Lucie’s Books | Music Industry Association Award-Winning

Broadside Ballads

Voted Best Classical Music Publication 2006

'Broadside Ballads' - click to view flyer in new windowPopular songs from the street, tavern, theatre, home and countryside of 17th century England. Selected and edited by Lucie Skeaping with a forward by Andrew Motion

Comical, political, scandalous or just plain obscene, Broadside Ballads were the pop songs of their day. Distributed up and down teh land they also acted as the tabloid press, with subjects like the Fire of London and the Gunpowder Plot sitting alongside lusty tales of fumbling husbands, whores, royal gossip , transvestites, celebrity hangings and the latest 'outrageous' women's fashions.

An image from Broadside Ballads - click to view full size in a new window An image from Broadside Ballads - click to view full size in a new window An image from Broadside Ballads - click to view full size in a new window

Some were eventually to find their way into the libraries of people like Samuel Pepys; others ended up as book-liners, draught-excluders or toilet paper. All offer us a fascinating glimpse into the lives and attitudes of ordinary folk and a wonderful exploration of our musical history.

  • Over 70 songs, many ‘re-connected’ to their original tunes for the first time
  • Selected and edited by singer, writer and BBC broadcaster Lucie Skeaping
  • Wonderful melodies suitable for singers of all abilities with simple chord suggestions
  • Fascinating reading for those interested in history, poetry and popular culture
  • Explanatory notes explain the historical context, sources and meaning of obscure words
  • Beautifully produced and illustrated throughout with original woodcuts
  • 18 of the songs also featured on new Naxos CD ‘Penny Merriments’ by Lucie Skeaping and The City Waites

Click here to:
Order from the Faber Music site or Direct from Lucie Skeaping.

Also available: Let's Make Tudor Music