Folklore: DEMDYKE!

Subject: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 17 Aug 09 - 09:20 AM

Fleetwood Folk Club in An Unearthly Pact with The Earthbound Souls has the Somewhat Dubious Honour of presenting the Premier of...

DEMDYKE!

Being a Most Thrilling Sequence Tales of the Lancastrian Supernatural in Music, Song and Story.

Words by : Mr Ron Baxter (Narration, Storytelling & Drones)
Music by : Mr Ross Campbell (Singing / Fylde Cittern & Anglo Concertinas)
               Ms Rachel Rapunzel McCarron (Singing / 5-String Banjo / Daisyrock Electric Guitar / Indian Harmonium & Remo Frame Drum)
               Mr Sean Sedayne McCarron (Singing / Diverse Percussions / Hungarian Citera / Black Sea Fiddle / Low Mute English Whistle / Welsh Crwth / English Stylophone & Indian Shruti Box)   

This Most Horrid Abundance of Witch Trials, Incantations, Elves, Devils, Green Men, Ghosts, Boggarts, Teanlowe Fires, Sea-lore, Folklore and Suchlike Singularity to performed be Invoked at:

The Steamer Hotel,
Queen's Terrace,
Fleetwood,
Lancashire, UK
Thursday 27th August 2009 at 8.30pm
£3.00 / Floor Singers Welcome!

*

Also to be Performed as part of The 2009 Fylde Festival. Details forthcoming...

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 18 Aug 09 - 07:49 AM

DEMDYKE! now has a myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/demdyke

Four songs from the show up so far, rough takes recorded during recent rehearsals; all words & narrations by Ron Baxter...

The Oldest of the Land - set by Ross to his own tune, who sings & plays Anglo Concertina / Rachel singing / Sean on Morris Bells, Frame Drum & Dumbek

The Green Man's Song - set by Sean to the tune of Nonsuch, who sings and plays Hungarian Citera / Rachel on Indian harmonium / Ross on the Fylde Cittern

The Witches Justification - set by Ron to the tune of The Owl (Of All the Birds) - sung by Sean (+ Burmese Temple Bell), Rachel (+ Indian Harmonium drone), Ross and Ron.

Mother Carey's Chicks - set by Rachel to her own tune, who sings and plays Daisyrock Electric Guitar, with Ross on Fylde Cittern and Sean on Welsh Crwth.

*

In the gale the spray was flying
All over the foreshore
With her widows weeds a weeping
A lonely woman there I saw,
Said, as she stared across the bay
Board the Lois he went down
Though his bodies lost forever
I know where he will be found.

For he flies with Mother Carey's chicks
He flies with them across the foam
Upon the Stormy Petrel's wings
With them his soul is borne.

No marble cross, no marking stone
For those lost to the sea
Yet I know where my love's gone
For the Good Lord He decreed
That the souls of all drowned fishermen
To Heaven will not ascend
But fly above the rolling swell
�Til time itself shall end.

So he flies with Mother Carey's chicks
He flies with them across the foam
Upon the Stormy Petrel's wings
With them his soul is borne.

So He called on Mother Carey
And His order to her gave
Your daughters they shall carry all�
Those lost out on the waves
For their life was on the ocean
So in death still let them roam
Over their own fishing grounds
Until I call them home.

So he flies with Mother Carey's chicks
He flies with them across the foam
Upon the Stormy Petrel's wings
With them his soul is borne.

Then she turned & faced the driving spray
And as the wind streamed out her hair
Cried - though you are not coming home
I know that your still there
Aye, I know you're not returning
And your face I'll see no more
Where the Stormy Petrels fly
I know that's where you'll be.

For you fly with Mother Carey's chicks
You fly with them across the foam
Upon the Stormy Petrel's wings
With them your soul is borne.

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: theleveller
Date: 18 Aug 09 - 08:07 AM

That's a great song. The idea that when sailors or fishermen are drowned they turn into seagulls is a long-held belief on the east coast of Yorkshire, especially around Flamborough. To some extent it still exists. Several years ago my father went to a funeral of an old friend who had always maintained that, when he died, he wanted to turn into a seagull. As the coffin was being lowered into the grave, a huge flock of seagulls gathered overhead, flew around for several minutes and then disappeared.

