I'm always trying to find the tune for horkey songs which were sung at the harvest festivals. There are some words published in old books and people still remembered them in the early 1900's but I don't know if anyone remembers now. They usually started out "horkey, horkey..." Sometimes it is spelled harkey, herkey and other spellings. They are harvest home songs, usually very simple.
So I saw this message that the Essex Record Office had recordings of interviews with people including one lady who remembered when they sang Horkey songs. But I don't know if the recordings are just interviews with speech or if anyone actually sang anything. The CD's are 15 pounds each plus postage which is a little stiff just to satisfy curiousity, and I cannot conveniently go to the Essex records office to listen to them. Here is the contact info:
Martin Astell Sound Archivist Essex Record Office, Wharf Road , Chelmsford CM2 6YT
"The recording referred to in [their] Sources on Folk Song and Music leaflet is an interview with Daisy Wright of Great Sampford (Acc. SA497)."
I'm leaving off the details, because I don't want the poor guy to get spammed to death. But the Essex Record Office has a site on the internet.
Has anyone gone there? Does anyone know about this source and does it include any music? Grateful for any information.