Ballads and Songs of the Upper Hudson Valley

This selection of unaccompanied songs is perhaps most notable for its inclusion of rare Child ballads (English and Scottish ballads compiled by 19th century folklorist Francis James Child) that were seldom sung in North America. When producers Sandy and Caroline Paton first encountered Cleveland in the 1960's, the two were amazed by the breadth of her repertoire, remarking the following:

"We sat at the kitchen table with Sara and her family leafing through the several large notebooks of song texts which Sara had carefully written out over the years, asking if she could remember the melody of first one ballad and then another. Without hesitation, and without reference to the written texts, Sara sang for us all evening, and we barely made a scratch on the surface of her vast repertoire of traditional songs. Indeed, Sara's is the most extensive repertoire of any traditional singer I have ever recorded."

Ballads and Songs of the Upper Hudson Valley provides a selection of expertly sung works of Britain and Ireland, filtered through the New England tradition.

Track Listing

101	To Wear a Green Willow (Laws P 31) Sara Cleveland	04:48
102	Queen Jane (Child 52) Sara Cleveland	07:04
103	Molly Bawn (Laws O 36) Sara Cleveland	03:17
104	My Bonny Bon Boy (Child 12) Sara Cleveland	02:37
105	Every Rose Grows Merry in Time (Child 2) Sara Cleveland	05:09
106	Come All You Maidens Sara Cleveland	02:49
107	The Maiden's Lament Sara Cleveland	05:09
108	In Bonny Scotland Sara Cleveland	06:41
109	Captain Webster Sara Cleveland	04:45
110	Before the Daylight in the Morning Sara Cleveland	03:05