THE QUEST FOR FOLK SONGS IN HAMPSHIRE - … QUEST FOR FOLK SONGS IN HAMPSHIRE ... Spanish shore’ was sung to me in a cow pen by one ... it is to be found in the language of ‘The

From: http://www.forest-tracks.co.uk/hampshirevoices


HAMPSHIRE CHRONICLE 4th January, 1908

THE QUEST FOR FOLK SONGS IN HAMPSHIRE To the Editor of the Hampshire Chronicle. Sir,- A song almost universally known among country singers in Hampshire is ‘Brennan on the Moor,’ which relates the history of a chivalrous highwayman. Brennan, like Dick Turpin, never robbed the poor, and what he took from the rich, ‘he always did divide between the widows in distress’. No one that has heard can readily forget the version of this song in ‘Folk Songs from Somerset’ with its striking refrain: - ‘Bold and undaunted stood Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the Moor, Brennan on the moor, Bold and undaunted stood Brennan on the moor.’ In reviewing Mr Sharp’s notable work on English folk song, an enterprising critic states that Mr Sharp heard a particular song ‘at an inn at Brennan-on-the-Moor.’ This must be the gentleman who, when asked if he had ever been in Algebra, replied that he once drove through it on the coach. Apparently he is not at home in English folk song; in geographical research he may yet receive distinction. It was not at Brennan-on-the-Moor that I resumed my quest in the early summer, but at Marchwood, in the New Forest, of which the latitude and longitude are more easily determined. The farmers I visited in that district are not ashamed to cast their coats, but rather to have them on, still they are not too busy to warble and to warble sweetly, and through their kindness I was able to record 24 songs. A good version of ‘As I was sailing down by the Spanish shore’ was sung to me in a cow pen by one farmer as he milked his cows. From another farmer and his family I had a fresh and beautiful melodies to ‘Tarry trowsers’, ‘Twas of a pretty ploughboy’ and the favourite ‘John Barleycorn,’ who seldom fails to supply musical inspiration. Two songs which I collected near Marchwood were in text and tune unknown to me, ‘Young Johnnie and his true love’ and ‘The high castle gate.’ The melodies of both songs are charming, and the text of the latter has in part the ring of an ancient ballad. In the beginning of the season I was little favoured by the smile of the visible heavens, and had but scant success in my pursuit. Repeated visits to places remote from the railway, such as Sherfield English, Ashley, Crawley, where tradition should be most persistent, yielded no result, and my first journey to Preston Candover cost me a severe cold. After one week of disappointment I found in Winchester a venerable singer who furnished seven good songs, one of which with an excellent tune begins: - ‘You sons of bold heroes, that have courage so bold, Come enter ’long me, my boys. I will crown you in gold, Come, go with me down to Spithead and there you will find A bold ship called the Linnet, she will pleasure your mind.’ I shall be extremely obliged if any of your readers will complete the text of which I have only this fragment. Tichborne followed with excellent tunes to ‘Adieu my lovely



Nancy,’ ‘Oh the week before Easter,’ ‘It was of one winter’s evening,’ and an exquisite version of ‘Sovay, Sovay.’ Sovay or Sophia, disguised as a highwayman, waylaid her lover, and after robbing him of his gold exclaimed: - ‘There’s a diamond ring I see that you wear, Deliver that and your life I’ll spare.’ Her lover replied: - ‘My ring of love a token was; That ring I’ll keep, though my life I lose’ When Sovay and her lover next met, ‘He spied his watch-chain hanging from her clothes’ And she then explained the purpose of her practical joke: - ‘I only did it for to know Whether you were loyal, yes or no; Since thus your worth I can divine, My heart, my hand, and my all are thine.’ The most strenuous piece of work I performed this year was the exploration of the Portsmouth Workhouse and Infirmary, to which I was admitted by the courtesy of the Board of Guardians. The officials did everything in their power to smooth my way, and in the course of fifteen days 100 songs were recorded. Only six of these were obtained in the women’s wards. One was a variant of ‘The Owl,’ published in ‘Songs of the West,’ and traced by Baring Gould to Henry VIII’s music book, ‘Deuteromelia,’ which appeared in 1609. The refrain runs:- ‘Cinnamon, ginger, nutmegs and cloves, And brandy gave me my jolly red nose.’ A melody in the Mixolydian mode, sung to the ballad of Lady Maisry (Child, 65), was exceptionally fine. It was in the garden of the House that my musical colleague and I noted most of the man’s songs. There we spent many a pleasant hour with our songsters and the hearers they attracted, and, if I may judge by the hearty response to my appeal, we did for a brief space contribute to their happiness. To the well known story of ‘Death and the Lady’ I discovered a quaint old fashioned melody. Much more ancient is the ballad of ‘Sir Hugh,’ of which I recovered a short text with one of the simple tunes that are naturally associated with a ballad. The legend is 700 years old, and the text probably goes back several centuries. It is surprising to find the tradition surviving to this day. Little Sir Hugh and his comrades were playing at the ball in Merry Lincoln town. They tossed the ball into a Jew’s garden. A Jewess dressed in green asked Sir Hugh to come in and fetch the ball. The boy replied: - ‘I can’t come in, now wont come in Without my playmates all.’ The Jewess then enticed him in with presents, ‘an apple so red,’ ‘a diamond ring,’ and ‘a cherry so red as blood.’ Then



