Comments on: Shepherd of the Downs

By: Diana

Diana — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 06:23:00 +0000

@Elle Jay: Thank you. Know the poem, but like a lot of others I am sure, I only remember the first two lines.

By: Elle Jay

Elle Jay — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:37:27 +0000

If you like the Marlowe and Raleigh, you might enjoy the modern cynicism of C Day Lewis’s poem of 1935:
Come, live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
Of peace and plenty, bed and board,
That chance employment may afford.

I’ll handle dainties on the docks
And thou shalt read of summer frocks:
At evening by the sour canals
We’ll hope to hear some madrigals.

Care on thy maiden brow shall put
A wreath of wrinkles, and thy foot
Be shod with pain: not silken dress
But toil shall tire thy loveliness.

Hunger shall make thy modest zone
And cheat fond death of all but bone—
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my love.

By: Diana

Diana — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:01:28 +0000

Praise given where praise is due. I also look at Andy’s Folk Song a week. I am out of practice so here goes Have I made it.

By: Reinhard

Reinhard — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:36:18 +0000

Thank you for your praise

I’ve just added a link to Andy Turner’s A Folk Song a Week version of A Shepherd of the Downs to compare to Jon’s.

By: Diana

Diana — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:31:36 +0000

Another great song and also enjoyed the video on Mainly Norfolk. It is always worth a visit there as there is usually a lot to interest one.

By: Old Muzza(NW Surrey-UK)

Old Muzza(NW Surrey-UK) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:55:39 +0000

Thanks to Reinhard…the Coppers in all their glory on video on Mainly Norfolk
http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~zierke/peter.bellamy/songs/theshepherdofthedowns.html

By: Old Muzza(NW Surrey-UK)

Old Muzza(NW Surrey-UK) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:46:32 +0000

There seems to be lots of these young maidens roaming about when all a poor shepherd like me wants to do is lounge about with not a care in the world…
One such maiden had me trekking all over the place for a whole day, looking for her spotted cow……….I try and steer clear of them these days.

By: Jo Breeze

Jo Breeze — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:57:28 +0000

More about Shepherd of the Downs from the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library at the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

There are 9 records of Shepherd of the Downs in the Library, all of which come from the Copper Family.

http://tinyurl.com/shepherd1

We used the Roud number to cross reference against different titles for the song. When searched on Roud No. 1215, this rises to 17 records; also known as The Shepherd Adonis or The Shepherd of Dona.

http://tinyurl.com/shepherd2

If you wish to see more detail on each record, change the ‘output’ to ‘record’ and press ‘submit query’.

There is one record of the song in the Francis Collinson collection.

http://tinyurl.com/shepherd3

We use the Roud index and the Take 6 online collections in the search for information on Jon’s selections.

For more information, or to carry out your own search for songs, please visit http://www.efdss.org/front/access-the-library-online/access-the-library-online/115
If you need any help accessing the library online or have any questions, please contact the VWML on 020 7485 2206 or library@efdss.org.

By: Sue

Sue — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 14:07:19 +0000

This is one of my favourite Copper songs, and I do think this version misses out from not having the harmonies. Sorry …..

Loving the song a day thing though!

By: admin

admin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 10:15:52 +0000

Jane -I thought you’d like that. I think we’re all learning here, I know I am. I realise that some of the basics probably need addressing at some point and hope to set up a glossary with some of the common terms and also the characters, sources, etc. It’ll take a bit of doing along with all the other stuff that’s required, but I’ll do my best. I know I’ve had to ask stuff that others here would probably take for granted and I don’t assume that everyone has the same knowledge base, hence all the links and bits I add in trying to tell the story of the song. In the meantime, if you have specific questions please feel free to ask, but save them up for a week. I’d better go now anyway as packing, cooking and general chores need addressing. I’ll try not to think AFSAD for a week, although I doubt I’ll manage it.