These old traditional songs are often called ballads.In the area of Norfolk there are some important ballad writers. They have been located at the Norwich Millenium library and at the Norfolk Rural Life Museum in Gressenhall. The majority of the Millenium library ballads were based on local or relatively local cases. Much of the material does not conform to the conventional single ballad form of printing but, most frequently, includes prose accounts - a clear if not a unique distinguishing mark for Norfolk issues. The earliest printings to be encountered in the Millenium collection come from Robert Lane who is of special interest since seems to have been an important figure in Norfolk ballad-printing terms. Specifically from Lane, in material connected with murder, there is The Trial and Execution of John Pycraft, date of 1819.Robert Walker is also an important figure in nineteenth century ballad-printing terms in Norwich.
The first principal news of Walker's activity comes in a known association with a Robert Lane.Francis James Child was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of folk songs known as the Child Ballads. In 1876 he began to work on them. The Child Ballads were published in five volumes between 1882 and 1898. They are a major contribution to the study of English-language folk music.In the following links you can find many folk songs divided by the country they belong to and arranged in chronological order. Also they include the lyrics and midi version:
Here we are going to focus on two songs: Scarborough Fair and Caledonia.
Scarborough Fair, whose author is unknown, comes from the XII century, and the name makes reference to one of the most important markets in medieval times. The lyrics of "Scarborough Fair" appear to have something in common with an obscure Scottish ballad, The Elfin Knight (Child Ballad #2), which has been traced at least as far back as 1670 and may well be earlier. It has been played by groups as Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan or Mago de Oz and it has appeared in the TV series Aguila Roja or the soundtrack of The Graduate.
Caledonia is a modern Scottish folk ballad written by Dougie MacLean and published in 1979. The term "Caledonia" itself is a Latin word for Scotland. Caledonia has been covered by several artists and its melody has also appeared in some films as in The Last of the Mohicans. Here we have the lyrics and some questions to answer:
CALEDONIA
I don’t know if you can see, The changes that have come over me In these last few days, I’ve been afraid that I might drift away
So I’ve been telling old stories, singing songs that make me think about where I came from
And that’s the reason why I seem So far away today
Chorus Oh but let me tell you that I love You That I think about you all the time Caledonia you’re calling me And now I’m going home
If I should become a stranger You know that it would make me More than sad Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had
Now I have moved And I’ve kept on moving Proved the points that I needed proving Lost the friends That I needed loosing Found others on the way
I have tried And I’ve kept on trying Stolen dreams, Yes, there’s no denying I have travelled hard Sometimes with conscience flying Somewhere in the wind
Chorus
Now I’m sitting here Before the fire The empty room The forest choir The flames that could not get any higher They’ve withered Now they’re gone
But I’m steady thinking My way is clear And I know what I will do tomorrow When the hands are shaken And the kisses flow Then I will disappear
Chorus
Questions:
1.- Is the person a man or a woman?
2.- What is his/her age?
3.- Who is Caledonia?
4.- Where does he/she live?
5.- Does he/she repent anything in his/her life?
6.- What does he/she think is going to happen to him/her?
TRADITIONAL ENGLISH SONGS
These old traditional songs are often called ballads.In the area of Norfolk there are some important ballad writers. They have been located at the Norwich Millenium library and at the Norfolk Rural Life Museum in Gressenhall. The majority of the Millenium library ballads were based on local or relatively local cases. Much of the material does not conform to the conventional single ballad form of printing but, most frequently, includes prose accounts - a clear if not a unique distinguishing mark for Norfolk issues. The earliest printings to be encountered in the Millenium collection come from Robert Lane who is of special interest since seems to have been an important figure in Norfolk ballad-printing terms. Specifically from Lane, in material connected with murder, there is The Trial and Execution of John Pycraft, date of 1819.Robert Walker is also an important figure in nineteenth century ballad-printing terms in Norwich.
The first principal news of Walker's activity comes in a known association with a Robert Lane.Francis James Child was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of folk songs known as the Child Ballads. In 1876 he began to work on them. The Child Ballads were published in five volumes between 1882 and 1898. They are a major contribution to the study of English-language folk music.In the following links you can find many folk songs divided by the country they belong to and arranged in chronological order. Also they include the lyrics and midi version:
http://www.contemplator.com/england/
http://www.contemplator.com/scotland/
http://www.contemplator.com/wales/
http://www.contemplator.com/ireland/
Here we are going to focus on two songs: Scarborough Fair and Caledonia.
Scarborough Fair, whose author is unknown, comes from the XII century, and the name makes reference to one of the most important markets in medieval times. The lyrics of "Scarborough Fair" appear to have something in common with an obscure Scottish ballad, The Elfin Knight (Child Ballad #2), which has been traced at least as far back as 1670 and may well be earlier. It has been played by groups as Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan or Mago de Oz and it has appeared in the TV series Aguila Roja or the soundtrack of The Graduate.
Caledonia is a modern Scottish folk ballad written by Dougie MacLean and published in 1979. The term "Caledonia" itself is a Latin word for Scotland. Caledonia has been covered by several artists and its melody has also appeared in some films as in The Last of the Mohicans. Here we have the lyrics and some questions to answer:
I don’t know if you can see,
The changes that have come over me
In these last few days,
I’ve been afraid
that I might drift away
So I’ve been telling old stories,
singing songs
that make me think
about where I came from
And that’s the reason
why I seem
So far away today
Chorus
Oh but let me tell you that I love You
That I think about you all the time
Caledonia you’re calling me
And now I’m going home
If I should become a stranger
You know that it would make me
More than sad
Caledonia’s been everything
I’ve ever had
Now I have moved
And I’ve kept on moving
Proved the points that I needed proving
Lost the friends
That I needed loosing
Found others on the way
I have tried
And I’ve kept on trying
Stolen dreams,
Yes, there’s no denying
I have travelled hard
Sometimes with conscience flying
Somewhere in the wind
Chorus
Now I’m sitting here
Before the fire
The empty room
The forest choir
The flames that could not get any higher
They’ve withered
Now they’re gone
But I’m steady thinking
My way is clear
And I know what I will do tomorrow
When the hands are shaken
And the kisses flow
Then I will disappear
Chorus
Questions:
1.- Is the person a man or a woman?
2.- What is his/her age?
3.- Who is Caledonia?
4.- Where does he/she live?
5.- Does he/she repent anything in his/her life?
6.- What does he/she think is going to happen to him/her?