In her first public appearance as a ballad singer, Miss Grace Albert gave an encore-drawing recital of American and English folk music yesterday afternoon before a rain-soaked but none the less enthusiastic audience in the Poetry Room of Widener Library.

Miss Albert's selections included well-known and representative folk music from all parts of the United States, in addition to such staple English ballads as 'Lord Randall." Her renditions of the western ballad, "The Cowboy Lament" and John Jacob Niles' arrangement of "I Wonder" met loud applause from her listeners.

Associated in recent years with radio and dramatic shows in New York City, Miss Albert first became interested in folk music as a result of her part seven years ago in the Broadway production "The Boys from Syracuse," which included Burl Ives in its cast. She will make her New York debut in her new career on January 4.