27 May 10 - 01:03 AM (#2915106) Subject: Lyr Add: JONES' MUSICAL PARTY (Harry Clifton) From: Artful Codger Jones' Musical Party is an unusual Harry Clifton song in that four song parodies are embedded between its verses (which share a common tune). I've prepared a MIDI of the entire piece, including piano accompaniment and bridges, but for "study" purposes, I've also prepared separate MIDIs of the various tunes used—except for "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", which I assume everyone knows. First I'll present the song outline, then the lyrics (with Steve Gardham's notes), then the ABCs for each tune, and then some notes on the songs being parodied. In the song outline, numbers in square brackets correspond to the numbering for ABC tunes and MIDI files. Song outline Piano introduction Verse 1: [1] Basic tune (8 lyric lines) Reprise of first half of basic tune (using remaining 4 lyric lines) Piano break 1 Verse 2: Basic tune [2] "Oh would I were a bird" parody Piano break 2 Verse 3: Basic tune [3] "Oh if I had someone to love me" parody Piano break 2 Verse 4: Basic tune [4] "Oh, Jerusalem", short comic song Piano break 2 Verse 5: Basic tune "When Johnny comes marching home" verse Narrative conclusion sung to "When Johnny" Brief piano conclusion JONES' MUSICAL PARTY Written and sung by Harry Clifton. [ca. 1867] Arranged by Michael Hobson. [1st Verse.] Mrs Jones gave a musical party, And friends she invited them all. There was old Mr Bonner so hearty, And young Mr Jenkins so tall, And singing young Ladies, they came by the dozen, With half-a-crown copies tied up in a roll. Handsome Miss Johnson, her bother and cousin, And Bunker who prates of his musical soul. And very queer songs they were singing, If I can remember a few, As they are in ears ringing; I'll try and repeat them to you. 2nd Verse. After a deal of persuasion Miss Johnson consented to sing A piece of her vocalization, Which doubtless she thought quite the thing. She simper'd and whimper'd in such a queer manner, And up to the instrument came with a swing; And thumping five minutes upon the Piano, For symphony, this is the song she did sing: "Oh would I were a bird," Now was not that absurd To hear a lady singing, She would like to be a bird. How very strange to see, Her perch'd upon a tree, And screwing up her mouth, To whistle some new melody. Could she get any rest Tuck'd up in a nest, And feeding on canary seed And chickweed of the best? So I thought it so absurd, To wish she was a bird, But that was not the only very funny song I heard. 3rd Verse. A tall sentimental young lady Was press'd very hard for a song. Young--did I say on the shady side Of two score; perhaps I am wrong. She twisted her mouth in a curious fashion, Her hands on the instrument came with a bang, Went over the keys in a style she thought dashing, And this was the style of the song that she sang: "Oh, if I had someone to love me"-- I though it would be a hard case. If she ever found someone to love her, She made such a funny grimace. She wanted someone to share trouble; Their care to the winds she would fling And change her from single to double, So she continued to sing, "Oh if I had someone to love me"-- I thought, tho' it may be too bad, If 'twould put an end to her singing, We'd be satisfied if she had. 4th Verse. Young Tomkins, who's just one and twenty, Consider'd a nob and a swell, If cheek constitutes, he had plenty And self estimation as well. He said, "he would give us a comical ditty, If we'd join in the coal-box": that was his slang. I cannot acknowledge 'twas wonderfully witty; Judge for yourselves by the song that he sang: Oh! Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Oh! Jerusalem, the costermonger's donkey. Oh! Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Oh! Jerusalem, the costermonger's donkey. 5th Verse. Of their singing and shouting, quite tired I was, when a gentleman cried In a song that is always admired Whenever to sing it I've tried. It certainly was not a drawing-room ditty. I'll try and remember a verse if I can. He claim'd our indulgence as well as our pity And clearing his throat--"Ahem"--in this style he began: 1. When Johnny comes marching home again, Hurrah! hurrah! We'll give him a hearty welcome then. Hurrah! hurrah! The girls will sing and the boys will shout And neighbours say, "They'll all turn out," And we'll all feel gay When Johnny comes marching home. And we'll all feel gay When Johnny comes marching home. 2. They shouted out till they were hoarse: Hurrah! hurrah! Discordant voices loud and coarse: Hurrah! hurrah! Unobserv'd I slipp'd away Well satisfied with ev'ry lay, Tho' I cannot say, "that I felt gay Till I was safe at home. Tho' I cannot say, "that I felt gay Till I was safe at home. Source: Period sheet music published by Hopwood and Crew, serial number 1117 Lyrics and MIDI transcriptions by Artful Codger. Notes by Steve Gardham:
