Mary Smith - Singer of Traditional Songs

There are a lot of definitions and nuances as to what constitutes "folk music" but it is generally accepted that traditional folk music is made up of tunes or songs  that have no known author, and have been passed on informally through several generations.  I suppose there is some gray area there too - what about O'Carolan, Robert Burns...Stephen Foster???  I'll leave those arguments to folks who want to debate the issue !

The Child Ballads form the core of my repertoire, and I am always amazed at how many different versions there are of these timeless songs that all tell stories of days gone by.  No matter how many times I hear them, they never lose their impact.  The Child Ballads are a collection of 305 ballads from Britain, along with their American variants.  They were compiled by Professor Francis Child of Harvard University, and published (in five volumes) between 1882 and 1898.   Here are a few examples of my interpretations of Child Ballads:

Geordie (Child Ballad # 209) : Harsh injustice is the theme of this ballad.  Geordie is to be executed for poaching the King's deer.  His wife begs the court to spare him, but to no avail.  Geordie defiantly admits what he had done, is sentenced, and hung "from a golden chain".  The earliest known appearance of this ballad is 1792, but it may be much older. 

The Dowie Dens of Yarrow (Child Ballad #214):  This is a "Border Ballad".  The Scottish Border region was a rich source of balladry, and many of these ballads were dark and violent - reflecting the turbulence of the area which was so often a battleground between the English and the Scots.  The earliest known reference to this ballad was 1798, although as in the case of Geordie, it may be much older.  The plot involves a lady who falls in love with a man below her station.  Her family does not approve, and he is murdered by her brothers.  It reminds us that in the past, marriage was not about love, but about property, and women were often given little choice in the matter.

There is something about a traditional song or tune, or one that, if not strictly traditional, is very grounded in the tradition - that has a different "feel" or substance from a modern composition.   We might use the analogy of antique jewelry as opposed to sleeker, more modern jewelry.  When I hold an old ring, for example, I can 'feel' that there is more to it than just the metal and stone.  The ring has a history - it has been worn, loved, cherished, given away, received...It may have been a source of strife - greed, envy, thievery, or a symbol of great love.   Who might have worn the ring?   What stories could it tell, if it could talk?   Has it been passed down lovingly from mother to daughter to grand daughter?  Or perhaps it has a more racy history?  A gift from an ardent suitor to his flamboyant mistress?    Where did it come from?  Was it carried tucked away in a hidden pocket, by someone who sailed to a new land, as a remembrance of a lost love?  Was it one of the many baubles lost to highwaymen or pickpockets?   Where was it made, and who commissioned it?

In much the same way, when we play, sing, or listen to a traditional song, if we use our imaginations there is more to it than the words and tune.  It is even more interesting if we DO know a bit about the origins of the piece, and there are many places now on the internet (check my Links section) where we can obtain information and listen to field recordings that previously were only available in libraries or specialized collections.   The very technology that changed the landscape of traditional music (not many people gather on the front porch to sing old songs anymore - they're more likely to be sitting in the living room watching their big screen televisions!) has made it more accessible than ever.  The global 'Folk Community' now meets, discusses and even swaps songs on the internet!  Likewise, obscure recordings can be ordered with ease from specialized on-line CD shops, so if we so desire, we have more folk music available to us than ever before.