Tune Req: Isle of St. Helena

Subject: Tune: Island of St. Helena
From: dulcimer
Date: 23 Nov 97 - 08:10 PM

Is there another name for this tune and does anyone know an ABC source on the web? Haven't been able to spot it search the usual places.

Subject: RE: Tune: Island of St. Helena
From:
Date: 24 Nov 97 - 01:02 PM

Is this for one of the Bounaparte songs in DT? Search on 'Helena'.

Subject: RE: Tune: Island of St. Helena
From: Nigel Sellars
Date: 24 Nov 97 - 02:27 PM

It's on the General Humbert II lp (Shanachie?) where it's sung by Mary Black.

Subject: RE: Tune: Island of St. Helena
From: leprechaun
Date: 24 Nov 97 - 03:46 PM

It's also on the "Mary Black Collected" album.

Subject: RE: Tune: Island of St. Helena
From: Songster Bob
Date: 26 Nov 97 - 02:32 PM

Which tune do you want? There's the one mentioned above (I'm pretty sure the Mary Black, et al tune is what I think of as "the new one") and the one on page 332 of "Traditional American Folk Songs from the frank and Anne Warner Collection" (Syracuse University Press, 1984). The two tunes are related, with one -- the "new" one -- being, as it were, more flowery and ornamented and the other -- the "old" one -- being more stark and direct.

I like the stark one (from Tink Tillett) found in the Warner collection.

My designation of "new" and "old" derives from which one I heard first, of course. I heard the Tillett one, recorded by the Warners on the outer banks of North Carolina in 1940, some twenty years or more ago, and have always liked it (and the accompanying text). I recommend it highly. I've never taken to the "new one."

Good luck. I recommend the Warner book very, very highly.

Subject: RE: Tune: Island of St. Helena
From: Bruce O.
Date: 26 Nov 97 - 03:12 PM

The Warner one is in DT. Search on 'BONY'. First item found. Warner Collection also gives reference to earlier versions of the song. Again, what are you looking for?