Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez

Subject: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: GUEST,Jenny
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 08:44 AM

Hello all,

I wonder if you can help me source a song about Admiral Philip de Sausmarez of Guernsey. I once heard Sean Laffey sing it and I'd love to have the lyrics, as I think he said it was the only folk song in English he'd found to have originated from the island. The bit I can remember goes

It was by a bold sea captain
Phil Sausmarez was his name
He was bent with full intent
Old England's foes to slay

A few of these words could be wrong of course! Any help greatly appreciated. Does anyone know any other good songs from Guernsey?

Many thanks all,

Jenny

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: giles earle
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 11:49 AM

Les Travailleurs de la Mer by The Harp Consort with Paul Hillier has some nice things.

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: giles earle
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 12:01 PM

Is this the song you want?

NOTTINGHAM & MARS

October 11, 1746
Broadside ballad - Tune the Dolphin

Come all you jolly sea men bold a tough old tar I am
I'll sing to ye of a fight me boys fought in the Nottingham
Twas by a brisk young Captain, Phil Sausmarez was his name
He was bent with bold intent old England's foes to tame

On the fifth day of October our anchor we did weigh
And from Plymouth sound me boys we shaped our course away
Along the coast of Ireland our orders were to go
The seas to cruise and none to refuse but boldly fight the foe

We had not been out many days before we chanced to spy
A sail all to the westward which drew us up full nigh
She hailed us loud in French me boys and asked from whence we came
From Plymouth Sound we've just come down and the Nottingham's our name.

Are you a man of war they said or a privateer maybe
We are a man of war we said and that ye soon shall see
So haul up smart your courses and let your ship lie to
If you stand out or put about we'll sink you ship and crew

The first broadside we let them have we made the rascals quail
To see the gallant topmast come rattling down like hail
We drove them from their quarters their Captain he frantic grew
He cursed our shot that came so hot from the gunners in our crew.

We fought them seven glasses when to add to all their fears
The shout was raised for borders and we gave three ringing cheers
Down came her flag we took her, her name it was the Mars
The French be damned they never can stand a fight with British Tars

And should you once more enquire our gallant Captain's name
He was young Phil Sausmarez from Guernsey's isle he came
Commanded the brave Nottingham and beat the cowardly Mars
Let every man stand true to his guns and salute those British Tars

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 12:21 PM

I have a book of Guernsey Songs and Dances, collected and prepared by Doris O Beaume, with piano arrangements by John Longmire. It dates from 1975, but it may be available still.

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: giles earle
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 12:54 PM

It seems to be available second-hand. Rather expensive on amazon; a couple of copies listed more cheaply on ABEBooks:

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?bt.x=57&bt.y=10&sts=t&tn=Guernsey+Songs+and+Dances

(Too lazy to do a blue clicky for this one!)

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: GUEST,SteveG
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 01:43 PM

There is an article on the song and its antecedents on the Mustrad website in the Dungbeetle section. The ballad was many times rewritten and very poipular for more than a century after Phil wrote it. In fact in various different forms it's still popular today.

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: GUEST,Jenny
Date: 10 Jan 12 - 06:10 AM

This is wonderful! Thanks so much. The Nottingham and Mars, it's all come back to me now. And I'll definitely get the book.

Long live Mudcat!

J x

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 17 - 08:08 PM

Hi Jenny.

Sean LAffey here, the words printed in the thread are the ones I sing. I coped them down from a manuscript that Peter Suamarez gave em a copy of, back in 1994/5.

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 17 - 10:12 PM

DVD Kosong

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: leeneia
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 08:38 PM

In the lyrics above, that should be "a shout was raised for boarders," (men to climb aboard the French ship) not 'borders'.

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 17 - 06:10 AM

Sean Laffey again.. yes it is boarders not borders, typo!

I'll upload my version to Soundcloud. The Claire Rakich version (which she got from me, thanks for the kind acknowlegement, is only on her album, not on line).

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 17 - 06:38 AM

If you can access soundcloud, here is a link to my version of Nottingham and Mars   https://soundcloud.com/sean-laffey

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 09 Feb 17 - 10:57 AM

Not quite Guernsey, but a few years ago, that Sarkophile banjo player Ken Lees, put out an excellent CD of music and song recorded in the fifties by Peter Kennedy (and some pre-war material too).

Am sure he'd be glad to sell you one- I believe it is in the Sark shops.

Subject: RE: Guernsey Folk Song - Philip de Sausmarez
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 17 - 07:15 AM

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