It was this belief that led me to write the following, based on the aftermath of the 'Great Storm' of 1873.

Two Seagulls

The wind blows wild across the bay
Young woman stands alone
Upon the cliffs of Flamborough Head
Looking out to sea folorn.
And in the offing she can see
No boat to ease her pain
No sight of her young William Dunn
Come safely home again.

Two days it's been since he set sail
Two days now since the storm
That claimed so many boats and men
That February morn.
And as she raises up her eyes
A seagull overhead
Seems to cry, "My Annie dear
Your William Dunn is dead".

Then to the cliff edge she does run
And over she does go
Her body falling like a gull
Into the sea below.
But as the waves close o'er her head
Her soul now free does fly
And over Flamborough Head there glide
Two seagulls in the sky.

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 18 Aug 09 - 12:06 PM

Uncanny stuff!

As indeed is this: DEMDYKE.

Our show at The Fylde Festival is on the Saturday afternoon in The Mount Hotel, which clashes with Tony Benn & Roy Bailey; still, it's a free event for all those fringe-lurkers without a ticket...

New wyrd banner on the myspace page - & even wyder slide-show...

http://www.myspace.com/demdyke

Come listen! Befriend! Comment! Enjoy!

And remember:

The Steamer Hotel,
Queen's Terrace,
Fleetwood,
Lancashire, UK
Thursday 27th August 2009 at 8.30pm
£3.00 / Floor Singers Welcome!

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: theleveller
Date: 18 Aug 09 - 02:52 PM

Fabulous stuff - in every sense of the word!

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 19 Aug 09 - 03:02 AM

Cheers, TL!

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 22 Aug 09 - 05:15 AM

Just thought I'd nudge this one up again for anyone out there looking for a dose of something suitable Wyrd(ish) for the weekend. Actually I see this as being in the Mr Fox Tradition of Oddness, Darkly Idiomatic to the Celebration of Folklore and the Supernatural - an entirely unplugged sort of Folk Rock indeed. As theleveller points out above it is, in truth, fantastic stuff in every sense of the word.

DEMDYKE!

I've redone the slide-show, featuring some pics from our rehearsal the other night, though the one of Rapunzel playing her banjo was taken a few weeks ago. I've also done a wee bit of blurb which will be updated as more things occur.

If nothing else, do check out the recording of Mother Carey's Chicks which really is rather spiffing...

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: theleveller
Date: 22 Aug 09 - 12:07 PM

Hope it goes well - I'd love to see you perform it someday.

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Paul Burke
Date: 22 Aug 09 - 12:25 PM

Tune, Primitive Socialist?

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Amos
Date: 22 Aug 09 - 12:31 PM

Dang--I thought this was going to be a political/gay rights thread!! :D


A

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 22 Aug 09 - 12:37 PM

Pity about the letdown Amos! Though I'm sure a quick Google search will provide the desired... :-)

Lovely stuff SO'P & Rapunzel, much taken with Mother Carey's Chicks..

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 23 Aug 09 - 04:27 AM

Cheers, CS! And on my birthday too...

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 23 Aug 09 - 04:52 AM

Huppy Buthday to You! Get anything good?

A Leo, same day as my Da actually. Which reminds me I should give him a bell!

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 23 Aug 09 - 08:29 AM

Leo indeed, but only just! Lots of nice things - some no-one will ever understand - like the remastered edition of Tales of Topographic Oceans which has been close my heart since I was twelve and still makes me cry like a baby. On a wee CD spree in Preston yesterday I also decided to give some precious vinyl a rest with the purchase of such CDs as Ivor Cutler's Jammy Smears, The Mothers' We're Only in it for the Money and the Bonzo's Let's Make Up and be Friendly. The joys of Action records, which also furnished us with The Monkeys' Head on DVD to watch last night as my birthday film. Seriously cool!

