Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset

Subject: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: Fiery Dragon
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 01:23 PM

Hi all,

I'm searching for folk songs collected near to where I live in Bradford on Avon, which is in West Wiltshire, close to the Somerset border, between Bath and Trowbridge.

I promised the leader of a local community choir that I would find some local songs for the choir to sing, but although I've found songs from other parts of Wiltshire and Somerset it seems as though the collectors bypassed this area.

Can anyone suggest places where I might look please.

TIA

Anne

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: RTim
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 02:04 PM

Hi Greggy/Anne,
Are you aware on the Vaughan William Memorial Library - Online?

Go to web site - http://library.efdss.org/cgi-bin/home.cgi
Where is says - Search Indexes, press and "slip" curser to "Cross Search"
This will reveal input windows - In first (Next to following words" enter "Wiltshire"
Clip and hold the "All Fields" and this will reveal the option "Place Collected"
Select that and press "Submit Query"
You should get details of 442 songs collected in Wiltshire, etc and where they can be
obtained - ie. Manuscript or book, etc..
You can do the same with Somerset also.
Using the source info., you can search online via Google for more details on the songs, etc..

Good Luck and Happy Hunting..

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 03:17 PM

Don't forget to search for the counties by name BEFORE the 1973 shuffle.

LTS

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: SRD
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 06:06 PM

You might try Wiltshire Folk Arts and the Wiltshire County council sites.

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: GUEST,Squeezer
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 06:07 PM

How close Greggy? I have a number of songs Sharp collected from the Chew Valley area, and a friend of mine sings the Dunkerton Carting Boys (sung to the tune of A Lassie from Lancashire) which was written as part of a fund-raising drive during the mining strike of 1909. I think he knows of one or two songs collected in Bath. I'll ask.

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 06:50 PM

This thread from 2008 Wiltshire Folksong Database refers to a resource on the Wiltshire Libraries website which might be useful. Mainly from the collections of Alfred Williams (Folk Songs of the Upper Thames), but has many items from other collectors.

Ross

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: Fiery Dragon
Date: 14 Jan 11 - 05:55 AM

Thanks everyone

I had found the Wiltshire County Council and Wiltshire Folk Arts sites. In fact I'm friends with Bob and Gill who run the folk arts site so I may ask their advice too. The problem is that there were plenty of songs collected from other parts of Wiltshire and Somerset but not many close to here.

I had another look at the Wiltshire Council's folksong database because I remembered there being a few songs from Trowbridge collected by Gardiner. None of them have more than one verse because the texts have gone missing. However I'll have a search for other versions of the songs and see if I can stitch something together.


I'd be very interested in the songs collected from Bath, Squeezer, if you can find them for me please.

Thank you so much Tim for your advice about the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. I had a look at it a few weeks ago and got lost and gave up, so I shall now follow your instructions carefully, remembering to look for the old counties (thanks, Manitas).

Thanks
Anne

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 14 Jan 11 - 07:49 AM

Just a thought, if you can find any West Gallery or Village Choir music from the area look up the people whose manuscripts they were collected from. There may be some secular music recorded there as well.
I've been looking at the Nuttall manuscripts for local variations on folk tunes (they are already available on the internet) and the Nuttalls are primarilly known as West Gallery composers.

Robin

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: Mike Yates
Date: 15 Jan 11 - 04:52 AM

In have just finished writing an article on the Reverend Geoffry Hill and the songs that he collected in Wiltshire. The article is now on-line on the Musical Traditions website. (www.mustrad.org.uk). This may be of interest.

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: Fiery Dragon
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 06:00 PM

Thanks, Mike. I just skimmed through the article. Gosh that is hot off the press.

I'd already found some of his songs while searching for carols on the Wiltshire Council's folksong database. In fact we sang the Britford "Awake and join the cheerful choir" carol at our carol sings in Bradford on Avon, and one of the choirs had been taught all the parts beforehand, so we raised the roof with it.

I've been having great fun searching the online database of the Vaughan William Memorial Library and have just re-joined EFDSS after many years break.

