Many of the old ballads are set to charming ancient tunes, and may be sung by the whole school. Banjo or guitar accompaniment is specially appropriate to ballad airs. Musical scores for some of the ballads in this book—“The Cruel Sister” (“The Twa Sisters”), “Hynd Horn,” “Sir Patrick Spens,” “Young Beichan,” “Proud Lady Margaret,” “The Famous Flower of Serving-Men,” and “Lord Lovel”—may be found in Professor Child’s English and Scottish Popular Ballads, large edition, part 10. If the music of old ballads is not obtainable, then popular, well-known ballads, such as “Annie Laurie,” “Ben Bolt,” and “Loch Lomond,” may be sung in their stead.
The following outline for an entertainment may be varied to suit the abilities and interests of the boys and girls who are to take part:
PROGRAMME FOR AN ENTERTAINMENT
One or more ballads sung by the pupils.
Recitation.
Dramatization.
Ballad-reading.
A ballad solo.
Recitation.
Reading of the best original ballad composed by a pupil.
Dramatization.
Recitation.
Close: the audience and pupils may sing one or more popular, well-known American ballads, such as may be found in any good song-collection.
In making up her Programme, the teacher should avoid selecting very long ballads for memorization and recitation. It is best to let the pupils who are to recite, choose the ballads they like best. She should be careful to balance her Programme with verses of all kinds—grave and gay, sad and weird, romantic and historical. She should so artistically compose her Programme that it will play on the emotions of her audience, moving it from laughter to tears, from awe to the heroic. That is what ballads are for, to touch the heart, as well as the head.
FOR LIBRARIANS AND SOCIAL WORKERS
This entire course, as outlined for forty weeks, may be followed by Librarians and Social Workers. They may, however, shorten the Programme or alter it to suit the occasion.