Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 07:09 AM

As Mike says the song is not literally about Bob Cooney because Ian Campbell wanted it to be a song fitting in the wars of the twentieth century so Bob was too young. But Bob lived with the Campbell's as well as being a long time friend they knew from Aberdeen from before the SCW. I think he is bound to have been a major inspiration for the song, but it would good to get the full S.P. from Ian Campbell - anyone? I have heard a tape of Bob himself singing the The Old Man's Song.
The Mudcat Thread About Bob Cooney

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: mikesamwild
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 01:16 PM

A writer can bemoved by someone's experience and fit the words around .It could have been a fusion of thousands of people and their experience. I wrote a song about my Grandma but changed dates and places , she became a symbol of her times. Ian Campell knew Bob well and what he stood for so it's possible. Unless we get it from the horse's mouth I don't know. he never claimed it was about him.. That was what Ewan McLennan said and he's a young chap.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: Owen Woodson
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 12:02 PM

Hi Mike,

That would make him about ten years too young to have been the subject of the song, especially as the Boer war was over by 1902.

Even so, and while I never met Bob Cooney, I'm sure he empathised with the spirit and the sentiments.

"When you think of all the wasted lives, it makes you want to cry.
I'm not sure how to change things but by Christ we'll have to try."

Amen.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: mikesamwild
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 10:25 AM

Hi Owen b. 1908 in Sunderland son of an Aberdeen cooper I knew he was about the same age as my Dad Sam b 1907 . They were great mates and Bob came and he sang at Sam's funeral in Sheffield in 1982.


Bob's nephew Neil wrote this article which will show a folk singer in his social and political context

http://aberdeenvoice.com/2011/06/the-amazing-life-of-bob-cooney-part-1/

I think the song was not lierally true as it had to get lots of 'bliddy wars' in, including the Boer War.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: Owen Woodson
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 10:02 AM

Mike, I had to do a double take there. "Ewan is going from strength to strength"? Now they were the days!

I recall an edition of Spin, the magazine of the Spinners, which printed that song and which said that IC wrote it after the Ian Campbell folk group had done an evening for some old age pensioners and he'd got talking to one of them in the interval. Given the era whn Campbell wrote the song (late 60s?), would Bob have reached retirement age.

CTOI. The opening line says "At the turning of the century I was a boy of five". That would mean the song's subject would have been born in 1895 and about forty when the Spanish civil war broke out. That would not have been impossibly old of course, but does anybody know the year Bob was born?

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: mikesamwild
Date: 25 Apr 12 - 07:09 AM

I went to a concert by Ewan McLennan the other week in Sheffield , it was put on by Folk Against Fascism and MC'd by Roy Bailey he sang The Old Man's Song and mentioned that Ian Campbell said it had been inspired by Bob Cooney of Aberdeen ( who lived a long time in Birmingham , with the Campell family) Bob had been in Spain as Political commissar to the British Battalion.

Ewan is going from strength to strength as a singer and guitarist and has 2 albums out.

He said the Whitby concert was a brilliant inspiration to him.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: mikesamwild
Date: 05 Sep 11 - 07:00 AM

Well Dick Gaughan actually!

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: mikesamwild
Date: 04 Sep 11 - 06:05 AM

Martin Simpson has jamie Foyers on his new CD.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: GUEST,cujimmy
Date: 31 Aug 11 - 02:30 PM

People who enjoyed this concert may be interested in the Raise Your banners festival in Bradford between Friday 25th and Sunday 27th November -

http://raiseyourbanners.org/index.php?page=RYB-2011

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: SylviaN
Date: 29 Aug 11 - 03:26 PM

The song in Spanish that I sang at the concert was a Chilean lullaby called "Duerme, Duerme Negrito".

Although it wasn't from Spain, it holds a vivid memory in my lifetime me of the successful military coup in Chile and the way intelectuals and artists were murdered by the Pinochet regime, as they had been during the Spanish Civil war. My version was taken from that sung by Victor Jara, who many of you know was tortured and then murdered in the Santiago Stadium.

My other experience of a military coup was while I was living in Spain and the military staged what was to be happily unsuccessful when King Juan Carlos I ordered the soldiers back to barracks and they went. It was the most frightening few hours I have every spent, especially looking at the expressions in my friends faces who feared the worse, as there were many who wanted the coup succeed.

Keith sang "Spanish Ladies" to remember how in previous conflicts where British soldiers had been in Spain to fight, love flourished and some married and had children. When the conflict was over, they were ordered home and were not able to bring their Spanish families with them. On the return of the International Brigades to their home lands, there will have been similar partings.

