Debbie Skolnik wrote this review which ran first on Green Man Review a ways back.
When it comes to books about folksongs, there are scholarly works rich with detail, but a bit on the dry side, and written in such small print that even if you didn’t need reading glasses or a magnifier before, you probably will now. Then there are those slim volumes that, despite their lack of heft, still manage to convey just the right amount of information in an attractive package.
The series Traditional Folksongs & Ballads of Scotland, by John Loesberg, falls nicely into that small-but-perfect category.
Loesberg loves the Scottish ballads, and in his selection, has assembled “a good cross-section of all main types of Scots [sic] songs — from the great Child ballads, love, work and historical songs, to children’s ditties and down-to-earth bothy ballads.” Each volume has 40 songs. For each song, the melody line is featured at the top of the page, with the words below it. At the end of each book, Loesberg has a section called “A Brief Guide To The Songs.” He gives a brief history of each song, relates it to other similar types of songs when appropriate, and adds the nice touch of translating the more obscure Scots Gaelic words, anticipating that the readers may need a bit of help occasionally with a word or two. Each volume has an interesting historic painting from the National Gallery of Scotland on the cover.
I first came across the first and third volumes of this series in a most appropriate place — I had just visited the grim battlefield at Culloden. Feeling thoroughly haunted by the experience of standing on that field with the mists swirling around me, and seeing the ghosts of those who died there, I was brought back to reality by hearing the jingle of the cash register in the historic site’s gift shop. Browsing through the books, I found those two volumes, but was disappointed that the second volume was not to be had. Last year, in a Celtic bookshop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the second volume presented itself and said “Buy me now!” — so of course, I did. I was delighted to complete the set.
These paperback books are perfect for anyone who loves these songs and wants to sing and/or play them, which is what I did shortly after getting the books. Sitting outside in the Scottish Highlands with good friends, out came a guitar and a flute and we spent a couple of pleasant hours entertaining ourselves (and the Shetland pony in the pasture next to us). Even if you don’t read music or play an instrument, you can enjoy reading the words of the songs and ballads. If you are a fan of this music, you will find that you are familiar with the majority of the tunes, but there should be just enough new material to encourage you to delve deeper into this wonderful music.
These books are still in print, I’m happy to say.
(Ossian, 1994)
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