Thinking about festival ideas for next year for DS (14) - he has lots of good songs on the go for many classes (and a likely Grade 6 next spring) but we don't have any unaccompanied folksongs and there is a class for those.

You have given us good ideas before so I wondered if you might have some now? Range is about Bb to Eb although high and soft is not easy! So smallish range and beautiful might be good. What are your all time favourite folksongs that might appeal?

There are lots: Early one morning is a sensible choice. As is Down by the Salley Gardens and the Ash Grove. All of these work well in the range you suggest providing you find the correct key.

Be prepared to transpose as necessary. Your son may have a bigger range by the time of the festival depending just quite what stage he is at in his transition. Once the voice finally settles, although the fundimental notes at the bottom tend to stay put, the voice opens up at the top.

Boys normally have an emergent baritone. Quite where that ends up, the strength of various parts of the range, whether they have beautiful booming low notes or develop a strong head voice determines whether they will become a bass or tenor.

The range you suggest tells me his voice may have not fully established its self. Keep listening. Your son may end up a bass/baritone or a tenor only time will tell. The range suggests he is between stages 3/4 of transition and not at stage 5 yet. High and soft is always tricky at this stage whether he ends up a tenor or bass.

Matthew is in the same position. Genetics suggest he will be a tenor, yet he certainly can't sing in that range yet. Until his voice settles he just sings what is comfortable and when his voice settles we'll know more.

This is one of the best books I've ever bought for sourcing folk-songs - a really good mixture (with introductions to each) of what I call 'proper' folk-songs http://amzn.to/nvPPDe 'Bushes and Briars' and 'The Captain's Apprentice' are both lovely songs, and of course, you can transpose them wherever you like.

Thanks, will look into all those. We are listening to a lot of Butterworth and Quilter at the moment and he likes those very much so there may be something to inspire from there too.

You can not go far wrong with folk-song edited by Vaughan Williams! (as illustrated by Seer_Green)

I did not choose any editions of the British Folk Song I selected, but they are all 'proper folk song'

Margery Hargest Jones has edited a series of Folk Song Books that contain good examples (pub Boosey and Hawkes) Each has a simple piano part, and the songs come from the four countries that make up the British Isles (each in a separate book) and another book containing Songs from the Americas.

I am very fond of these as they are simple, yet a balanced selection.