Subject: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Ed. Date: 19 May 08 - 04:27 AM Apparently Martin Carthy recorded a version of Searching for Lambs for a 1976 John Peel session. Does anyone know of any extant recordings of this? I'd love to hear his version. Thanks, Ed |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Newport Boy Date: 19 May 08 - 05:04 AM The Free Reed "Carthy Chronicles" (2001) lists this session under "those transmissions known still to exist". This probably means only the BBC has it. Phil |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST,Ed Date: 19 May 08 - 04:18 PM Thanks Phil. I have the 'Carthy Chronicles' boxed set so was aware of that. I doubt any amount of pleading on my part will make the BBC release it. I suppose I was wondering if anyone had taped it off the radio or some such... |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Pete_Standing Date: 19 May 08 - 11:11 PM Ralphie might be able to confirm, from his time at the Beeb. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST,KevBoyd Date: 20 Nov 08 - 06:12 AM I have a recording of this session. Martin's version is unaccompanied and uses the same tune and very similar words to the version recently recorded by Bella Hardy. I don't have the tape or the Carthy Chronicles booklet to hand but from memory I believe the other tracks on the session included "Worcestershire Wedding" and "Unfortunate Tailor". There may be another track too but I can't recall it at the moment. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Dave Sutherland Date: 20 Nov 08 - 06:25 AM Brigg Fair?? |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST,Ed Date: 20 Nov 08 - 06:41 AM Thanks for the info, Kev. The other tracks (as per the link in my first post) were The Unfortunate Tailor, King Knapperty and Willie's Lady Ed |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST,KevBoyd Date: 20 Nov 08 - 07:04 AM Of course. I should have checked out the link before I replied. Considering how many previously / subsequently unreleased songs he recorded for the BBC, it strikes me that a Carthy "Peel Sessions" album is well overdue, assuming that enough good quality versions of the recordings are still around. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: VirginiaTam Date: 21 Nov 08 - 11:38 AM My partner has decades worth of Peel's Sessions on audiocasstte. Another retirement project to get them on the harddrive. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: VirginiaTam Date: 22 Nov 08 - 08:23 AM sigh. his recording only date back to 1981. sorry |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST Date: 12 Jan 09 - 04:42 AM I finally dug out the tape and transcribed the lyrics that Carthy sings. It's not much different to the usual versions: "Searching For Lambs" As I walked out one May morning, one May morning betimes I overtook a fair young maid just as the sun did shine How gloriously the sun do shine, how fragrant was the air There's none but her and her alone among the lilies fair What makes you stroll abroad so soon, your journey to pursue Your pretty little feet they tread so sweet to strike off the morning dew I'm going for to feed my father's flock, his young and tender lambs That over hills and lonesome rock lamenting for their dams How gloriously the sun do shine, how fragrant was the air I'd rather rest on my true love's breast than any other where For I am thine and thou art mine, none shall uncomfort thee We'll join our hands in wedded banns and a-married we shall be |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Bryn Pugh Date: 12 Jan 09 - 06:24 AM Did MC then miss out the verse : 'O wait, O wait, you fair young maid, And rest a moment here - For there is none but you alone That I do love so dear' ? |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Big Al Whittle Date: 12 Jan 09 - 02:55 PM I'd rather rest on my true love's breast..... I might write a follow up this called - 'piss off! you're squashing my tits....!' |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Steve Gardham Date: 12 Jan 09 - 03:25 PM Why don't you just ask Martin to sing it for you? he's very obliging. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST,KevBoyd Date: 14 Jan 09 - 07:05 AM Byrn: Yes, he missed out that verse. Steve: Yes, he is isn't he. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Kev Boyd Date: 11 Mar 12 - 08:15 PM I've now uploaded this entire Peel session to Soundcloud (better late than never!). Sound quality isn't 100% but it's listenable and you can download the file. Find it here. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST,Ed Date: 12 Mar 12 - 06:24 AM Excellent! Thanks very much, Kev. As you say, the sound quality isn't brilliant but it's far better than nothing. Thanks again, Ed |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray Date: 12 Mar 12 - 07:08 AM Braw. Thanks. