Tune Req: Flora's farewell

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Flora's farewell
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Dec 03 - 11:30 AM

There were probably several tunes with "Summer time" in the title, as not all the songs involved have even similar metres. Insofar as there is an available candidate for the one mentioned in connection with Famous Flower, though, the best evidence is Bruce's that it will have been Callino.

Anyway, you will have a good few possibilities to play with once you've seen Bruce's material.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Flora's farewell
From: GUEST,pavane
Date: 19 Dec 03 - 03:21 AM

For some reason, Mimesweeper has blocked access to Bruce's site, so I can't check it until I get home. (maybe upset by P*** upon the grass?)

I appears from what you say that there ARE candidates for a suitable tune. For the purposes of a performance, I don't suppose it matters which, as long as the tune fits the song? Just thought it would be nice to do Famous Flower to a contemporary tune.

The summertime tune mentioned was just Summertime, not In Summer Time.
Might or might not be different I suppose.

Thank you for your help

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Flora's farewell
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 09:14 AM

A little background information may be helpful before trying Bruce's site, though you will certainly find several tune possibilities there, and some information which may not be available elsewhere.

The various tune names specified for older broadsides should never be assumed necessarily to be alternate names for a single melody; often they refer to completely different tunes to which the ballad may be sung. In this particular case there is some ambiguity, and Claude M Simpson (The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music, 1966, 749-752) goes into considerable detail under the heading Wert Thou More Fairer Than Thou Art. That title derives from a song by Thomas Stanley (Poems, 1651) which however was swiftly set by four different people, so it isn't possible to tell which is meant when the tune is prescribed for other, later songs; including Loves's Tide (c.1675 with that tune direction; originally licensed in 1649). Simpson prints four tunes, all of which can be found as abc at Bruce Olson's site.

In Summer Time was actually a different tune, which Simpson identifies tentatively with Callino Casturame; Bruce did further work on it and information can be found both at his site and in old threads here. He also mentions that Famous Flower was "printed by John Andrews before 1663, and entered [registered] by him on July 14, 1656".

It appears that there is no known music for Flora's Farewell.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Flora's farewell
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 08:35 AM

Have you checked the database on Bruce O's site?

Index page

Subject: Tune Req: Flora's farewell
From: GUEST,pavane
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 03:23 AM

While researching Famous Flower of serving men (Very old, dating to 1666 at least) I came across the name of a tune, and several old songs to the apparently the same tune under different names.

Does anyone know if this tune is actually in existence, or has it been lost?

Song names are:
Loves downfa(l)
Flora's farewell (or The shepherds love-passion song)
written by Laurence Price, before 1679 (and presumably before 1666)
Famous Flower of serving men

Tunes mentioned are:
A thousand times my love commend (Maybe the original name)
Flora's farewell
Summertime
True love rewarded with loyalty