Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 15 Nov 15 - 03:45 PM

That version of the ballad with the crankie would be somewhat confusing if one didn't know the story from other versions. The penknife appears in the crankie but is not mentioned in the song. And the dialogue with the ghosts occurs without an introductory verse about her seeing them.

Although I enjoyed Elizabeth and Anna's gig at the Musical Traditions Club in London I would have preferred to hear more of Elizabeth's harder style of singing as on her first CD and in the snatches of her singing in the video linked by Bill D 15 Nov 15 - 10:26 AM.

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Nov 15 - 10:26 AM

They both play banjo & guitar

Here is a good intro to Elizabeth's story

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Nov 15 - 09:20 AM

What's the instrument? Plucked cello, guitarron, ...?

Verbal oddity: the woman lives in "the dark" (not "in York", as in most British versions) but falls in love with "her father's clerk", which doesn't rhyme because they use the American pronunciation of "clerk". So somehow, lyrics and pronunciation have drifted out of sync, after some intermediate stage where they matched. She'd have to live in the murk to make them fit together again.

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 11:05 AM

Yes... very American. Elizabeth is from southern Virginia and steeped in Appalachian folklore & music.

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 11:01 AM

I liked it a lot.

Are they American ? pronouncing ' clerk ' as written and not the English pronunciation ' clark '

Dave H

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 10:56 AM

More here On You Tube

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 10:51 AM

It is a moving version of a slide show. Art work is done on a roll of paper or fabric about 18" high and mounted in a box frame. This is 'cranked' by hand by the singer... or in the case of Anna & Elizabeth, one of them, while the other plays or sings.

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 10:43 AM

What is a crankie?

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 10:35 AM

Indeed... there are versions of the tune I like better, but this ballad has many, many treatments. I know Anna & Elizabeth personally, and I know how they try to balance the length of the version with the artwork.

(I have 3 versions of Shirley Collins singing it, with & without other voices on the chorus, and I agree it is well done.)

This one is stark enough.....

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Jeri
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 10:27 AM

I've seen/heard them do this song/crankie. I love the crankies, and Anna's guitar accompaniment is appropriately creepy and very original.

Subject: RE: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 10:19 AM

Interesting. But, for me, the song version doesn't displace Shirley Collins's version with banjo. I know that comparison is invidious, of course! I like the illustrations a lot.

Subject: Child #20- Greenwoodsidey- illustrated
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Nov 15 - 10:04 AM

Anna & Elizabeth have added a new 'crankie' to their collection.

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/anna-elizabeth-greenwood-sidey

For those who've not seen them, you can find several other examples on YouTube