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: pavane Date: 12 Mar 12 - 10:26 AM Was this song collected more than once? If not, then surely the words should be the same. I have only heard the version recorded by (the late) Tony Rose |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST,Ed Date: 12 Mar 12 - 11:43 AM Pavane, A note from Malcolm Douglas posted to folkinfo.org: "Like The Death of Queen Jane, this was noted from Mrs. Sweet; at Somerton, Somerset, on the 2nd August 1906 and again on the 16th August 1907. Either Sharp has made rather more changes to her text that he says, and introduced a verse (fourth above) from somewhere else, or Mrs. Sweet sang the song rather differently on those two occasions. Maud Karpeles includes that verse in the set of the song printed in The Crystal Stream (1975) but not (confusingly) in the much more extensive Cecil Sharp's Collection of English Folk Songs (1974)." |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: pavane Date: 12 Mar 12 - 03:26 PM Thanks Ed - so only one source but two versions. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Joe Offer Date: 22 Jul 15 - 07:18 PM Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry for this song: Searching for LambsDESCRIPTION: A young man meets a girl and asks her where she is going. She is going to feed her father's "tender lambs." He begs her to stay with him. They court for long. (He hopes that) they marry.AUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1905 (Reeves-Sharp) KEYWORDS: sheep courting marriage love FOUND IN: Britain(England) Ireland REFERENCES (5 citations): Sharp-100E 48, "Searching for Lambs" (1 text, 1 tune) Reeves-Sharp 90, "Searching for Lambs" (1 text, a composite of five versions) SHenry H548, p. 341, "One Morning Clear" (1 text, 1 tune) DT 474, SRCHLAMB ADDITIONAL: Maud Karpeles, _Folk Songs of Europe_, Oak, 1956, 1964, p. 43, "Searching for Lambs" (1 text, 1 tune) ST LO09A (Partial) Roud #576 CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "Branded Lambs" [Laws O9] (theme) NOTES: For the rather vexed relationship of this song with "Branded Lambs" [Laws O9], see the notes to that song. - RBW Last updated in version 2.6 File: LO09A Go to the Ballad Search form Go to the Ballad Index Instructions The Ballad Index Copyright 2015 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: GUEST,henryp Date: 23 Jul 15 - 07:20 AM From the wonderful Mainly Norfolk site; Bob Lewis sang Searching for Lambs on the 1995 Veteran CD When the May Is All in Bloom. John Howson commented in the album notes: A.L. Lloyd suggests in Folk Song in England that this beautiful tune is the kind that owes its form to the mingling of the art of the peasantry and the art of the townsfolk. It was a great favourite of Cecil Sharp and in Somerset he collected five versions between 1904 and 1909. He included it in a number of publications, some with piano accompaniment, and as such it was one of his chosen 'English folk songs' which became popular as a drawing-room song: It also appears in Novello's Schools Series which was compiled by Sharp and Baring-Gould in 1906 and in fact Bob learned it at school when he was 12 or 13 from a master who was interested in folk songs. References to the song are infrequent and most published versions seem to be one of Sharp's, although Hammond did note down three versions in Dorset under the title Under the Moon Shines Bright and there is a text (1934) in Sam Henry's Songs of the People called One Morning Clear but the source is said to be 'not given' and although it has several similar lines it is a much fuller song. Searching for Lambs should not be confused with Searching for Young Lambs [Roud 1437; Laws O9] which has been frequently collected, notably from George Spicer in Sussex. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Steve Gardham Date: 23 Jul 15 - 02:29 PM Having looked now at all of the extant versions, it looks like Martin's text is collated like many others from those collected by Sharp. These comprise the bulk of the versions. There appears to be 5 stock stanzas and then 3 or 4 more, unique to single versions, mostly garbled. The 4 Sharp texts with tunes (others tune only) are given in Karpeles, 'Cecil Sharp's collection of English Folk Songs' from Mrs Sweet, James Bishop, Mrs Bray and Susan Williams. Vol 1 p373 onwards. Marina Russel's version (Dorset) only has 2 verses (a third from other songs) and Sam Dawe's version has the 3 stock starting verses. Both of these from the Hammond Collection. The Full English also gives some versions of 'Searching for Young Lambs' among these which I will try to get put right shortly. The Sam Henry version is probably close to the original if not the original itself. It is very flowery and most likely comes from the pleasure gardens of the 18thc. Sam may have got it from one of those 18thc songsters published with the tunes. It is interesting to note that Henry's verses are double as are 2 of Sharp's versions. This version has the first 3 verses of the English versions and then goes off on a flight of fancy with another 7 verses of the same ilk. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Steve Gardham Date: 23 Jul 15 - 02:39 PM I ought to add that apart from the Henry version all of these are viewable on the Full English website. |
Subject: RE: Martin Carthy: Searching for Lambs From: Steve Gardham Date: 23 Jul 15 - 02:41 PM Go to the site, click on 'advanced search', in the box put the Roud number 576 and all of them should come up along with a few 1437s. |
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