Description
Book SynopsisVictorian Songhunters is a history of popular song collecting and ballad editing from 1820 to 1883. It is a comprehensive telling of the Victorian vernacular song revival leading up to the Eduardian folksong festival, and includes information on the folksong revival in Scotland.
Trade ReviewProfessor Gregory achieves something commendable with Victorian Songhunters; he has written a readable scholarly book. Although this is densely written, Gregory has structured the book in such an orderly manner that the reader can read it cover to cover or read selectively without losing track of the narrative trajectory. * Dirty Linen, No. 128 (February/March 2007) *
This is an excellent resource and a fascinating insight into 63 crucial years in the history of English (and some Scottish) song collecting. * Penguin Eggs Magazine *
A welcome addition to the literature of song-hunting, and it will be widely consulted. * Folk Music Journal *
The book gives good coverage of the trend during this period from exclusive attention to the lyrics towards a realisation of the importance of collecting melodies as well....The background and context for the core material of the book is well covered. * Canadian Folk Music, Summer 2008 *
For general readers, Gregory (history and humanities, Athabasca U., Canada) presents the history of the recovery and popularization of English traditional song during the 19th century. He begins with a discussion of early collectors up to the 19th century, and moves on to chapters on the Romantics who collected songs, such as Thomas Percy, Thomas Evans, Joseph Ritson, and others; national and regional song collectors, including William Kitchiner, Davies Gilbert, and William Chappell; members of the Percy society; commercial song publishing by those like John Broadwood and Francis Child; the resurrection and repackaging of old pop songs; ballad editing; the Ballad Society; and the late Victorian folksong revival. The appendices include a discussion of interpretation and an alphabetical listing of songs. Texts and musical examples are incorporated. * Reference and Research Book News, August 2006 *
Table of ContentsPart 1 Preface Part 2 Part 1. Legacies from the Past Chapter 3 1. Introduction: Awkward but Indispensable Words Chapter 4 2. The Early Collectors Chapter 5 3. Romantics and Their Critics Part 6 Part 2. The Vernacular Song Revival, 1820-1859 Chapter 7 4. National and Regional Song: Kitchiner to Chappell Chapter 8 5. The Percy Society I: The Antiquarians Chapter 9 6. The Percy Society II: Other Song Catchers Chapter 10 7. William Chappell and the History of English Vernacular Song Chapter 11 8. Other Early Victorians: Broadwood to Child Part 12 Part 3: The Mid-Victorian Era, 1860-1883 Chapter 13 9. The Mid-Victorians: Around the Regions Chapter 14 10. Old Songs Repackaged: Broadsides, Drolleries, and Ditties Chapter 15 11. Ballad Editing: Perspectives and Practice Chapter 16 12. The Ballad Society Chapter 17 13. The Birth of a Folksong Revival Chapter 18 14. Afterword Part 19 Appendix A: Issues and Interpretations Part 20 Appendix B: Alphabetical Listing of Illustrative Songs Part 21 Bibliography Part 22 Index Part 23 About the Author
