Fireside Book of Folk Songs
Simon and Schuster, n.d. (ca. 1950s). Illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen. Eighth printing. 4to. 11-1/4" x 8-3/8". Pictorial green cloth boards with beige cloth spine. Colorful pictorial endpapers. 323 pp. Book is in fine condition. / Dust jacket is very good to fine. Item #832
There is something about the haunting melodies and the simple but inimitable verses of peasants and spinners, of fishermen, sailors and rude soldiery, which has perennial appeal to their descendants and those who have come to share their inheritance. Whether it be "Eileen Aroon," "Shenandoah," "Auprés de ma blonde," "Santa Lucia," or any of a thousand others, each generation that hears them for the first time is stirred again; and those who have retired to the chimney corner are moved by poignant memories. The Fireside Book of Folk Songs may stimulate interest in our cultural history and in so doing it will do well, but its primary purpose, as the title implies, is to encourage the domestic performance of the songs of long ago that are still the songs of today.
Every page in the book is a sheer delight of melody and color. Each of the 147 songs is arranged and illustrated (there are over 500 color pictures in all) to fill the eyes, the ears, and the heart with pleasure. Editor, arranger, and illustrators have all conspired to keep you from paging silently through the Fireside Book of Folk Songs. It is almost impossible to glance at the words, music, and splendid color pictures without humming, whistling, or bursting into song.
Price: $45.00