Goldstein and Scotland
Gathering Traditional Song and Story from 1953 to 1970s
This website shares the story of prolific US collector Professor Ken Goldstein's work recording in Scotland, and recording Scots singers and storytellers in the USA. He copied his 1959/60 recordings in the Buchan area in north-east Aberdeenshire to the archive of the School Of Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh,
His later recordings are held in the archives of Ole Miss University, but soon they will become available on line. Scottish folk enthusiasts look forward very keenly to hearing these unique and unheard elements of their heritage.
Meantime, Ewan McVicar has with the support of Ole Miss Archivist Greg Johnson worked to identify and share here song titles, information about singers and storytellers, and their communities.
A BALLAD-HUNTING YEAR IN BUCHAN
US Folklore Collector Ken Goldstein stravaiged in Buchan in 1960. Aberdeenshire is so rich in ballads – many of F J Child’s A versions came from Aberdeenshire. Buchan is the North East knuckle, the land was ‘hungry’ till it was wrestled into farming production by the sweat of Buchan fairmers.
MAN WITH A PLAN
Goldstein’s Fulbright application was to work in specific North Buchan places and ballad seeking. He found Child ballads, bothy ballads, narrative songs, songs of courting and sentiment, broadside ballads, other songs, children’s lore and stories.
Ken based himself in Strichen, 10 miles inland from
the north and east coasts, after grounding himself
in the School of Scottish Studies in Edinburgh, the sound archives and library where Hamish Henderson worked.
Happy to hear from you and respond. Contact form below.
Henderson took Ken and his wife north, and introduced him to Lucy Stewart.
But his first recording sessions were with Geordie Inglis Fraser.
STOP PRESS
See NEW Elizabeth Stewart and Natalie Chalmers page HERE
