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Top pop from seventeenth-century England. Broadside ballads were single-sheet songs that sold for a penny a piece. This website concentrates on over 100 resoundingly successful examples that you can investigate through recordings, images and a wealth of other materials. Whether you are interested in music, art, love, gender, tragedy, politics, family life, crime, history, humour or death, you will find something to engage you here. See also User’s Guide.

Recorder   Curtal  

Showing 1 to 8 of 8

24 An Excellent Ballad, intituled, The Constancy of/ Susanna [Bodleian Douce 1 (30a)]
27 A Pleasant Song of the Valiant Deeds of Chivalry,/ Atchieved by that Noble Knight Sir Guy of Warwick [Roxburghe 3.50-1]
50 A New Song of Lulla By,/ OR, Father Peter's Policy Discovered [Bodleian Wood E25 (110)]
63 A most godly and comfortable Ballad of the glorious/ Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ [Roxburghe 1.258-59]
83 The dying tears of a true Lover forsaken,/ Made on his Death=bed [Euing 64]
90 Cupids Courtesie:/ OR,/ The young Gallant foild at his own Weapon [Euing 39]
99 A Monstrous shape./ OR/ A shapelesse Monster [Bodleian Wood 401 (135v-136r)]
112 Rebellion given over House-keeping:/ OR,/ A General Sale of Rebellious Houshould stuff [Pepys 2.209]

Top Fives

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Authors

  • Anonymous  (5)
  • Lloyd, Richard  (1)
  • P., J.  (1)
  • Price, Laurence (fl. 16...  (1)

Publishers

  • Passinger, Thomas  (6)
  • Thackeray, William  (6)
  • Clark, John  (5)
  • Coles (aka Coules), Fra...  (5)
  • Wright, John III  (5)

Topics

  • Gender - femininity  (5)
  • Bodies - looks/physique  (4)
  • Gender - courtship  (4)
  • Emotions - love  (3)
  • Gender - masculinity  (3)

Instruments

  • Cittern  (6)
  •   Recorder  (5)
  •   Curtal  (4)
  • Fiddle  (4)
  • Bones  (1)

Performers

  • Watts, Andy  (8)
  • Lewin, Giles  (6)
  • Vitale, Steno  (6)
  • Banks, Steve  (3)
  • Davis, Jub  (2)
  • Ellis, Vivien  (2)
  • Ingham, Edward  (2)
  • Kerr, Nancy  (2)
  • Couper, Victoria  (1)
  • Mizrake, Raph  (1)
  • Portman, Emily  (1)

Tunes

  • Come live with me and b...  (1)
  • Cupid's courtesy  (1)
  • Greensleeves  (1)
  • Guy of Warwick  (1)
  • King Solomon  (1)
  • Old Simon the King  (1)
  • Rogero  (1)
  • The Spanish pavan  (1)

Woodcuts

  • Christ's Resurrection  (1)
  • Couple in cave  (1)
  • Cupid in circle  (1)
  • Declaiming man  (1)
  • Pedlar in woods  (1)

Holding Libraries

  • Bodleian Library, Oxfor...  (7)
  • British Library  (7)
  • Pepys Library, Magdalen...  (7)
  • National Library of Sco...  (6)
  • No known copy  (6)

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