Every addition to the can of published song and music books is to be heartily welcomed, and this one is particularly apt. The author, Carol Stober, is an accomplished instrumentalist, and her repertoire spans many genres from bluegrass to gospel and traditional.

In 120 pages she gives the autoharp enthusiast the benefit of her long experience and introduces them to an array of songs that is hard to better. With a minimal introduction to the book and understanding the tab system, she plunges right in to where the music lover longs to be -- immersed in tunes and songs.

The songs on offer range from the extremely well known to the more obscure, but each and every one is a gem. Using this book, any competent musician will widen his or her repertoire and enjoy the experience. But this is not just a collection of songs and sheet music. This is a lesson in traditional and folk music even for the casual observer.

Along with the sheet music you get the lyrics of the songs but also a bit more. For "Curtains of Night" she gives two versions, the Elizabethan and the Appalachian. The Carter Family and others recorded this, as "I'll Remember Your Love in My Prayers." You also get old favourites like "Barbara Allen," "Black is the Colour" and "The Rosewood Casket."

This is a lovely book for the musician, the browser and the collector of good old songs.

- Rambles
written by Nicky Rossiter
published 25 April 2004