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27 May 10 - 01:22 AM (#2915110) Subject: Tune Add: JONES' MUSICAL PARTY (ABCs) From: Artful Codger ABC transcriptions You should be able to copy everything below this paragraph as a single multi-tune ABC file. Alternatively, separate at the dotted lines, making sure to retain a blank line after each tune. To create scores in PDF form, try using the ABC converters at Concertina.net or folkinfo.org. |
27 May 10 - 02:15 AM (#2915121) Subject: Jones' Musical Party: Tune notes From: Artful Codger First, let me confess ignorance about the origin of the main tune; in particular, I don't know if Clifton wrote it or not. If you know the tune by another name or source, please let us know. Oh would I were a bird Charles Blamphin wrote both words and music for the original song, which can be found online in the Lester S. Levy Collection: Levy Call Number: Box 120, Item 034 Title: O Would I Were a Bird. Ballad. Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Composed by C. Bamphlin. [Note that they've misspelled his name, so a search on "Blamphin" will fail.] The tune is essentially as given in the Clifton song. A short sampling of the lyrics: Oh would I were a bird / That I might fly to thee And breathe a loving word / To one so dear to me. How happy would I be, / Carolling all the day-- If only blest with thee, / Beguiling time away. Oh if I had someone to love me This title appears on several antiquarian bookseller lists associated with Frederick Buckley. Buckley was a contemporary of Clifton's, and several examples of his work can also be found in the Levy, for instance: My Home Is on the Sea (1858) Written by S.S. Steele. Music by Fredk. Buckley, Musical Director of Buckley's Opera Troupe, N.Y. O[h] Jerusalem Searching on the combination of Jerusalem and costermonger turned up one quotation of the lyrics, which was also exact: Excerpt from the novel Tim (1891), by Howard Overing Sturgis, pp. 124-5: Tim was writing his weekly letter to his father, but consented readily to accompany him [Tommy Weston, his school chum], if he would wait till he had finished ; and the concluding sentences were rendered even more laborious than usual to the scribe, by the distracting behaviour of his companion, who was occupying the interval with a sort of highland fling, while he sang to a well-known Scottish air, just then familiarised to Southern ears by the base uses of a comic song, these remarkable words— Correction: The arranger's name is Martin Hobson, not Michael (as I've unfortunately written in several threads besides this one). |
27 May 10 - 05:49 AM (#2915177) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jones' Musical Party (Harry Clifton) From: GUEST, Sminky I suspect a slightly earlier date, perhaps, given its widespread popularity by early 1867. The 'great comic song' was sung on Wed Jan 9th, 1867 in Bray, Ireland (Freemans Journal, Dublin), on the same day at Shipston-on-Stour, along with 'Shelling Green Peas' (Berrow's Worcester Journal) and on Tuesday 8th at Wrexham (Wrexham Advertiser). |
27 May 10 - 03:15 PM (#2915480) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jones' Musical Party (Harry Clifton) From: Steve Gardham Fred Buckley I think was a member of 'Buckley's (New orleans) Serenaders' a minstrel troupe. According to Kilgarriff they were formerley called The Congo Melodists est 1843 by James Buckley (1803-72)and his sons, Frederick (1833-64),R Bishop (1826-67), and George Swain Buckley (1829-79). Disbanded during the Civil War. I have a later English song book of 'Buckley's Serenaders' so the troupe must have continued using that name in England after the Civil War, obviously without Fred, but presumably still singing some of his songs. |
