Cardiff University and the National Library of Wales this week launched their new Welsh Ballads digital web project, by making freely available 4,000 18th century to 20th century early rare Welsh ballads via their website.
The launch, which was organised for the National Eisteddfod of Wales at Ebbw Vale, was hosted by the President of the National Library, Mr Dafydd Wigley, on Thursday 5th August.
Funded with a £66,000 grant from JISC, the UK higher education IT organisation, the project has completed the network of British ballads digital websites (the main Scottish and English ballads websites can also now be accessed via the Welsh Ballads web links).
The academic editor of the Welsh Ballads project, Dr Wyn James of the School of Welsh at Cardiff University, commented “Ballads were the ‘daily newspapers’ for the poor throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and were sold cheaply and widely at markets, fairs, and villages; they communicated news on local matters and overseas events of the day.
“We have selected around 15,000 pages of rare Welsh and English language ballads and have now made them available for audiences around the world to study and enjoy.”
Digitisation of the ballads collections was carried out in Cardiff University’s Information Services Directorate and the National Library of Wales. “With the funding from JISC we are able to put ballads studies in Wales on the world map, comparable with the best of other ballads projects in Britain and America”, said Janet Peters, Director of University Libraries at Cardiff. “Two rare ballads collections are now available from one website at Cardiff, jointly linked with a full catalogue and scanned pages at the National Library”.
Cardiff University also intends to make a small selection of sung audio recordings of some rare Welsh ballads available via its website later in the year.