Lots of books, including The Stations of the Sun, The Collected Poems of George Mackay Brown, Alice in Sunderland, Pitmatic: The Talk of the North East Coalfield, The Last of the Tin Smiths : Willie McPhee and a rather fetching gew-gaw from York Minster which reproduces part of a carving from the Chapter House in which the placement of an acorn relative to a male figure would appear to be strategic! Here's the carving as a whole, wherein all the foliage is being disgorged by a fetching Green Man. Also features a squirrel and a bird:

York Minster Chapter House, 20th August 2009

I had the Chapter House all to myself on Thursday morning for about 7 minutes or so, allowing Sundog to take control for some merry resonant Jew's Harping whilst contemplating the nature and purpose of such imagery...

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: theleveller
Date: 23 Aug 09 - 04:04 PM

I was also in York on Thursday, visiting a client in St Saviourgate. I wondered what the strange, stirring resonance was that seemed to briefly float across the air.

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 24 Aug 09 - 10:38 AM

Ha! Came out pretty good too - have a listen at: http://www.myspace.com/solusperhelia - it's the first track you'll hear, an unedited field recording on my Zoom H4 using two different Jew's Harps: the first is a low Vietnamese Dan Moi type, the second is an ultra-low Hungarian Doromb. The rest of the sounds consist of me photographing the Green Men I was contemplating whilst recording!

York Minster Chapter House 2 - 20-8-09

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 11:23 AM

Hey! That's TONIGHT!

The Steamer Hotel,
Queen's Terrace,
Fleetwood,
Lancashire, UK
Thursday 27th August 2009 at 8.30pm
£3.00 / Floor Singers Welcome!

We are the oldest of the land,
Of us the Celts and the Picts they sang,
No human-kind saw our dawn,
We were old e'er Rome was born.
We saw the dragon ships sail by,
We heard great Arthur's battle cry,
O'er all this land our kin are cast -
We are the first well be the last!

DEMDYKE! on Myspace - check it out!

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 11:20 AM

It go well?

Just spotted this thread at the bottom of the list, and it reminded me, that quite coincidentally I'm reading this old pulpy novel called "Mist Over Pendle" where the Demdike character has recently appeared... Not all that up on the Lancashire Witches, and somehow after finishing this novel (suitable for kids really), I suspect I'll still be no better informed. Care to say more about the eponymous Demdyke?

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 11:34 AM

Ooooh - best ask Sailor Ron about that, CS - he's our author & resident folklorist! He's just been on the blower actually for a debrief...

Interestingly, one of Mr Fox's finest songs is called Mendle - a dark, chilling drone-scape wherein witches incant over Velvet Underground style noise. It takes it title from the fact Carole Pegg was reading Mist over Pendle whilst touring in Lancashire; the title became spoonerised as Pissed Over Mendle, but the record company would only allow them to use the Mendle bit. Love Pendle though, we're often over that way.

Good show last night; spirited if not exactly flawless, but it bodes well for The Fylde and subsequent performances, not mention The CD...

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 01:10 PM

He he! On Demdike... Just found this brilliant bit of trashy poopy doo. It's SO a modern version of exactly the kind of stuff that bred the hysteria around the witch craze: 'Most Haunted' Pendle Hill

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 05:18 AM

Thanks for that, CS. I remember when Most Haunted first started it was announced on the cover of the Radio Times as Psychic TV which made me giggle. Used to watch it avidly but lost interest when Derek moved on...

Anyhoo:

DEMDYKE! will be performed a Second Time as part of the Fylde Festival at 3.00pm on the afternoon of Saturday 5th of September at The Mount Hotel, Fleetwood. This event is entirely Free.

DEMDYKE on Myspace - enter if you dare!

