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British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 1

Jean Ritchie
British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, Volume 1

Ten years after British scholar Cecil J. Sharp declared the traditional English ballad a "moribund" art form, he discovered a rich and thriving tradition of ballad-singing in America's southern Appalachian Mountains. Jean Ritchie, a tradition-bearer from Appalachian Kentucky, shares some of her favorite "story songs" of murder and romance. "Hangman" and "Old Bangum" feature the Appalachian dulcimer, a type of fretted zither unique to the region. Liner notes include an introduction by Ritchie, notes by Kenneth J. Goldstein, a bibliography on the ballads collected by Francis Child, and historical information and lyrics for each song.

Track Listing

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101
Gypsy Laddie (Gypsy Davy)* Jean Ritchie 02:50
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102
False Sir John Jean Ritchie 04:22
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103
Hangman (The Maid Freed from the Gallows) Jean Ritchie 02:01
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104
Lord Bateman Jean Ritchie 06:05
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105
House Carpenter Jean Ritchie 04:22
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106
Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender Jean Ritchie 05:30
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201
The Merry Golden Tree (Golden Vanity) Jean Ritchie 02:11
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202
Lord Lovel Jean Ritchie 04:44
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203
Old Bangum Jean Ritchie 01:55
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204
Barbara Allen Jean Ritchie 05:04
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205
Fair Annie of Lochroyan Jean Ritchie 09:07