‘She sat me unto a silver chair And fed me with sugar so sweet, She laid me on the dressing-board And stuck me like a sheep.’ Sir Hugh was buried in a well forty cubits deep. Thence his spirit cries and makes known the murder. Though the text is familiar to ballad lovers, it is seldom found associated with a melody. I have written at some length of this ballad to show the possibilities that are open to the song collector. I heard a distinctly English melody to ‘Donald’s return to Glencoe,’ while ‘Donald of Dundee’ was sung to a tune as decidedly Scotch. One of the most beautiful English sea songs is the familiar ‘Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish ladies.’ Of this I recorded a very fine variant. I had the pleasure of hearing a capital singer of chanties, a man who literally throbbed with music. I fear the chanties he gave me are already known, but his versions compare very favourably with those I have seen in print. I shall not soon forget ‘Away for Rio,’ ‘Blow the man down,’ or ‘Roll the cotton down.’ The best song I discovered in Portsmouth, and one of the finest I have ever heard, is entitled ‘At the dawning of the day;’ for the complete text I am indebted to Mr Kidson, of Leeds. I also had fresh and beautiful variants of ‘Brennan on the moor,’ ‘Young Reilly,’ ‘The Lake of Colephin,’ ‘Green Bushes,’ ‘The Bold Grenadier,’ and two fine songs, until then unknown to me, ‘Come, all ye true lovers’ and ‘Come, all you gentle muses.’ But I must pause, for without expiating at great length I could not do justice to my good songsters at Portsmouth. In the autumn of last year a young lady published in a London paper a series of articles entitled: ‘Why has England no folk songs?’ Without good evidence I cannot believe that she has ever been out of London. If she and the eminent geographer of whom I spoke at the outset had accompanied me on my visits to Preston Casndover and Axford they would have learned that even at this day England abounds in old-fashioned songs of great beauty and interest. Three of my singers in this area were born in 1823, 1824 and 1825. Their first songs they would learn before 1830, in the days of the stage-coach and the highwayman. These villages are remote enough now, but what must they have been eighty years ago? The musical influence which towns and cities exercised on them would then be extremely slight, and the current of ancient tradition practically unbroken. From such musical veterans we naturally expect, and actually obtain, ballads and songs of great age. The first of these singers gave me part of the ballad ‘Lord Derwentwater’ (Child, 209), Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford’ (Child 144), and ‘Lamkin’ (Child, 93); the third contributed a fragment of a Robin Hood ballad, which I have not yet identified, ‘The Broomfield Hill’ (Child, 43), and ‘Fair Margaret and Sweet William’ (Child, 74). One singer of Axford knew ‘The Knight and the shepherd’s daughter’ (Child, 110), a second ‘The Gypsy laddie’ (Child 200), another had the well known ballad ‘’The Maid freed from the gallows’ (Child, 95), and a fourth, ‘The Bailiff’s daughter of Islington’ (Child, 105), with a fresh tune. In a neighbouring village I recorded a short text of ‘Georgie’ (Child, 209), with a very beautiful melody, and ‘The unquiet grave’ (Child, 78). Within the compass of a few miles here are fragments of eleven of the ancient ballads of England still extant. Though there seems little chance of rescuing from oblivion unknown ballads, still we may hope to discover important variants of existing texts,



