James Reed (1) (1921–)

This is a good selection of the Scottish border ballads, with an introduction by James Reed and helpful maps of the territories of the "surnames" (he Border equivalent of Highland clans) and of the Anglo-Scottish Border itself. The ballads are organized by the three "marches" of the border (West, Middle and East) ; some are based, at least loosely, on real raids such as "The Battle of Otterburn," others are frankly supernatural, as in "Tamlane," Thomas the Rhymer," and "The Wife of Usher's Well." I have loved these songs since I was young. Although my genetic heritage is only slightly Scottish, I grew up in the Presbyterian Church and read Walter Scott in my youth,… (más)