It’s that time of month again when we ask you to vote for your favourite track of the past month, the winner of which we will then leave up on this site as a representation for September.
We’ve selected the seven most popular songs for you to vote on below (based on page views), however if you think there’s an obvious contender for Top September Song that we’ve missed out then let us know in the comments.
Which is your favourite track for September?
- Fakenham Fair (27%, 46 Votes)
- The Trees They Do Grow High (16%, 28 Votes)
- The Rigs of the Time (15%, 26 Votes)
- Three Ravens (13%, 22 Votes)
- On Board '98 (11%, 19 Votes)
- King of Rome (10%, 17 Votes)
- Oats and Beans and Barley (8%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 172
Loading ...Voting has now closed, you can listen to the September winner below and follow the link to read the full post.
Fakenham Fair (read full post here).
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Three Ravens for me – a great song beautifully sung by Jon and Fay!
I was poised to vote for “Bush Girl”
“All of a row”, please.
This is so difficult! I was set on The Rigs of the Time for so long, but now I am inclining to the nearly impossible choice between your 2 duets, Jon & Fay! Three Ravens positively resonates, but I’m drawn to the story aspects of The Trees They Do Grow High and it would be a lie to say I’ve not been influenced by watching you sing together so enjoyably. Right! I’m going with the ‘fluence!
I have to stay with my original choice even though it was so early in the Month.
Yes there are some really good songs after that BUT it takes a lot to outdo old Pete.
September brought us some wonderful songs – most of them very familiar to many, I daresay. Thanks to Jon and everyone involved. But for me the real eye-opener was the Bush Girl. I don’t know that it was the best song of the month. I don’t even know if it’s a folksong, in any sense that doesn’t reduce the meaning of the word to “Something sung by someone who says it’s a folksong”. But it is one helluva good song – a brilliant lyric very well set to an evocative tune.
And for that I owe you all a greater debt than I can ever express.
I’d like to choose all of them.
Almost totally impossible to decide between these possibilities, but have to say I love the harmonies of ‘trees’ so have had to go with that. Can’t begin to say how much I’m enjoying this project. Thanks very much!
Hi all and thanks for taking the time to vote. Sorry if your favourite didn’t make the list. I was aware that some of the back and forth on some of our comments had probably distorted the list, but met stern resistance from (other admin) Ben when I tried to add some extras and unfortunately we can’t have a free vote, as the website doesn’t allow that. I’d agree with those that picked out Bush Girl as an omission for it’s poignant heartbreak, King Of Rome also left me moist eyed, lump in throat, On Board 98 made me smile at its conclusion, Lehrer makes me laugh out loud anyway, a reminder of just how clever and funny the McGarrigles can be and I’m a sucker for Jon and Fay together… How to choose?
Just to clarify, it was less stern resistance and more the fact that I’ve limited the previous polls to the Top 7 posts. Thanks, Ben.
OK! So I exaggerated a little for effect!
Being the rascal that I am………….I thought……. “I wonder if I could stash on multiple votes for Fakenham Fair (as you won’t let me have “Bush Girl”) but your clever techie people have foreseen that…….and I can’t!..no doubt somebody will one day.
Muzza – how very dare ye! Now what would be very clever would be if s.o. could stash another song, like Bush Girl, into the voting! As a confirmed ‘to-er and fro-er’ on this site – apologies to all if that irritates, but no apologies otherwise! I think it is fair play if that influences the voting choices from the point of view that particular songs have sparked debate and research leading to other historical/information sources, singers and songs. Surely that is part of the rationale here, and part of what we are voting on in terms of ‘best’ song in a given month? If we were all just here for a jolly listen or sing-song and no comments, there would be no ‘top ten’ to vote on!
The further beauty of the monthly vote is that comments are allowed on it, and people always say what other songs should have been in the voting. When one comes up several times, like Bush Girl, you know it’s a contender anyway.
On that one, the bottom line is less that it’s a folk song than a damn fine poem by Henry Lawson. That’s what drives it, and Peter Bellamy’s sense & sensitivity to set it to music, then well-interpreted by other singers like Jon. It’s an all-round winner, regardless of voting, though I had a penchant for Down Where The Drunkards Roll too.
And then there is, dare I say it, tactical voting! I don’t want Fakenham Fair to win over the 2 Jon & Fay duets, but I can only vote for one and what I like, of course! To some extent, you have to vote for a second choice, if your favourite isn’t in the running… but the learning is all in the listening and ensuing debate that keeps these songs alive.
A very difficult choice this month but for posterity ‘Fakenham Fair’ because it is so beautifully sung. The selection is probably influenced by the opening number at the Bellowhead set at the ‘Folk Prom’ at the Royal Albert Hall in July 2008. Fabulous.