A Folk Song A Day

Now here’s a tune to put spring in your step and Jon says, “Mike Waterson’s greatest hit? Probably as far as social singing goes it is. You can’t beat the Watersons’ harmonies either – many have tried and all have failed.” You’ll find their version on the For Pence And Spicy Ale CD and again I concur with Jon, the harmonies are immaculate. A.L. Lloyds notes that the song predates the 18^th C agricultural revolution, which makes sense as it’s such and open hearted celebration. The word laylum or laylan would seem likely to be a regional corruption of lay land as in fallow land. The idea that the birds are undisturbed and therefore happy and busy singing on it makes sense, to me at least. This link will take you straight to the Mainly Norfolk page for the song and you can follow a Mudcat thread from there, although I don’t think it offers any special illumination. I’m going to have to commit this one to memory for my rambling, although probably best (in my case) as an internal tape loop, lest I be accused of disturbing the peace.  Any additional details of history and provenance will be appreciated here.

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Jon picked this one up from Nic Jones and says, “There’s something quite Shakespearean about this one. Cross dressing has all sorts of sociological undertones – in this case quite directly about the reversal of courtship roles. Nic Jones sings a roll on the penultimate note of the first line (‘we’ in the first verse for example) that I have been practising for 10 years and still can’t get.” I must say this one caught me out as I was waiting for the murder at the end but unusually, it all turned out nicely. Reinhard has the Nic Jones recording covered on Mainly Norfolk and there’s quite a lot of Mudcat stuff, which you canbrowse, with at least one alternate title of Dog And Gun. I wonder whether this is has any real life event behind it, or is it just pure fantasy. Either way it’s a fine tale handsomely delivered and somewhat the opposite of yesterday’s Tawney song in its  attention to detail. Just to add a little twist at the end here’s a link to an American version, although as the title clearly shows taken from the English, still it’s an interesting little variation.

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Another Cyril Tawney song and Jon attributes his source thus, “Ian McCulloch was chief convener of the Colpitts Monday night song, and is a great singer with a tremendous repertoire. I always looked forward to him doing this one.” As for this lament, we are very fortunate to have this from the man himself, which for once, can be called definitive. I’ll add Mainly Norfolk’s link to A Cold Wind Blows album, which sadly seems unavailable, although you will find Cyril’s version on the Live At Holsteins CD.

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This is more commonly known as the Holmfirth Anthem, but as Jon explains, “This is sung at the Royal during carolling season but I know it originally from Lark Rise to Candleford, which is a slightly different version, perhaps from Derbyshire.” This explains the different title here, as the Albion Band performed it as such. I can’t do better than direct you to Mainly Norfolk to read all you need to know about this song and echo Reinhard’s comment that the Waterson’s version is lovely for its harmonies (although I think Jon does it fair justice here.) Further musings on the origins are to be found here on Mudcat. I also found this interesting.

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Jon says,“The Steeleye version of this is one of my favourite of their tracks,” but goes on to name his source for this as The Witches Of Elswick adding, “but this version is much more robust and most suited for massed voices.” Having managed to put my hands on their version (on the Hells Belles CD) I have to agree, as they do it so very well with four part harmony to kill for.  Their sleeve notes humorously refer to Bryony Griffith hearing it, aged 14, on a borrowed copy of a Steeleye album and she“was most impressed that a folk song had her name in it.” (It took me a moment!) But their recorded version was eventually “found in a Baring Gould and Cecil Sharp book of English Folk Songs For Schools.” I turned to Mainly Norfolk for the usual detailed illumination into the recordings and note an early Bellamy version, now to be found on the Fellside double CD set Fair England’s Shore. It’s shorter and not quite as mellifluous as the Witches’ or indeed Jon’s versions. Steeleye go a bit further and really bring out the slightly dissonant drone in the second half of the verse in their arrangement, which I also really like. I know some of you won’t fully approve of their rockisms, but I’ve realised I’ve got some serious shopping to do. In the meantime get those harmonies working see what you can do.

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