Phil,

I was going to suggest you go and find an alternative recording of 'Two Brothers' to give you a different angle from Bellamy's, but you've already done that. Listen to what PB does on verse 2: the first line is sung more or less in rhythm, but in line 2 he draws out the words 'and little can I play at...' in order to accommodate a three-note descending melisma on 'can'. If he'd sung 'can' on one note, the line would have been mush more regular - as Howard said, it's not all that difficult to unpick. If you imagine 'On Board a 98' sung to Bellamy's tune, but in the rhythm the Coppers sing 'Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy', you can get a handle on that one as well.

Was it arrogant to write a new tune for '98' when there was one available? Well, it's only what Bert Lloyd and others had been doing for years. I must admit I hadn't spotted 'Adieu SLN' as the basis for Bellamy's tune, but I hear it now. But of course he had to insert that great octave leap in the fourth line, which gave him the chance to sing one of his high notes. [I like 'painted his self-portrait on it', BTW!]


> people tend to go the other way - stretch out the metre, leave gaps for emphasis, accentuate the drama and mystery.

I'd have said the trend over most of the history of the revival was very much in the opposite direction, because people chose to accompany their songs with instruments that ended to impose a rhythm. When Bert employed Alf Edwards it wasn't just to keep him in tune - Alf could and did play very rhythmically. Most revival performers would slip in the occasional unaccompanied song to prove they knew how to do it, bu most of the stuff was highly rhythmic. It was only about half way through Martin Carthy's career that he dropped the very metrical guitar accompaniments and started playing behind the vocal line.

> I guess the lesson is just to go back to the source(s) wherever possible!

I think so...