The Library Of Congress Archive Of Folk Culture: Anglo-American Ballads, Volume Two

Amazon.com Like its predecessor, Anglo-American Ballads, Volume Two presents oft-sung tunes as performed by unsung singers. Culled from the 1943 Library of Congress series Folk Music of the United States, these 10 antique tunes were gathered by a team of folklorists headed by Alan Lomax. The likes of Hazard, Kentucky’s Justus Begley and Salem, Virginia’s Mrs. Texas Gladden are hardly polished performers, but their naturalness adds character to these mournful ballads. Extensive liner notes, lyrics, and old photos add still greater appeal to this fascinating package. –Steven Stolder Product description In 1942, the Archive of Folk Song in the Library of Congress issued its first albums of recorded folk music, thereby making some of its rich collection of field recordings available to the public. Among those first releases was a sampler of Anglo-American Ballads, edited by pioneer collector Alan Lomax. One year later, Benjamin Botkin assembled this set as a successor to that initial offering. Included were such recorded treasures as “The Golden Willow Tree”, “The Two Sisters” and “Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender”. This album, unique for its time, still holds pleasures for the listener and is as fresh today, in this newly remastered version, as when it first appeared.