Captain Swing songs

Subject: Captain Swing songs
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 10:58 AM

I've been asked to look into ideas for a song cycle to commemorate the Swing Riots of 1830 in south-east England.

I have the Hogsbawn/Rude book, but whilst rich on social context, has little on ballad material. I can think of songs like 'Rigs of the Time', 'Owslebury Lads' and 'Painful Plough'. Any others?

Subject: RE: Captain Swing songs
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 11:23 AM

There isn't a huge amount of material available. However, several of Roy Palmer's books have the kind of material you're looking for. See especially, The Painful Plough. Cambridge UP. 1973, which has quite a number of suitable songs.

There's also very likely some usable material in his Touch on the Times.

There is in addition, Mike Yates's Musical Traditions article, Stand Up Ye Men of Labour; The Socio-Political Songs of Walter Pardon. http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/pardon.htm .

Finally, Reg Groves' Sharpen the Sickle; A History of the Farm Workers' Union, has a small number of songs at the back. No tunes unfortunately.

Finally, if you can run a copy of The Critics Groups' Waterloo Peterloo, on the Argo label to earth, there's a recording of Brian Pearson singing Henry Burstow's The Labouring Man.

Subject: RE: Captain Swing songs
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 11:24 AM

Might prove difficult - Roy Palmer in both The Sounds of History and A Ballad History of England thinks that the Owslebury Lads is the only song noted that was directly related to the riots ("with the possible exception of the rick burner's anthem which might have been written by the author in Kingley's Yeast (1851)" - slightly paraphrased by me).

Mick

Subject: RE: Captain Swing songs
From: folk1e
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 11:28 AM

Geof Higginbotom does one about captain swing, I'm not sure if that is the title or not but I am sure others will know more than me.He also does a good one of the Peterloo masacre!

Subject: RE: Captain Swing songs
From: Terry McDonald
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 11:34 AM

I suspect the 'Captain Swing' one was written by Graham Moore.

Subject: RE: Captain Swing songs
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 11:40 AM

I suspect so too, Terry, because I think I've heard Geoff sing it. I've certainly heard Graeme Knights sing it. Not traditional, but definitely about the Swing riots. And firmly set in Dorset. From Graham Moore's Tolpuddle show.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Captain Swing songs
From: Stower
Date: 20 Aug 09 - 02:55 PM

Roy Bailey also sings this on his album, 'Coda'.

Subject: RE: Captain Swing songs
From: Cats
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 07:38 AM

Might be worth looking further afield for Captain Swing songs as he was very much in evidence down here as well. In fact the last recorded crime in my village was rick burning

Subject: RE: Captain Swing songs
From: Bonecruncher
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 08:59 PM

When singing the song "The Owslebury Lads" please note that "Owslebury" is pronounced "Usslebury" by the Hampshire locals.
Colyn.