Sam Henry's Songs of the People - Annotated (Paperback)

About the Book

Comprising nearly 690 selections, this thoroughly annotated and indexed collection is a treasure for anyone who performs, composes, studies, collects, or simply enjoys folk music. It is valuable as an outstanding record of Irish folk songs before World War II.

Book Synopsis

The story of Ireland--its graces and shortcomings, triumphs and sorrows--is told by ballads, dirges, and humorous songs of its common people. Music is a direct and powerful expression of Irish folk culture and an aspect of Irish life beloved throughout the rest of the world.

Incredibly, the largest single gathering of Irish folk songs had been almost inaccessible because, originally newspaper based, it was available in only three libraries, in Belfast, Dublin, and Washington D.C. Sam Henry's "Songs of the People" makes the music available to a wider audience than the collector ever imagined. Comprising nearly 690 selections, this thoroughly annotated and indexed collection is a treasure for anyone who performs, composes, studies, collects, or simply enjoys folk music. It is valuable as an outstanding record of Irish folk songs before World War II, demonstrating the historical ties between Irish and Southern folk culture and the tremendous Irish influence on American folk music.

In addition to the songs themselves and their original commentary, Sam Henry's "Songs of the People" includes a glossary, bibliography, discography, index of titles and first lines, melodic index, index of the original sources of the songs and information about them, geographical index of sources, and three appendixes related to the original song series in the Northern Constitution.

Review Quotes

Sam Henry's collection is a 'classic' work in every sense; this new book is a classic study which should be sought out by anyone seriously interested in Anglo-Irish folk song.

--John Paddy Browne "Folk on Tap"

This is obviously a very important book to all who are interested in folk songs, and especially those researching Irish songs.

--Edith Fowke "Come-All-Ye"

Anyone who loves Irish song will want to have a copy of this huge and extraordinary collection and will spend many delighted hours browsing through it. And because Irish song is such an important element in American song, north and south, it's great that the University of Georgia Press is making it available.

--Pete Seeger

If you like folk music, you will love this book.

--Irish Echo

Its presence as a social and historical record is of undoubted worth.

--Irish Times Limited

About the Author

Sam Henry (Author)
SAM HENRY (1878-1952) was a native of Coleraine, Northern Ireland. A tireless documenter of Northern Irish folklore and music, he shared his work through a regular column in the Northern Constitution newspaper between 1923 and 1938, as well as through broadcasts on the BBC and Radio Éireann.

Gale Huntington (Editor)
GALE HUNTINGTON was a writer, teacher, historian, and musician. He is the author of Songs the Whalemen Sang and other books on New England music and history.