27 May 10 - 06:42 PM (#2915604) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jones' Musical Party (Harry Clifton) From: Joe Offer OK, this is going to be interesting. I hope this works. If it does, the tunes are compliments of Artful Codger. Thanks, AC. -Joe- Click to play (1)Click to play (2)Click to play (3)Click to play (4)Click to play (full) |
27 May 10 - 06:52 PM (#2915611) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jones' Musical Party (Harry Clifton) From: Artful Codger Bravo, Joe! |
27 May 10 - 07:30 PM (#2915643) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jones' Musical Party (Harry Clifton) From: Artful Codger Steve Gardham pointed out to me that the song "Oh Jerusalem" uses the same tune as the refrain of "Ka-Foozle-Um". The original sheet music for the latter can be found online in the Lester S. Levy Collection; search for "Ka-foozle-um", including the hyphens. Jack Campin has just added (in a thread on "Ka-foozle-um"): The tune is derived from "Katie Bairdie", which dates back to at least the Skene MS of the early 17th century (as "Kette Bairdie"). Katie Beardie in the DigiTrad, with (for once) extensive notes, but sadly, a broken tune link. |
27 May 10 - 07:40 PM (#2915649) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jones' Musical Party (Harry Clifton) From: Artful Codger I still think there is a hymn link between "Katie Beardie" and "Ka-foozle-um" (and particularly between "Katie Beardie" and "Oh Jerusalem", which I suspect to be a sibling of "Ka-foozle-um" rather than a derivative) which we have not yet uncovered. |
27 May 10 - 11:57 PM (#2915768) Subject: Kafoozleum From: Artful Codger If you're curious, Joe Offer and I have just posted the lyrics and a MIDI for the original "Kafoozleum" to this thread: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=50715#2915763 There are a number of other Kafoozleum threads, mostly using other spellings and devoted to bawdy "Harlot of Jerusalem" versions. |
28 May 10 - 12:09 AM (#2915776) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jones' Musical Party (Harry Clifton) From: Artful Codger In a "Please post tunes here" thread, Sorcha provided this ABC for "Katie Beardie": X:1 T:Katie Bairdie, also spelled Katie Beardie L:1/8 M:4/4 Q:1/4=160 K:D A>B A>G F>G A2| E>F G>F E>F G2| A>B A>G F>G A2| D2 F (I've added an X: line for those less ABC-literate.) |
28 May 10 - 01:57 AM (#2915806) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jones' Musical Party (Harry Clifton) From: Artful Codger Thread on "Katie Beardie", with MIDIs: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=2085 |
01 Jun 10 - 06:18 PM (#2918591) Subject: Lyr Add: JERUSALEM CUCKOO (from Bodleian) From: Jim Dixon Just to add to the confusion, here's another song about a donkey named Jerusalem. It also mentions Kafusalem. The Bodleian library has 2 copies of this broadside: Firth c.26(204) and Firth c.26(296). JERUSALEM CUCKOO 1. I am a donkey driver. I'm the best that's in the line. There's no donkey on the road that can come up to mine. Talk about Kafusalem and other donkeys too, No donkey on the road can beat Jerusalem Cuckoo. CHORUS: Shout, boys! Hurrah! My troubles they are few. No donkey on the road can beat Jerusalem Cuckoo. 2. My donkey, 'tis a beauty, his colour rather pale. His ears are long and graceful with a beautiful curly tail. You have only got to whistle and he knows what he's to do. A stunning ear for music has Jerusalem Cuckoo. 3. One day I took my donkey across to Brighton sand. A lady she got on his back as they passed a German band. The donkey he got frightened. The lady off he threw, While loud above the band was heard the voice of my Cuckoo. 4. I thought my donkey smart enough to run in any race. I took him to the Derby and backed him for a place. The signal it was given, and off the horses flew. First horse at the latter end was Jerusalem Cuckoo. 5. I always am contented. Not a cross word do I say. I always get a bit of meat, and the donkey gives the bray; And if he kicks the bucket, I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll lay me down and die beside Jerusalem Cuckoo. |
05 Jun 10 - 11:04 PM (#2921584) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jones' Musical Party (Harry Clifton) From: Artful Codger See this thread ("Lyr Req: Jerusalem Donkey ???") for a bit more info on the song Jim posted. |