Overview
Folk songs are written and passed down from generation to generation because they are either fun, useful, tell an important story, or serve another good purpose. Folk songs are a window into the hearts, times, feelings, and values of the people who first sang them and then passed them down. They are the first songs children learn to sing. They unite families and cultures together. They are a wonderful way to connect with the cultures and times of our family members who have gone before. We encourage you to add a few to your homeschool routine. They are sure to become favorites.
Folk Song Resources
Sing Solfa — This site started as solfa (solfége) singing lessons and now includes folk songs and foreign language songs. It is run by Jessi Vandagriff, one of the contributors to By Study and Faith.
The AmblesideOnline folksong rotation — A thorough and well-regarded list of folk songs, the AmblesideOnline list contains many British and American folk songs including Christmas carols (By Study and Faith has opted to schedule Christmas carols with our hymn rotation).
Recreational Songs — Published in 1949 by the General Music Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This volume contains many types of songs, including folk songs from various European countries and Hawaii, spirituals, pioneer songs, and western songs. Perhaps your parents or grandparents learned these songs as children!
- See this page for the table of contents and links to resources for the individual songs.
- View Recreational Songs on archive.org.
- Purchase on amazon.com
