E.J. Moeran: Complete Solo Folksong Arrangements
British Music Society BMS438CD £12.99

The 24-page booklet accompanying the CD contains an essay on E.J. Moeran and Folksong by Roy Palmer of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, as well as an extended note by Ian Maxwell on his edition of The North Sea Ground. The recording is released on the sixtieth anniversary of Moeran's death on 1 December 1950. It includes;

(7) THE NORTH SEA GROUND (C. Fox Smith)

Oh, Grimsby is a pleasant town as any man may find,
An' Grimsby wives are thrifty wives, an' Grimsby girls are kind,
An' Grimsby lads were never yet the lads to lag behind
When there's men's work doin' on the North Sea ground.

An' its 'Wake up, Johnnie!', for the high tide's flowin',
An' off the misty waters a cold wind blowin';
Skipper's come aboard and it's time that we were goin',
An' there's fine fish waitin' on the North Sea ground.

Soles in the Silver Pit – an' there we'll let 'em lie;
Cod on the Dogger – oh, we'll fetch 'em by-an'-by;
War on the water – an' it's time to serve an' die,
For there's wild work doin' on the North Sea ground.

An' it's 'Wake up, Johnnie!', they want you at the trawlin'
(With your long sea-boots and your tarry old tarpaulin);
All across the bitter seas duty comes a-callin'
In the winter's weather off the North Sea ground.

[It's well we've learned to laugh at fear – the sea has taught us how;
It's well we've shaken hands with death – we'll not be strangers now,
With death in every climbin' wave before the trawler's bow,
An' the black spawn swimmin' on the North Sea ground.]

Good luck to all our fightin' ships that rule the English sea;
Good luck to our brave merchantmen wherever they may be;
The sea it is their highway, an' we've got to sweep it free
For the ships passin' over on the North Sea ground.

An' it's 'Wake up, Johnnie!', for the sea wind's cryin';
Time an' time to go where the herrin' gulls are flyin';
An' down below the stormy seas the dead men lyin',
Oh, the dead lyin' quiet on the North Sea ground!

(Originally published in Punch, 24 March 1915)