This section contains copies of rare collections of some folk songs not available elsewhere. With the advent of sites like archive.org and other repositories of old texts (see the ‘Song Resources on the Web’ leaflet for more links to books online) there are fewer old texts that cannot be found on other sites. There are, though, some valuable early collections that have not yet made their way into these collections, so this section presents images of some of those collections.
Marianne H Mason, Nursery Rhymes and Country Songs, 1877
This collection, published in 1877, was the first to be published in the English Language by a woman, and one of the earliest to be published with the music arranged for piano. Miss Mason compiled it from songs she had collected orally from the public and from her own family. Though many of the songs are nursery jingles or children’s songs, there are several adult songs and some good ballads. The last six songs in the book were taken, with the permission of the Broadwood family, from John Broadwood’s collection of Sussex songs, published in 1847. For more about Marianne Mason and her collection you may care to look at the article by Martin Graebe, ‘Old Songs and Sugar Mice: The Story of the Remarkable Miss Mason‘, Folk Music Journal, Vol. 10, No. 4, p. 449 – 477.
The complete book can be seen HERE. This is the second edition, published in 1907. Digitised by Martin Graebe from a copy in his personal library.
William A Barrett, English Folk Songs (1890)
Before studying this collection you may care to have a look at Ruairidh Greig’s article about William Barrett.
English Folk Songs was published in 1890, and was based on a collection Barrett had made in various parts of England in the preceding decade. It is likely that he was prompted to publish the book by the knowledge that Baring-Gould and Lucy Broadwood had collections in the press. There are several good songs in this little-known collection.
The complete book can be Seen HERE. Digitised by Martin Graebe from a copy in his personal library (which is not in great condition!).
John Ashton, Real Sailor Songs (1891)
This collection of maritime songs my not completely match the title, as many were written for the stage rather than sung in the focsle, but it is an interesting selection of 130 songs (no tunes) culled by Ashton from broadside and other sources. It is profusely illustrated with copies of contemporary woodcuts, many just as irrelevant as those attached to the original broadside. See the complete book HERE