Genre, conflict, presence

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This study explores the role of traditional ballads in a modernizing world through three main topics: genre, conflict, and the concept of "presence." The author posits that the recent history of ballad performance highlights the form's historical significance and adaptability, not just in thematic novelty but also in its relevance to communal and conflicted contexts today. In a world where institutional forces like governments and corporations impose cultural and political changes, ballads serve as a medium for popular criticism and protest. The echoes of seventeenth-century street ballads resonate in the political messages of Folk Revival singers such as Ewan MacColl, Dick Gaughan, and Pete Seeger. Additionally, marginalized cultures, including rural Travelling communities and urban folk clubs, have revitalized traditional ballads, allowing them to celebrate their own identities while resisting commercialization in a technological marketplace. Central to this cultural renewal is the "presence" created through the performative exchange between singer and audience, a dynamic that cannot be replicated through recordings or printed texts. This ritualized interaction underscores the enduring power and versatility of ballads as a form of popular song.