Three full months in already, with a weeks worth of June as well. As we’re in the harvest season, this seems appropriate and Jon says, “My favourite track from Larkrise To Candleford (the Albion band version, not the BBC thing). I’ve only ever heard Carthy sing it so not sure where it comes from.” Interestingly I found Jon on Mudcat asking questions about this, which brings up a couple of alternate versions. Mainly Norfolk has Martin Carthy covered. Finding further information has more or less foundered on the rocks of the popular country-rock troop The Eagles and I note even Mudcat is heading that way with the bizarre inclusion of Joe Walsh’s lyrics at the end of the thread. A last minute saving grace is this link, which is a collection of Harvest songs in one place that some of you might like to explore. You’ll find a couple of other familiar entries there.
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You can buy the September digital album now from all good download stores:
Well timed inspiration for going along to Folly Bridges open night this friday… now can my old brain remember a harvest song in time?
Yes, this site is a brilliant inspiration for what to sing at the next singaround session!
This one is already in my repertoire – like Jon, I enjoy singing songs at the appropriate time of year – although I learned it from Martin Carthy’s singing and haven’t heard it anywhere else.
A minor point, but Jon (and Reinhard) have ‘in mirth let us talk’ and I’ve always thought it was ‘toil’. Have another listen to Martin on Rigs of the Time and see what you think!
Jan, ‘in mirth let us toil’ might make more sense here, but I just re-listened very carefully to both the ‘Sweet Wivelsfield’ and the ‘Lark Rise’ version, and I’m quite sure Martin Carthy sings ‘talk’.
Jon gives this a great rhythm – must go on the to-learn list before the season passes
It’s a song I am singing at present and thoroughly enjoying. A written version can be found on the Take Six website as “As Harvest Comes On”, collected by H.E.D.Hammond, from George Roper, in August 1906. It’s also on the folkinfo.org website (which is ‘down’ at the moment) as ‘All of a Row’. “In mirth let us talk” is what Hammond wrote from the singing of Roper, who was in Blandford’s workhouse at the time.
In Roy Palmer’s English Country Songbook (from Baring Gould’s Minstrelsie Vol 2) is a version with a different tune. The “toil” line is omitted but later in the first verse there is “The foreman goes first in the hot summer glow, and sings with a laugh, my lads, of a row.” Do I detect the pen of Baring Gould in these lines?
Being several songs behind, I am playing catch-up again today. But this is very appropriate as, not only do I love Lark Rise To Candleford, having not long seen Ashley Hutchings do Lark Rise Revisited, but John Tams came to my local folk club 3 days ago. Only 37 years since the last time! I didn’t see him then though, I hasten to add! (Though I am old enough!)
Lovely seasonal ballad and, as Ashley H said at Lark Rise Revisited, ‘You either get Lark Rise, or you don’t.’ I do! Lovely, Jon.
Thank you for posting the link to my site with the list of traditional Harvest Songs. I have a new page which I just got opened a couple of days ago for traditional Songs and Stories for Halloween and Samhain. It includes some actually traditional stuff and some new songs in a traditional style, and some things just for the fun of celebrating Halloween. I hope that you like it!
I like your site, it is very much the type of thing that I am interested in.
Slag310
Oh, for heaven’s sake, I forgot to include the new link. It’s
http://pierce.yolasite.com/hallsongs
Slag310
Nice Timing Jon. This is Harvest Festival week-end in our little community. Tomorrow we are joined by the wonderful ‘Village Quire’ for a concert, and afterwards we shall, “Take a good supper and drink strong beer”. I am sure this song will get an airing. Then on Sunday it is the Harvest Festival. As I write this, the church is being decorated for both events. ( http://www.villagequire.org.uk )
Another great month of songs and hard to pick a favourite, but ‘All Of A Row’ would be up there along with ‘On Board A 98′, ‘Fakenham Fair’ and ‘Sleep On Beloved’.
I was lucky enough to see the original stage production of ‘Larkrise’ and like Jane, caught Ashley Hutchings’ recent ‘Larkrise Revisited’ and in both cases, it does it for me. Far better than any T.V. series. The pictures are so much better !
@ John B: Thanks for posting a link to the Village Quire website. Just had a quick tour, sampled the medley, learnt about shape notes and read the comment stream. All very lovely, and have bookmarked for a return & deeper exploration.