I've discovered that George Gardiner collected a lot of songs in the Bath area and that several of them were published in a set of 4 books by Frank Purslow, The Constant Lovers and The Foggy Dew (both of which I have)and Marrow Bones which I believe has been reprinted and The Wanton Seed which is out of print.

He also collected a few songs from Trowbridge which is even closer to home, but unfortunately the notebook containing the text went missing leaving only the tunes and sometimes the first verse.
Most of them have been cobbled together with texts from other versions and put into books.

The only song that was ever collected from Bradford on Avon was one verse, text only, which is down as God Save Joe. This is only available as a manuscript at VWML but the first line is given and it looks like a version of Gossip John or Gossip Joan. A song with a similar first line called Gossip Joe was collected in the village of Blagdon in Somerset, which is not far away. Once again there is only one verse but this time with a tune. It is also only available as a manuscript. I suppose if I get hold of both manuscripts and compare them with similar versions of the song I should be able to cobble something together similar to what might have been sung in dear old BOA.

Anyway I'm now able to investigate several songs from the area, and already have some in my 2 little books.

Thank you all for your help

Anne

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 06:52 PM

Hi Anne - all best wishes for your search, and hope to see you in Sidmouth next month!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: JeffB
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 02:53 PM

Sharp collected the first verse of Gossip Joe from Thomas Blunt of Blagdon on 29/4/1905. The other verses here have been supplied from other versions.

With two or more singers who don't mind hamming it up it works well as a comic conversation.

1   Good morning Gossip Joe, where have you been a-walking?
       Good morning Gossip Joe, what have you been a-talking?
    For I have got for you, for you, for you, for you, for you, for you,
       I've a budget full of talking, oh Gossip Joe.

2   Our dog's gone to the copse and I can't tell where to find him - [ x2 ]
       Leave him alaone, he'll soon come home, he'll soon come home, he'll soon come home
    and bring his tail behind him, oh Gossip Joe.

3   Our pig he is not well - Pray tell me what's the matter? [ x2 ]
       Oh it was but the other day, the other day, the other day
    he ate the wooden platter, oh Gossip Joe.

4   Our duck she swallowed a snail (quack quack), now isn't that a wonder [ x2 ]
       for the horns grew out of her tail, her tail, her tail, her tail, her tail, her tail
    and split her rump asunder, oh Gossip Joe.

5   Our cow she had a calf beneath the parlour window. [ x2 ]
       If it hadn't been for the bull's hulloa, the bull's hulloa, the bull's hulloa
    she wouldn't have had her labour, oh Gossip Joe.

6   Let's to the alehouse go and wash down all our sorrows. [ x2 ]
       I'll tell you all my trouble and grief, my trouble and grief, my trouble and grief,
    and we'll meet again tomorrow, of Gossip Joe.

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: Fiery Dragon
Date: 18 Jan 11 - 04:47 PM

Thank you so much, Jeff.

I'm sure our community choir in Bradford on Avon will have great fun with it.

And hello Kitty. I shall be running up and down the street in Sidmouth always wanting to be in two places at once.
See you there

Anne

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: RTim
Date: 19 Jan 11 - 02:16 PM

There is a new article by Mike Yates on Wiltshire songs on the Musical Traditions web site.
see - http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/rg_hill.htm

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jun 12 - 01:35 PM

Hi,
I am looking for folk songs depicting the mining and railway industries which were collected locally in Somerset and in particular North Somerset, Radstock and the Mendip region.
If anyone has any information I'd greatly appreciate it.
Many thanks indeed,
Amanda
www.mrspricesparlour.com

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: GUEST,Squeezer
Date: 19 Jun 12 - 04:49 PM

Hi Amanda,

Dave Byrne of the Hotwells Howlers sings The Dunkerton Carting Boys (see my post of 13.1.11 above) and he happens to be collecting mining songs himself at present.

Subject: RE: Folk songs from W Wilts and NE Somerset
From: SRD
Date: 19 Jun 12 - 05:01 PM

There is an article on Mustrad about Mrs Amy Ford of Low Ham, Somerset by Bob and Jacqeline Patten. I understand the recordings are on the British Library site. These may be of some use.