The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #168484   Message #4070514
Posted By: GUEST,henryp
02-Sep-20 - 04:44 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Rigs o' Rye / Two Rigs of Rye
Subject: RE: Origins: Rigs o' Rye / Two Rigs of Rye
From Joe Offer above; Here's the version on pp 31-32 of Ord's Bothy Songs and Ballads

Again from Mainly Norfolk. Thank you, Reinhard.

A recording of Fred Jordan singing The Rigs of Rye made by Dave Bryant in 1978 or 1979 was included on his Veteran anthology A Shropshire Lad. Mike Yates noted:

It is not surprising that Fred should have picked up this fine Scottish song, which he probably first heard in a folk club or festival. At one time it must have been extremely well-known throughout Scotland, with Gavin Greig collecting at least 35 sets. John Ord, who included the song in his 1930 collection of Bothy Songs and Ballads, was clearly unaware of Greig's work when he wrote, “This fine old country song appears to have been missed by all the well-known collectors.” A chapbook version, dated 1806 and titled The Ridges of Rye, is housed in the Glasgow University Library.