Field Trip-England

In 1952, Jean Ritchie—iconic folksinger and dulcimer player from Kentucky—received a Fulbright scholarship enabling her to travel to the British Isles to trace the origin of her Kentucky versions of songs and compare them with British versions. During the course of her travels, she and husband George Pickow, with the assistance of prominent British folk song authorities, made many field recordings, some of which appear on this album.

The collection includes old British ballads, drinking songs, children’s songs and games, hand bell ringing, dance tunes, lyrical love songs, and an excerpt from a Mummers’ Play. Instruments include fiddle, Northumbrian small pipes, melodeon, and pipe and tabor (drum).

The liner notes, written by Ritchie, provide background information and lyrics about each performance.

Track Listing

101	Leapfrog / The Guid Man of Ballingigh	Winsome Bartlett	01:11
102	The Death of Queen Jane	Douglas Kennedy	02:56
103	The Church Bells of Empingham	Church-Ringers of Empingham	01:18
104	Orange and Lemon	Dianne Endicott	01:10
105	Cherry Stones	Schoolchildren of Sidbury	00:37
106	Have a Cigarette, Sir	Schoolchildren of Sidbury	00:59
107	Johnny Todd	Isla Cameron and Ewan MacColl	01:35
108	Windy Old Weather	Bob Roberts	02:37
109	The Young Sailor Cut Down in His Prime	Harry Cox	01:58
110	Widdecombe Fair	Bill Westaway	04:14
201	My Bonnie Lad	Jane Hair	02:33
202	John Barleycorn	Jane Haxey and the Hood Singers	03:55
203	Three Scamping Rogues	George Endicott	01:29
204	Bushes and Briars	Isla Cameron	02:17
205	Earsdon Sword Dance	English Country Dancers	00:56
206	Barbara Allen	Mr. Rew	01:50
207	Marshfield Mummers Play and Their Song	Players of Marshfield	02:46
208	Hark, The Herald Angels Sing	Charles Wilson and the Empingham Hand Bell Ringers	00:59