Sylvia

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: Willa
Date: 29 Aug 11 - 07:21 AM

I'd just like to say that, like the other posters, I found this an informative and moving experience.
Congratulations to all those who took part.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: mikesamwild
Date: 29 Aug 11 - 07:14 AM

I also had lots of nice comments from people who had found it a moving and informative event. Thanks to all who took part and came along. The Brunswick hall is a great venue for acoustic singing and playing.
Marshall Mateer is making a record of events commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936. He video'd the whole event. If anyone made a good audio recording I think Geoff and the rest of us would be pleased to get hold of an MP3 or a CD. It would make a nice Youtube file with the photos.
I have made a proposal to the International Brigade Memorial Trust to put together a compilation CD of songs fro archives and by various artists and obviously some or all of the the songs sung at Whitby would be great to include.
I'm talking to various producers.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: GUEST,cujimmy
Date: 29 Aug 11 - 07:06 AM

Excellent - better get cracking, lots of songs to learn, hope this concert is repeated next year though.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Aug 11 - 05:00 AM

Damn. I wish I could have been there.
Sounds like it was a wonderful concert, and it's a subject that has intrigued me for years.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 29 Aug 11 - 04:12 AM

Thank you for all the appreciative comments. I shall email this Mudcat link to the other performers so they all know how well the concert was received. To GUEST cujimmy , and anyone else who wants to learn the songs featured in the concert here below is a link to the Mudcat permathread Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War where posts about the songs can be found – usually with lyrics and links to recordings of the songs

SONGS IN ENGLISH ABOUT THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

In case you don't remember the titles of the songs which featured in the concert here they are alongside the names of the performers:

Ewan McLennan          Jarama Valley (instrumental) and The Old Man's Tale/ Song
Mike Wild                   Our Open Eyes Could See No Other Way
Alison McMorland      Jamie Foyers
Geoff Lawes               Eight Men and Clem Beckett
Jerry O'Reilly             The Connolly Column and Viva La Quince Brigada
Geordie McIntyre      Salud International Brigade and Another Valley
Sylvia Needham and Keith Kendrick Jarama Valley (Sylvia also sang a song in Spanish and Keith sang Spanish Ladies neither of which is in the list)

And thanks to the directors of Whitby Folk Week for including this commemoration concert in the festival.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: Liberty Boy
Date: 29 Aug 11 - 03:06 AM

As one of the singers asked to sing, I found it a very emotional and moving experience. I was move to tears a couple of times and felt so privileged to be there to remember these wonderful men and women.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: Barb'ry
Date: 28 Aug 11 - 06:28 PM

Fabulous concert - many thanks to Geoff for organising it and for all the performers for making it so memorable.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: peregrina
Date: 28 Aug 11 - 11:21 AM

Yes, a highlight for sure--moving, interesting, wonderful music--thanks and congratulations.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: GUEST,cujimmy
Date: 28 Aug 11 - 11:19 AM

This was the highlight of the festival for me,(and other people I spoke to afterwards) the talk was very interesting, I only wish there was a recording of it so i could learn some of the songs. Hope this can be repeated next year.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 28 Aug 11 - 10:36 AM

Congratulations to everyone involved in this event at Whitby; it was one of my highlights of the week. The presentation by Geoff was very well done, and all the songs and stories made this a great show which I hope will be repeated.

Matthew

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: mikesamwild
Date: 03 Aug 11 - 05:48 AM

It's looking good and Geoff will do a presentation with some photos I think.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: GUEST,ossonflags sans cookie
Date: 27 Jul 11 - 05:48 AM

Yeh, put me down for that.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 09:38 PM

Perhaps you can get The Folksmen to do "Skeletons of Quinto"...........

I worked the fields my father worked
From dawn until setting sun
My calloused hands and wind-burned face
Have marked me as a man
Who has no voice, no rights, no hope
No place to call his own
And the skeletons of Quinto call me home

The silver tentacles of the moon's rays caught me
The deathly silence of the mountains chill me to the bone
And the skeletons of Quinto call me home

If I lived to be a hundred, I won't know me Papa's plight
The cruelty of the master's whip
The horrors of the night
He braved them all and stood his ground
The bravest ever known
And the skeletons of Quinto call me home

I know that somehow, in the world,
The workers must be free
The toil and sweat, and tyranny, the fascist jeu d'esprit
Will only serve to keep us down, and make the bourgeoisie
And the skeletons of Quinto call me home


Spaw(;<))

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: GUEST,Neville Grundy
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 09:04 PM

I could come and sing the Geoff Parry song "As I Walk Jarama Valley", if you want.

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: MartinRyan
Date: 26 Jul 11 - 03:07 AM

Good luck with that - would love to be there...

Regards

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: Liberty Boy
Date: 25 Jul 11 - 11:35 PM

Geordie has asked me to contribute and I'll be singing two "Irish" Spanish Civil War songs. Looking forward to it!

Subject: RE: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: SylviaN
Date: 22 Jul 11 - 01:13 PM

If our commitments don't clash, Keith and I will be there.

Subject: Songs of Spanish Civil War at Whitby
From: mikesamwild
Date: 22 Jul 11 - 11:58 AM

Geordie McIntyre and Geoff Lawes are putting together a set with a number ofsinger in a sperformance at The Brunswick Methodist Hall 5pm Wed 24 August for 90 minutes .There will be some historiav=cal background too. Geoof has had a very productive permathread on Mudcat.