English Dance and Song

I only have the autumn edition for that year (1967: XXIX, 3). Evidently the discussion began with an enquiry from a Bill Crumly of Oxford, who had 'collected' an example and wanted more information.

Dave and Toni Arthur pointed to the text in Williams, Folk Songs of the Upper Thames, and added that the song 'is printed with words and tune in vol 5 of the eight volume Franklin Square Collection published by Harper, 1881-91' and that there is a copy in the British Library.

E Francis Knowlson of Liverpool 'says that the song was published many years ago by Curwens, in a four-part setting. On the music copy it states that the words were written by "A.T." and the tune by Elizabeth Stirling.'

Miss E G Kirk of Hounslow 'remembers the song in a book called Songs from Far and Near, which she used as a schoolgirl about 1920...'

'From Winnipeg 10, Manitoba, Canada, David Williams writes to say that he too remembers singing the song as a schoolboy, about 1946-7-8 at Bideford Grammar School. There they sang a two-part arrangement from, he thinks, a Curwen score. He sent a copy of the tune as he remembers it.'


X:1
T:All Among the Barley
S:David Williams, Manitoba
N:Learnt at school in Bideford, 1946-7-8
N:Note values slightly modified in bars 15 and 27 to fit barring
N:Roud 1283
B:English Dance and Song, XXIX, 3, autumn 1967, 87
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
M:4/4
K:Bb
HF2 |d2 B2 A2 c2|B4 F3 F|G2 B2 A2 G2|F6
w:Come out tis now Sep-tem-ber the hunt-ers morn be-gun
BB|e2 A2 c2 B2|A2 c4 B2|A2 F2 A2 G2|F6
w:And_ through the wheat-en stub-ble Is heard the fre-quent gun
c2|B2 B2 e2 e2|d2 d4 d2|c2 B2 A2 G2|F6
w:The leaves are fad-ing yel-low and chang-ing in-to red
BB|d2 G2 f2 d2|ee e4 e2|e2 d2 c2 B2|A6 z2||
w:And the ripe and gold-en bar-*ley is hang-ing down its head.
d2 B2 A2 c2|B4 F4|G2 B2 A2 G2|F6
w:All a-mong the bar-ley who would not be blithe
BB|e2 A2 c2 B2|A2 c4 B2|A2 F2 A2 G2|F6 z2||
w:When the free and hap-py bar-ley is hang-ing on the scythe.
"last chorus only"BB|e2 d2 c2 B2|BA B4 c2|d6 z2|B6 z2|G6 z2|A6 z2|B6|]
w:And the free and hap-py bar-*ley is hang-ing on the scythe.


Florence Dennis of Derby 'also wrote to say that she sang it at school about 45 years ago...'

'Lastly, Fred Hamer of Bedford told me recently that he remembers it as a school song. From all this, it would seem evident that it has been a favourite for school use for many years...'

Tony Wales, 'Songs Under the Microscope', English Dance and Song XXIX, 3, autumn 1967.