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Sailor Ron
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 05:35 AM

Demdike [or Demdyke] was the 'leader' of the Pendle witches, all of which, bar two, were hung for 'murder by witchcraft', note not for being witches. Of the two not hung Demdyke herself died in Lancaster Castle before she could meet the hangman, yje other was found noy guilty of 'murder by witchcraft' but guilty of 'witchcraft' for which she got two years in prison, this would seem to indicate it wasn't being a witch that was a great crime but what you did with it.
The only evidence against the Pendle Witches was what they said themselves, if they'd kept their mouths shut they wouldn't have even been brought to trial, and no torture was applied to force the confessions.
Incidentally at the same time the three Salmsbury witches were found not guilty [again at Lancaster], and their accusor was told by the judge that if he ever saw her again she'd get a one way ticket to Virginia! It was only her age [14] that saved her.
In England 48% of those accused of witchcraft were found not guilty, & only 5% were actually hung [not burned in England]. One 'funny' fact is that per head of population the country with the highest proportion of witchcraft trials was, of all places, Iceland.

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 07:17 AM

Thanks Sailor Ron. It seems - at least from my novel - that the ladies themselves expressed some conceit regarding their supposed powers.

Yeah, Derek WAS 'Most Haunted', what a classic glitzy showman. Great stuff! On that Most Haunted clip, there's a weep with laughter bit, when someone from the audience at home, fax's a 'psychic impression' of a ubiquitous old hag - the presenter does a brilliant job of being genuinely "Amazed"!

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 07:19 AM

Think I mean generic not ubiquitous, but anyhoo, the Spirit of the Demdike, would appear to live on...

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 07:49 AM

I don't think Derek's done anything too interesting since either, though my daughter remains a fan; there was a grainy charm about early Most Haunted which I found quite compelling.

A new image meanwhile from the DEMDYKE! premier on Thursday:

Ron & Ross in Spectral Trance - Photo: Terry McCarron. In the background you can see Alan Middleton perusing the programme. Yes, folks - DEMDYKE! is unique among Folk Events in that it has a Souvenir Programme!

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 03:27 AM

DEMDYKE! at the FYLDE FESTIVAL
The Mount Hotel, Fleetwood,
Saturday 5th September, 3.00pm
FREE!!

We'll be giving tasters at The North Euston Hotel at mid-day today, and tonight at The Cabaret Club in The New Boston.

Nice spooky moon last night over Fleetwood; looking promising! Full Harvest Moon tonight...

*

As part of Ron Baxter's Heritage Walk today (3.00pm, meet in The Mount Hotel) Ross, Rachel & Sean will be singing Lost by the sea-front memorial that commemorates all the Fleetwood boats lost with loss of life. Words by Ron, music by Ross. Weather permitting of course but it doesn't look too bad just now.

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 04:44 AM

Just uploaded a rehearsal take of Ross (voice & Fylde 12-string), Rachel (voice) & Sean (voice & low whistle) performing Lost earlier in the week. A very special song. Have a listen at:

http://www.myspace.com/fleetwoodfolkclub

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 05:01 PM

Sean, Rachel, Ross, Ron, that is BEAUTIFUL. I wish I could get to Fylde this weekend and hear the whole thing.

I hope the performance goes well.

All the best,

Nigel

Subject: RE: Folklore: DEMDYKE!
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 05 Sep 09 - 03:59 AM

Well, it's 8.30pm on Saturday morn after getting to bed at three... An hour in which to get my shit together before skipping off over the mount to The Mount Hotel, there to compère for none other than Brian Peters' Child Ballad show. An oddly ungodly hour for such a sterling entertainment methinks, especially as last night I had the bright idea of doing a wee sampler from DEMDYKE! at Dave Jones's legendary late-night cabaret at The New Boston by way of promotion. Taking the stage at half-one in the morning, our admittedly wyrd brand of idiomatic of trad. folk must have seemed wyrdly out of place amongst the crafted comedy routines and slick singer-song writer acts who crowded the stage. We four ramshackle and windswept souls guided only by the Harvest Moon to present our particular brand of cunning before an audience who, like us, knew it was way past their bed-time - which is why I didn't hang around after our set to watch the set by the snappily dressed gentleman who turned out to be none other than Big Al Whittle, though of course curiosity was tugging on my shirt-tails...

Anyhoo, now I must calculate the exact amount of coffee needed to transform me from the near-comatose mess I am presently to something at least half-way presentable in a little under an hour. Your thoughts and prayers would be appreciated in this respect; last night I dreamt that my first words of my introduction for Brian's show were Does Folk exist?....