Duncan collecting in Aberdeenshire at the same time as Sharp. Not only as originally collected, but has a fascimile of the music. In eight volumes.

• Marrow Bones, The Wanton Seed, The Constant Lovers, and The Foggy Dew, Frank Purslow, 1965 to 1973, EFDS Publications Ltd. A series of small books with a selection of songs from the collections of Henry Hammond and George Gardiner, who collected mainly in Dorset and Hampshire respectively, again in the early 1900s. Minor editing of some songs.