AboutKaye McAlpine Expertise My main field of expertise in in traditional ballads - those commonly known as the Child
ballads. Those containing executions are my particular speciality, but I am also interested
in ballad structure formula, functions and narrative constructs. However, I also have
interest in - and academic knowledge of - bothy ballads, and the singing tradition of
Scotland - although not Gaelic song. This includes Jacobite song, political song, songs
about the trades, and so on. I'm pretty au fait with traditional singers and bands too. And
while I enjoy singing the songs, I'm not so sure others might enjoy listening!
Experience I studied ballads academically, as well as Scottish literature. This extended into Scottish social customs and social history. I was the traditional music reviewer for the Edinburgh Evening News for 4 years, and have several publications to my name.
I have been a freelance tutor in outreach courses from Edinburgh University on Scottish Culture and Tradition, including lifecycle customs, broadsheet ballads in Scotland, the traditional ballad and history. I am a freelance writer, have been a guest presenter on Ch4 History Hunters programme, and was a contributor to BBC Radio Scotland's 'Songlines' series on 'The Dowie Dens of Yarrow'. Recentl, I have been advising BBC Radio Scotland researchers for a forthcoming programme on Scottish songs and ballads from the Borders.
Publications Books: Forthcoming - Compendium of Scottish Ethnology, chapter on The Traditional and the Border Ballad; The Harris Repertoire (2000, Scottish Text Society, co-editor), The Ballad in History (chapter on Border ballads). Journals include Folklore, The Review of Scottish Culture, Scottish Studies, and The Scottish Literary Journal. Music reviews appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News
Expert: Kaye McAlpine Date: 7/16/2008 Subject: Mystery Female Folk Artist....???
Question This is going to be completely and utterly vague and for this I do sincerely apologize.
I've been going crazy trying to figure out this specific female folk artist that I believe the name begins with an L or has an L at the beginning of the last name.
This particular artist would be considered extremely depressing set aside from the typical depressing folk artist.
I don't know if this helps...but if you can help. I would love that, just a list of names would be great.
Thank you for your time.
Answer Hi Ryan
This is indeed too vague - and I don't know what you mean by the 'typical depressing folk artist': maybe what you consider folk isn't what I consider folk - or rather traditional music.
Beginning with L isn't enough I'm afraid . There are too many countries, and too many singers. And is the mystery female actually a folk singer? Too many females think that if they play an acoustic instrument and/ or write depressing music, then they can get categorised as folk artists or contemporary folk, or folk/rock, and can get away with a catalogue of misery. They're just peddlers of depressing music.
Why not listen to some of the great female folk singers - what you should end up with is shivers down your spine, not a sense of depression!
