Tune Req: The Hounds Are All Out

Subject: Lyr Add: I SING MY COUNTRY JOAN (Benjamin Franklin
From: Margo
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 12:44 AM

In Benjamin Franklin's writings there is a song he wrote called "I Sing My Plain Country Joan". The lyrics are supposed to be sung to the tune of "The Hounds Are All Out". There is listed in the DT a song called "Me Brave Boys" in which the first verse begins with the words "The hounds are out.......". Alas, there is no midi for me to hear the melody and see if it fits with Country Joan. Soooooooo, I will put in a stanza or two, and maybe one of you might know the tune and tell me if it fits? Is this clear as mud? Good. Here is some of Country Joan.

I sing my country Joan by Benjamin Franklin

Of their Chloes and Phyllises Poets may prate,

I will sing my plain Country Joan;
Twice twelve Years my wife, still the joy of my life:
Bless'd day that I made her my own, my dear friends,
Bless'd day that I made her my own.

Not a word of her shape, or her face, or her eyes,
Of flames or of darts shall you hear
Though I beauty admire, 'tis Virtue I prize
Which fades not in seventy years.

There are a total of nine verses, and they all keep the meter well. Any ideas?

Thanks, Margo

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Hounds are all out
From: Bruce O.
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 02:08 AM

The song is "The Huntsman's Rouze" by Henry Carey, c 1730, commencing "The Hounds are all out" (for two voices). It was evidently sung in a farce called 'Betty'. There are single sheet song editions, but I've never seen one of them. There are some possibilities to explore. G. A Stephens "The Wine Vault" is to the tune (Songs, Comic and Satyrical, 1772). This commences "Contented I am". It seems to me I have a copy of the tune for that somewhere, but it may take me a while to find out.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Hounds are all out
From: Bruce O.
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 03:28 AM

For a slightly later tune for G. A. Stevens's song, "The Wine Vault" (tune- "The Hounds are all out"), see "Contented I am" in the Irish tunes index on my website (www.erols.com/olsonw). I have no assurance that either the one below (or the later one) is "The Hounds are all out". The tune below is with the text of the song in both songbooks.

At the ** in the tune below I've changed a quarter note to a half note, as the timing is this measure is wrong in both copies. If you don't like that, change it back to a quarter note and make your own correction.

X:1
T:Contented I am [and contented I'll be]
S:Convivial Songster, 1782 and [Perth] Musical Miscellany, 1786
Q:120
L:1/4
M:6/4
K:C
G|c3/2d/ce3/2d/c|cGEG2f|e3/2d/cg3/2f/e|(d3d2)||\
d/e/|fdefge|fd3/2e/f2g/f/|e3/2d/cc3/2d/e|\
d3/2G/GG3/2A/G/^F/|G3/2A/G/^F/"**"G2g/f/|e3/2d/ce3/2f/d|(c3c2)|]

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Hounds are all out
From: Margo
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 11:55 AM

Bruce, thank you! Amazing. Is the song notated in ABC? I've heard about ABC but dont know how to read it. I will do a little research and if I can't figure it out I'll be back.....Thanks again,

Margo

Subject: RE: Tune Req: The Hounds are all out
From: Bruce O.
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 04:06 PM

You can search threads here for ABC, and near the beginning of the homepage on my website is a short discussion and click-ons to the ABC hompage, where you download the software free. You need to have VBRUN300.DLL on your computer. It usually comes with MS Windows now, so you probably already have it. If not, you can download it free at several www software sites.

With ABC2WIN you can play tunes through your computer's speaker and you can display the music on your monitor. You have to pay an nominal fee if you want to print out the music.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE HOUNDS ARE ALL OUT AND THE MORNING...
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Mar 10 - 01:45 PM

From The Lark: Containing a Collection of above Four Hundred and Seventy Celebrated English and Scotch Songs (London: John Osborn, 1740), page 408:

SONG CCCCLVI. THE HOUNDS ARE ALL OUT ^^

The hounds are all out, and the morning does peep,
Why how now you sluggardly sot?
How can you, how can you lie snoring asleep,
While we all on horseback have got?
Brave boys, while we all on horseback, &c.

I cannot get up, for the over-night's cup
So terribly lies in my head;
Beside, my wife cries, My dear, do not rise,
But cuddle me longer a-bed;
Dear boy, but cuddle, &c.

Come on with your boots, and saddle your mare,
Nor tire us with longer delay;
The cry of the hounds, and the sight of the hare
Will chase all our vapours away,
Brave boys, will chase, &c. ^^