Spreading the news in the 19th Century was often conducted in the medium of song. "Broadside ballads" would be sonorously bellowed on street corners, keeping folk abreast of what was going on in the ...

Considered the "people's literature" in the 17th century, broadside ballads were sold for a penny or halfpenny, their pairing of a comic or satiric song alongside a woodblock illustration making them ...

Social media is a 21st Century phenomenon, right? Wrong - it was already going viral in the 1800s. Here BBC 6 Music's Mark Radcliffe goes on the trail of the Manchester broadside ballads. You can ...

The Vault is Slate’s history blog. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @slatevault, and find us on Tumblr. Find out more about what this space is all about here. This sheet is only one of many ...

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Imagine life as a musical, one where the news, rumors, scandal, history, satire, tales of sexual adventure and even obituaries were delivered in song. Everywhere you went you’d hear people singing — ...

Three of the UK’s most innovative folk artists reinvent a collection of broadsides ? daily song sheets sold for pence – giving a rare insight into Britain’s history. Delving into the collection at the ...

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Northern England broadside ballad singer Jennifer Reid has released her fourth album, The Ballad Of The Gatekeeper – a collection of songs that centres voices and stories not often acknowledged within ...