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The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 2 - Child Ballads

Ewan MacColl
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads: Vol. 2 - Child Ballads

The “Child Ballads” are a large collection of 305 songs from England and Scotland compiled by Francis James Child in the late 19th century. Here, Ewan MacColl presents 14 of these songs, sung without accompaniment. MacColl explains the notion of the ballad: “Defined in its simplest terms, the ballad is a folksong that tells a story … is always narrative, and is always learned from the lips of others rather than by reading.” The songs presented here all detail historical events from Scotland and England. It is appropriate then that they are sung by MacColl who himself played a role in English history through his affiliation to the communist parties of the 1930’s which hindered his musical career at the time. His roots in the laboring class add authenticity to the concept of the ballad which grew out of the “popular” lower classes. Liner notes include some song information and lyrics.

Track Listing

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101
The Beggar Man - Child Appendix 279 Ewan MacColl 06:06
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102
Lord Gregory - The Lass of Roch Royal - Child 76 Ewan MacColl 05:48
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103
Young Beichan - Child 53 Ewan MacColl 08:48
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104
Glasgow Peggy - Child 228 Ewan MacColl 02:57
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105
Amang the Blue Flowers and the Yellow - Willie's Lyke-Wake Ewan MacColl 02:24
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106
Bessie Bell and Mary Grey - Child 201 Ewan MacColl 00:53
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201
The Bonnie House O' Airlie - Child 199 Ewan MacColl 04:50
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202
Captain Ward and the Rainbow - Child 287 Ewan MacColl 01:53
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203
The Gypsy Laddie - Child 200 Ewan MacColl 03:05
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204
The Broomfield Hill - Child 43 Ewan MacColl 03:17
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205
Hughie Graeme - Child 191 Ewan MacColl 04:07
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206
Geordie - Child 209 Ewan MacColl 04:43
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207
Proud Lady Margaret - Child 47 Ewan MacColl 02:14
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208
The Sweet Kumadee - The Sweet Trinity - Child 286 Ewan MacColl 04:42