Origin: Lots of Fish in Bonavist' Harbour

Subject: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbour
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 11:51 AM

My sister's 4th graders are learning this song, as a folk song from Newfoundland and they'd like to know more about the origins/history of it, PLUS if there are more verses. They only have a couple of verses in their songbook.

Anything would be appreciated...I know we've got a few of you living there....who knows maybe there could be a Paltalk link up and you could tell them the story live?

Thanks a bunch!

kat & bet, her sister

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 11:59 AM

If it were possible to do a live link here are the hours when the 4th graders are in her classroom, Mountain Time, which is 2 hours earlier than Mudcat time:

4th grade is 8:40a - 9:05a then again 9:05a to 9:30a.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: nutty
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 12:07 PM

THE WORDS ARE HERE KAT.......and a MIDI

BONAVIST HARBOUR

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 03:53 PM

Thanks, Nutty, I'll tell my sister, maybe there are more words than their books has.

She's really interested in getting the origin/story of the song itself. Thanks a bunch,

kat

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: bet
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 05:35 PM

Nutty, Thanks for the words and midi. I didn't think about just looking for Bonavist' Harbour. Do you know any of the history of the song?bet

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 08:21 PM

The song is in the DT as FELLER FROM FORTUNE. This title may be more common. Sheet music (not so clear, though) is HERE. The following note is copied from Edith Fowke's The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs (1973, p. 202):

"Another rollicking dance song that reflects the life in Newfoundland's outports, this is set to an old Irish fiddle tune used in the United States for the college song Co-ca-che-lunk. Bonavista is one of the largest ports on he east coast, Carbonear is the largest town in Conception Bay, west of St John's, and Burin Peninsula on the south coast. Cassis is a wine imported from the tiny French island of St Pierre off Newfoundland's south coast."

Sheet music for "Co-ca-che-lunk" is in Levy (CLICK HERE) (also on Web Helper.net: CLICK HERE).

Title: Student-Songs. No. 2. Co-Ca-Che-Lunk. An American Student-Song.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: na
Publication: New York: Firth, Pond & Co., 547 Broadway, 1855.
Form of Composition: strophic with chorus
Instrumentation: piano and voice
First Line: When we first came on this campus, Freshmen we
First Line of Chorus: Co-ca-che-lunk-che-lunk-che-la-ly, Co-ca-che-lunk-che- lunk-che-la-ly, etc.

I don't know what the "old Irish fiddle tune" is.

~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: CO-CA-CHE-LUNK
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 09:23 PM

"Co-ca-che-lunk" was a war song, too. Edward Arthur Dolph (Sound Off!, 1929, pp. 312-313) included it with tune under "The Blue and the Glory: Civil War Section," with this comment: "This was known as 'The Camp War Song.' It has a good swinging tune and is sung very effectively by large groups. Since the war many colleges and schools have produced words of their own to the tune, but have always used the same old chorus. The text given here is from 'The Camp Fire Songster' of Civil War days."

CO-CA-CHE-LUNK

Since our muskets we have shouldered
In the cause we love the best,
Let us sing wit hearty voices
As today we here do rest.

(CHORUS)
Co-ca-che-lunk-che-lunk-che-lay-ly
Co-ca-che-lunk-che-lunk-che-lay-ly,
Co-ca-che-lunk-che-lunk-che-lay-ly
Hi! O, Chick-a-che-lunk-che-lay.

We will fight for Freedom's honor,
Guard it from the traitor's hand,
And we'll raise its spangled banner
Over all our native land.

CHORUS

Many eyes from here are looking
At the deeds we do today;
All united we will battle
And to victory press our way.

CHORUS

Since our muskets we have shouldered
In the cause we love the best,
Let us sing wit hearty voices
As today we here do rest.

CHORUS

"Co-ca-che-lunk" (as a college song: "When we first came on this campus...") is also included in The Most Popular College Songs (Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, 1904, 1906, p. 80; with music) and Carmina Princetonia: The Princeton Song Book (G Shirmer, 21st ed., 1927, p. 104; with music).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: masato sakurai
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 01:51 AM

Note (above) corrected:

"Another rollicking dance song that reflects the life in Newfoundland's outports, this is set to an old Irish fiddle tune used in the United States for the college song Co-ca-che-lunk. Bonavista is one of the largest ports on the east coast, Carbonear is the largest town in Conception Bay, west of St John's, and Fortune is a fishing settlement on the Burin Peninsula on the south coast. Cassis is a wine imported from the tiny French island of St Pierre off Newfoundland's south coast."

~Masato

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 02:04 AM

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 02:15 AM

The DT version is from Fowke's Penguin book, and she follows that of Kenneth Peacock pretty closely [in his "Songs of the Newfoundland Outports", 1965, I.53, with the tune; collected 1951]. His own note says: "This rollicking native ditty has achieved wide popularity first it was first collected ten years ago. It is one of several native songs from the National Museum's collection used by the late Gerald S. Doyle of St. John's in his 1955 booklet Old-Time Songs of Newfoundland. It has also been included in other anthologies and on several recordings. A week or so after I had collected it in St. John's, I was in Fortune and inquired about the 'feller.' No one had ever heard of him, but I did find a cowboy-type singer who sang a variant called 'The Feller from Burgeo'. Unfortunately, the guitar drowns out most of the words on the recording, so it cannot be reproduced here. As a matter of fact, the words that are audible indicate that the variant would probably be unprintable anyway." - and adds that "cassis" is black currant brandy (a favourite beverage of Hercule Poirot).

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: baywop
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 02:52 AM

One thing about Bonavista is that it is the closest town to St. Pierre there has been smuggling of liquor through Fortune for a long time. A feller from Fortune might have been quite popular in Bonavista if he had brought along some "trade goods".

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: bet
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 09:53 AM

Once again Thanks! I knew someone there would be able to give us a little history. It always stirs up interest if I can add some. bet

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From: raredance
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 10:45 PM

There is a recording of this by Tom Kines on record #9 of "Canadian Folk Songs A Centennial Collection"

rich r

Subject: RE: Help: Story of Lots o'fish in Bonavist Harbou
From:
Date: 13 Feb 02 - 12:04 AM

why don't you suggest she hook her class up with a class from some outport near there?

mg

Subject: RE: Origin: Lots of Fish in Bonavist' Harbour
From: GUEST,Big D of College Park
Date: 28 Nov 20 - 08:53 PM

Happily this zipped onto my mind upon ranging from Newfoundland to Veracruz and Martinique a bold remembrance of Alexandria, Virginia like Belle Haven.

Subject: RE: Origin: Lots of Fish in Bonavist' Harbour
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Dec 20 - 03:25 PM

GEST has the following:

http://gestsongs.com/01/lotsofish.htm