NL Folksong Resource List
Books Currently Available:
Vinland Music, http://www.vinlandmusic.ca: Eric West, editor and publisher
- Catch Ahold This One: Songs of NL Vol 1
- Sing Around This One: Songs of NL Vol 2
- All Together Now: Songs of NL Vol 3
- Comfort and Joy: Songs of NL Vol 4
- Come Big Ones and Small Ones: Songs of NL Vol 5
- The Newfoundland Ukulele: 25 Favourite Songs
- Let’s Sing a Song: Songs for Children of all Ages
- Songs of Ron Hynes Volume 1
- Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers: “The First 20 Years”
- Choral arrangements of original and traditional Christmas songs from NL: https://vinlandmusic.ca/newfoundland-labrador-christmas-song-choral-arrangements/
Other books in print:
Come and I Will Sing You: A Newfoundland Songbook, collected and edited by Genevieve Lehr and Anita Best, copyright 1985, reprinted 2003 and 2011
- University of Toronto Press, to purchase: https://utorontopress.com/ca/come-and-i-will-sing-you-2
- NL Public Libraries, e-book: https://elibrary.overdrive.com/media/3403354
The Forgotten Songs of the Newfoundland Outports (As Taken from Kenneth Peacock’s Newfoundland Field Collection, 1951–1961), Anna Kearney Guigné, copyright 2016
- University of Ottawa Press, to purchase: https://press.uottawa.ca/en/9780776623849/the-forgotten-songs-of-the-newfoundland-outports/
The Music of Our Burnished Axes: Songs and Stories of the Woods Workers of Newfoundland and Labrador by Ursula A. Kelly and Meghan C. Forsyth. Memorial University Press, copyright 2018
- Memorial University Press, to purchase: https://memorialuniversitypress.ca/Books/T/The-Music-of-Our-Burnished-Axes
Books No Longer in Print
- available in libraries, second-hand book stores and online. Links lead to freely available scans of the books unless otherwise noted.
Haulin’ Rope and Gaff: Songs and Poetry in the History of the Newfoundland Seal Fishery by Shannon Ryan and Larry Small. Breakwater Books, St. John’s NL, copyright 1978
- NL Public Libraries, e-book: https://elibrary.overdrive.com/media/2084307
Old-Time Songs and Poetry of Newfoundland (also known as the Gerald S. Doyle Songbook) published for free distribution by Gerald S. Doyle Limited, St. John’s NL (editions were published in 1927, 1940, 1955, 1966 and 1978)
- 1927 (1st ed): https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns/id/77964
- 1940 (2nd ed): https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns/id/69812
- 1966 edition currently available at Fred’s Records http://www.freds.nf.ca/
Maud Karpeles, collector and editor of:
- Folk Songs from Newfoundland, Archon Books, Hamden CT. copyright 1970 - Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL4064500W/Folk_songs_from_Newfoundland
- Folk Songs from Newfoundland (1934), vols. 1 and 2, 144 pages: https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns/id/99656
- Fifteen Folk Songs from Newfoundland (1934), 46 pages: https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns/id/105815
Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland, collected and edited by Elisabeth Bristol Greenleaf with music recorded in the field by Grace Yarrow Mansfield. Folklore Associates Inc. Hatboro, Pennsylvania
- 1933 edition, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts: https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns/id/52954
- Reprinted 1965 with a foreword by MacEdward Leach: Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17978297W/Ballads_and_sea_songs_of_Newfoundland
Burke's Ballads. Compiled by John White, 1960: https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns/id/39537
Songs and Ballads of Newfoundland, Ancient and Modern, ed. James Murphy, St. John's, Nfld, copyright 1902 https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns2/id/31280
Folk Ballads and Songs of the Lower Labrador Coast by MacEdward Leach. National Museum of Canada, copyright 1965
- Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17964816W/Folk_ballads_and_songs_of_the_lower_Labrador_coast
Songs of Labrador by Tim Borlase. Goose Lane Editions, copyright 1993
Songs of the Newfoundland Outports vols. I, II & III, by Kenneth Peacock. National Museum of Canada, copyright 1965
- Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL17619014M/Songs_of_the_Newfoundland_outports
- In database format on CD-ROM, for purchase at https://www.singsonginc.ca/index.php/artists/various/6-songs-of-the-newfoundland-outports
Newfoundland Songs and Ballads in Print 1842-1974 : a title and first-line index, Paul Mercer: https://collections.mun.ca/digital/collection/cns_tools/id/195446/rec/4
Websites
The Musical Map of Newfoundland and Labrador
Folk Songs of Atlantic Canada from the collections of MacEdward Leach
“Chansons folkloriques françaises de Terre-neuve”, Gerald Thomas:
The Digital Archives Initiative, Memorial University
Music, Media and Place (Ethnomusicology Dept. at Memorial University’s School of Music)
"Back on Track": audio publication series featuring archival and contemporary recordings of local folk songs.
Sources for Recordings
SingSong Inc. - sells local folk music recordings and publications (digital and physical)
Pamela Morgan Music - a label owned by local folk musician Pamela Morgan
Fred’s Records - Music store at 198 Duckworth St., St. John’s - sells local CDs and vinyl
O’Brien’s Music - Music store at 278 Water St., St. John’s - sells instruments, local CDs and music books.
Soundcloud:
- Songs and Ballads of Newfoundland - Kenneth Peacock (1956) https://soundcloud.com/kennethpeacock-music/sets/songs-and-ballads-of
- We'll Rant and We'll Roar: Songs of Newfoundland - Alan Mills (1958) https://soundcloud.com/alanmillsofficial/sets/well-rant-and-well-roar-songs
- Folk Songs of Newfoundland - Alan Mills (1953) https://soundcloud.com/alanmillsofficial/sets/folk-songs-of-newfoundland
Events and Organizations
Vinland Music Camp: third week of August near Bishop's Falls, NL. All ages and ability levels welcome. Instruction in traditional singing, storytelling, dance, and all the common instruments for NL traditional music. https://soundbone.ca/vmc
Soundbone Folksong Choir: in St. John's, NL. Non-auditioned, for adults. Meets weekly during the fall and winter terms. https://soundbone.ca/sfc
Song Circle: Crow's Nest Officers Club, St. John's, NL. Meets on the last Thursday of the month, 8pm. Unaccompanied singing only.
Research Centre for the Study of Music, Media, and Place (MMaP) at Memorial University: various events and projects https://www.mun.ca/mmap/
NL Folk Arts Society: weekly Folk Night concerts in St. John's, youth programming throughout the province, and the Folk Festival in St. John's in July. https://nlfolk.com