Ballads offer one of the most fascinating and revealing records of humankind-their deepest feelings and most profound experiences, their laughter and joys, their troubles and sorrows. There is no battle, no romance, no escapade, no tragedy recorded in song which is not rich both in historical significance and in contemporary experience. A ballad is a link with past generations, traditions, and the basic character traits of a people, a region, or a country. The associations formed, the recollections stirred make the study of this form of music a rewarding experience.


Ancient Ballads Traditionally Sung in New England is complied an edited from the Helen Harness Flanders Ballad Collection at Middlebury College. The texts of the ballads are printed and their tunes set exactly as the singers gave then in the original form, with succinct and accurate notes to reach. This rich collection contains nearly all the traditional ballads of America, many of them in multiple versions. Volume III contains Child ballads 95-243 from the numbered Francis James Child Collection.