and to collect the beautiful melodies which have been associated with them for many generations. If further proof is wanted that the members of the Folk-song Society are dealing with very old material, it is to be found in the language of ‘The Lowlands of Holland,’ ‘Waly, waly,’ ‘The streams of lovely Nancy,’ ‘Come all you little streamers,’ ‘The outlandish Knight,’ ‘The Maid and the box,’ and many other songs just beyond the pale of the ballad. It was through the kindness of an old lady of Axford, known for many miles around as a singer and dancer, that I was enabled to record the most of the 164 songs that I collected in that district. To the budget she contributed no less than 41, and she thus takes rank with the two singers who last season supplied me with the largest number of songs. For once I will break my rule of secrecy and publish the three names:- Mrs Daniel Goodyear, Axford; Mr David Marlow, Basingstoke; and Mr George Blake, formerly of Lyndhurst and now of Bittern, Southampton. To the first of these I am indebted not only for many songs of good quality, but for her kindness in receiving my musical colleague and myself in her cottage and inviting the best singers of the neighbourhood to meet us. As the mass of material there accumulated has not yet been digested, I can only speak of it in a superficial manner. One of the most aged of my singers gave me a song about Nelson of high musical value, and a dainty song, ‘Pretty Nancy of Yarnmouth.’ From the old lady I had very fine versions of ‘The streams of lovely Nancy,’ ‘Lord Derwentwateer,’ ‘All in the sweet month of May,’ ‘the poor Irish stranger,’ and ‘Once I was a ploughing boy.’ Not less beautiful were some of the songs sung to me by the other women singers: ’Yonder sits a fair, lovely damsel,’ ‘Sheepcrook and black dog,’ ‘Young Edwin in the Lowlands Low,’ ‘as I walked out one midsummer morning, the weather being fine and clear,’ ‘and ‘Beautiful Nancy.’ Among the songs of the younger men I can at present only single out a few for praise, ‘Come all you feeling lovers,’ ‘Tis of a noble lord,’ ‘Down in our village,’ ‘Erin’s lovely home,’ and ‘Fanny Blair.’ Of the last song I require a coherent text; if any of your readers can supply one, he will do me a great favour and help a good cause. Before passing from Axford, I may say that it was here that I first encountered ‘Riding down to Portsmouth,’ of which my text is imperfect, and the curious doggerel song, ‘Jack Hall.’ One verse of the latter runs: - My name it is Jack Hall, chimbly sweep, chimbly sweep, Oh, my name it is Jack Hall, chimbly sweep. My name it is Jack Hall, and I loves both great and small, But my neck will pay for all, coming down, coming down, But my neck will pay for all, coming down.’ The text did not sound classical, but the tune was so striking that I admitted both to my collection. I have since then discovered that Jack was hanged in 1701, and that the country people have been warbling about him for 206 years. Such a measure of immortality almost indemnifies Jack for the awful penalty he suffered. I have no choice but to deal summarily with the other places I visited this season. Kingsclere Workhouse furnished melodious versions of ‘The long lost child,’ and ‘Jamie Raeburn.’ At Hartley Witney I experienced the greatest kindness from the Master, and obtained 15 songs, of which ‘Beautiful Nancy’ ‘Our Ship lies in harbour,’ ‘Come buy my roses’ and ‘Green besoms,’ are musically the most interesting. At Cliddesden I spent two pleasant afternoons in a hut with a shepherd and his dog, and to his kindness I owe the



beautiful songs, ‘Adieu, my lovely Nancy,’ ‘My father is a lord and a lord of high renoun,’ and eight others. On revisiting Alresford, I discovered what was a novelty to me, ‘Canada, heigh ho,’ good tunes to ‘Henry Martyn,’ ‘The Bold privateer,’ and ‘Ground for the floor,’ and a splendid Hampshire variant of the West Country song, ‘Widdecombe Fair,’ under the title ‘Isledown Fair.’ The last named song I again encountered at Itchen, Southampton in practically the same form. Devon will have to look to its laurels. The tract of country between Itchen and Fareham seemed to me more fertile in strawberries than music. Perhaps I went there at the wrong season, when people were too busy to see me. There I heard ‘One penny,’ to a good air, and ‘The sentry box,’ which is also known in Somerset, ‘I’ve just come down from Manchester,’ and ‘Twas of a jolly farmer.’ I found at Compton a fresh song, ‘Young Billy Brown,’ and then went on to Medstead, where I had as hearty a welcome as at Axford. The singer who gave me the beautiful air to ‘Georgie’ also sang a fine version of ‘A day too young.’ Another singer added 17 songs to my budget. The best of these was ‘In fair London city.’ ‘The Lowlands of Holland,’ ‘Young William,’ and ‘Rejoice, mankind,’ a carol, are also well worthy of mention. I have this year collected in the county 416 songs. These added to my collections of 1905 and 1906 bring my Hampshire budget to well nigh 900 songs. Elsewhere I have recorded about 100 more. Of the 92 English County Songs’ I have encountered about 35, of the 121 Songs of the West,’ I about 50, of the 79 ‘Songs of Somerset’ about 46, of Kidson’s 83 Traditional Tunes’ of Yorkshire, &Co, about 35, and a proportionate number of those contained in other collections. The conclusion is obvious. We are gathering not the songs of one county, but the songs of England; and out of the rough material that is being gradually accumulated we may hope one day to see prepared a monumental national collection of English songs, similar to the Scots Musical Museum, which James Johnson, with the help of the immortal Burns, gave to Scotland at the end of the 18th century. In conclusion, I have to offer my best thanks to all my singers for their patience and forbearance, to my musical colleagues, Mr Balfour Gardiner, Mr Gamblin, and Mr Guyer, for the extreme care and fidelity with which they have noted and re-written the tunes, and to many well-wishers throughout the county who have aided me in a somewhat difficult task. I am &co. George B. Gardiner.

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THE QUEST FOR FOLK SONGS IN HAMPSHIRE - … QUEST FOR FOLK SONGS IN HAMPSHIRE ... Spanish shore’ was sung to me in a cow pen by one ... it is to be found in the language of ‘The