Hi Jerry,

There's no aural link to the past for these songs, so it's a wonderful sense of discovery to learn the tune and words and present the song to an audience.

Thank you for this statement that I can very much identify with. Recently, someone questioned the validity of my trying to learn chanteys from "texts," implying that the only authentic learning is aural. While I'd wholeheartedly agree that aural learning of music is usually preferable, needless to say this person was under some illusions about the current state of chantey-singing and the extent to which a good percentage of even what is learned aurally comes from people using text references. For those songs where the aural link has dried up or been misconstrued, we can either leave them there on the shelf (and uphold a myth that book-learnin' spoils "folk" music) or else try to bring them to life for all the pleasure and interest they provide.

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As Jerry mentioned it, here is a logging of...

"Gimme de Banjo"

Print: Doerflinger; Hugill
Performers: DeCormier Folk Singers; Jerry Bryant; Forebitter; Bob Webb; Daisy Nell; Hart Backbord; Craig Edwards; Jeroen Burggraaf

Notes:

Hugill's text from Harding; Doerflinger's from William Laurie. I think both transcriptions are flawed, and it is hard (for me) to see just what they were trying to convey. Hugill's has some definite rhythmic errors, and cross-referencing with Doerflinger is needed to sort it!

Like Jerry, I had never heard this sung when I attempted to recorded a version, HERE
As can be seen, I interpreted the rhythmic inconsistencies as indicative of periodic pauses, dovetailing or vocals, and free meter, etc.

Interestingly, a group called the Robert DeCormier Folk Singers recorded a version in 1964, being the title track of their album! It can be heard HERE