502 - THE BAFFLED KNIGHT

CLASSIC BALLADS 2 (#85-#217)

Selected recordings, with variants, of 24 of those included in Prof Francis J. Child's ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH POPULAR BALLADS. This is the second of 3 albums, going from #85, GEORGE COLLINS sung unaccompanied by Enos White to #216 CLYDESWATERSIDE by Scots balladsinger, John Strachan. Some ballads have just one version, while THE GYPSY LADDIE (#200) has 11 variants. Included are some outstanding performers from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. From Orkney comes THE GREAT SILKIE (#113) and from a Dorset gypsy & an Aberdeen tinker: THE FAMOUS FLOWER OF SERVANTMEN (#106).

1. GEORGE COLLINS [#85] - Enos White, Axford, Hampsh 1955 - 2'37"

2. THE LOWLANDS OF HOLLAND [App.#92] - (a) Duncan Burke, Perth 1955 - (b) Brigid Tunney, Belleek, Co Fermanagh 1952 - 3'51"

3. FALSE LANKIN [#93] - George Fosbury, Axford, Hampsh 1955 - 3'15

4. THE MAID FREED FROM THE GALLOWS [95] - (a) "The Prickly Bush" Sarah Anne Tuck & Julia Scaddon (daughter), Chideock, Dorset 1952 - (b) "The Pricketty Bush" Charlie Lucas with village chorus, Sixpenny Handley, Wiltsh 1950 - 3'00"

5. JOHN BARLOW (WILLIE O' WINSBURY) [#100] - Robert Cinnamond, Belfast 1955 - 5'29"

6. THE BAILIFF'S DAUGHTER OF ISLINGTON [#105] - Albert Beale, Kenardington, Ashford, Kent 1952 - 1'38"

7. THE FAMOUS FLOWER OF SERVANT MEN [#106] - (a) Carolyne Hughes (gipsy), Blandford, Dorset 1968 - (b) Belle Stewart, Blairgowrie, Perthsh 1955 - 3'02"

8. THE KNIGHT AND THE SHEPHERD'S DAUGHTER [#110] - alternating - (a) "The Royal Forester" John Strachan, Fyvie, Aberdeensh 1951 - (b) "The Shepherd's Daughter" Louise Holmes, Dinedor, Hereford 1952 - 5'38"

9. THE BAFFLED KNIGHT [#112] - Emily Bishop, Bromsberrow Heath, Herefordsh 1952 - 1'45"

10. THE GREAT SILKIE OF SULE SKERRY [#113] - John Sinclair, Flotta, Orkney 1964 - 3'10"

11. JOHNIE COCK [#114] - Jeannie Robertson, Aberdeen - 6'43"

12. ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN [#125] - John Strachan - 0'41"

13. THE JEW'S DAUGHTER [#155] - (a) Carolyne Hughes - (b) Cecilia Costello, Birmingham - 1'53"

14. THE BATTLE OF HARLAW [#163] - alternating - (a) Jeannie Robertson - (b) Lucy Stewart, Fetterangus, Aberdeensh 1955 - 4'24"

15. MARY HAMILTON [#173] - "The Four Maries" Ethel Findlater with her husband & daughter, Dounby, Orkney 1954 - 2'46"

16. THE BONNIE HOOSE O' AIRLIE [#199] - alternating (a) Lucy Stewart & (b) Belle Stewart - 4'49"

17. THE GYPSY LADDIE [#200] - Composite - (a) Robert Cinnamond, Belfast - (b) "Seven Little Gypsies" Paddy Doran (Waterford tinker) Belfast - (c) "The Three Gypsies" Jeannie Robertson - (d) "Lord Castle's Lady" Willie Mathieson, Turriff, Aberdeensh - (e) Harry Cox, Yarmouth, Norfolk - (f) "Daggle-tailed Gypsies-o" Bert Wiltshire, Bampton, Oxford - (g) "Treble-tailed gypsies-o" Dicky Lashbrook (travelling chimney sweep), Kelly, Devon - (h) Willie Mathieson, Turriff, Aberdeensh - (i) Christy Purcell (Wexford tinker), Belfast - (j) Paddy Doran again - (k) Carolyne Hughes (l) Dicky Lashbrook again - (m) Jeannie Robertson again - 5'27"

18. THE BARON O' BRACKLEY [#203] - Henry McGregor, Perth - 1'30"

19. GEORDIE [#209] - Composite - (a) "George Oxbury" Alec Bloomfield, Benhall, Suffolk 1950 - (b) "Georgie" Harry Cox, Catfield, Norfolk 1953 - (c) "My Jersey" Teresa Maguire, Belfast 1955 - (d) Cox again - (e) Maguire - (f) Cox - (g) "Geordie" Louis Hooper, Hambridge, Somerset 1942 - (h) Cox "that's as far as I know it" - 4'13"

20. THE BRAES O' YARROW [#214] - Jimmy McBeath, Elgin, Moraysh 1951 - 2'40"

21. CLYDESWATERSIDE or THE MOTHER'S MALISON [#216] - John Strachan - 2'40"

22. THE BROOM O' THE COWDENKNOWES [#217] Ethel Findlater - 1'55"

Recorded & edited by Peter Kennedy and first published by Folktrax 1976.