On 4th August Sorcha posted an ABC for "The Fox Went Out", labelled file [FOXOUT5. This tune was a variant of the 'normal' tune in the DT under "the Fox" [FOXOUT. I have never heard the tune which the Copper Family used for this song, but I have found a similar (but shorter) text by The Young Tradition on So Cheerfully Round. This has a completely different tune, suitable for 'a capella' harmonising.

There are a few other no-tune songs on So Cheerfully Round that I hope to transcribe shortly - Watercress-O; Reynard The Fox (3) (on the LP as "The Foxhunt"); The Hungry Child; and Whitsun Carol. Also another version and tune of The Dragoon And the Lady

DADDY FOX

Daddy Fox, he went out one chilly night,
He prayed to the moon for to give him light;
For he'd many, many miles to go that night,
Before he came to his den-o.
Den-o, den-o,
For he'd many, many miles to go that night,
Before he came to his den-o.

So he grabbed the grey goose by the neck,
And he throwed a duck all across his back.
And he heeded not their quilly quilly quack,
Nor the legs all a-dangling down-o.
Down-o etc.

Then old mother Twiddle Twaddle jumped out of bed
And out of the window she stuck her little head;
Cryin', "Oh John, Oh! Now the gray goose is dead
And the fox is away to his den-o!"
Den-o etc.

So John, then he rode to the top of the hill
He blowed his little horn both loud and shrill.
"Play on!" said Reynard, "with your music still,
While I trot away to my den-o"
Den-o etc.

Then old Daddy Fox and his cubs and his wife,
They cut up the goose without any knife.
Saying, "I never ever had such a supper in my life!
And the cubs, they can pick on the bones-o!"
Bones-o etc.

MIDI file: DADDYFOX.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 110 (545454 microsec/crotchet)
Key: B
TimeSig: 4/4 48 8
Name: Daddy Fox
Text: S:The Young Tradition
Start
0000 1 66 127 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 71 127 0479 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0479 0 71 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 73 127 0479 0 73 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 66 090 0719 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 68 127 0479 0 68 000 0001 1 68 090 0239 0 68 000 0001 1 68 090 0239 0 68 000 0001 1 68 090 0479 0 68 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0239 0 64 000 0001 1 63 127 0479 0 63 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 71 127 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0479 0 71 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 73 127 0479 0 73 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 66 090 0719 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 75 127 0479 0 75 000 0001 1 75 090 0239 0 75 000 0001 1 76 090 0239 0 76 000 0001 1 78 090 0479 0 78 000 0001 1 78 090 0239 0 78 000 0001 1 76 090 0239 0 76 000 0001 1 75 127 0959 0 75 000 0001 1 73 090 0959 0 73 000 0001 1 71 127 1919 0 71 000 0001 1 75 127 1919 0 75 000 0001 1 73 127 1919 0 73 000 0001 1 71 127 1919 0 71 000 0001 1 73 127 1439 0 73 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 71 127 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0479 0 71 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 71 090 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 73 127 0479 0 73 000 0001 1 73 090 0239 0 73 000 0001 1 70 090 0239 0 70 000 0001 1 66 090 0719 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 75 127 0479 0 75 000 0001 1 75 090 0239 0 75 000 0001 1 76 090 0239 0 76 000 0001 1 78 090 0479 0 78 000 0001 1 78 090 0239 0 78 000 0001 1 76 090 0239 0 76 000 0001 1 75 127 0959 0 75 000 0001 1 73 090 0959 0 73 000 0001 1 71 127 1439 0 71 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
X: 149
T:Daddy Fox
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:110
S:The Young Tradition
N:So Cheerfully Round, 1967
K:B
FF|
B2BB B2(AB)|c2(cA) F3F |
G2GG G2FE|D2F2 F2FF|
BBBB B2(AB)|c2(cA) F3F|
d2(de) f2fe|(d4 c4)|B8||
d8|c8|B8|c4- c2FF|
BBBB B2(AB)|c2(cA) F3F|
d2(de) f2fe|d4 c4|B6||


Wassail! V