From a noble henchman who has an affair with his royal master’s wife to a man thoughtlessly bragging to his ex about his new wife, jealousy is a major player in many story-songs from the British Isles and Ireland.

 

Using Francis James Child’s The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1860) as our main source, we’ll take a deep dive into six stories about lovers who suffer madness at the hands of the Green Monster. Each week, we’ll compare multiple versions of one song, both from Child’s collection and from the many wonderful recordings available.

 

Singers are very welcome, but singing is an optional part of this class. If you just love to listen to folk songs or you love a good tale, there will be plenty here to learn. (For those who do sing, I will provide lyrics for all the versions we discuss, and guitar chords for at least one version of each ballad.)

 

Six sessions. Please note that there is no class on Wed., Feb. 17.

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The class meetings will be recorded, and students will have access to the recordings for three weeks after the class.