Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: GUEST,Chris Bealey.
Date: 21 Jan 22 - 01:35 PM

Thanks to all You clever Folk.
I now possess a copy of S.Baring-Goulds Songs of the West & therein contains the Words & music of The Marigold.A 45yr Ear worm now put to rest.
I now have all the words & not just one remembered verse.
ThankYou so very much.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: r.padgett
Date: 16 May 15 - 02:51 AM

Roy Harris recording somewhere picked up by other singers

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: GUEST
Date: 15 May 15 - 02:37 PM

Try this.

https://archive.org/stream/SongsOfTheWest/SongsOfWest_Baring-Gould_304pgs#page/n243/mode/2up

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: GUEST,Cumpstey
Date: 14 May 15 - 04:47 PM

Every so often I search online for this song, which I learned at primary school from a BBC radio booklet, a bit later, like mid-80s. I figure it ought to be easier to find the words online than to find the booklet, although I probably still have it "somewhere".

Anyway, Yes! Finally! Those are the right words for one of the verses!

The only thing I can really add was that I am fairly sure the song was called The Marigold, and as others have said already on this thread there are other related songs that appear to be better known / recorded / publicised. Also that at some point in the song Bristol was called "Bristo"... And the tune is v similar to the star of the county down.

Still searching for the rest of the song.

Other songs I remember from that book (or others in the series): The Heron from Brecon, the Derby Ram.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 05:41 PM

That last post was me. Cookie gone again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 05:37 PM

Well spotted, MMario. Roud 2433.

Alternative titles
The Marigold
Turkish Men of war
The Good Luck Ship
Captain Mansfield's Fight with the Turks at Sea
(And I flicked through Ashton as well and missed it!!!)
The twenty-fourth of February.

The version in ST is from Baring Gould's Songs of the West p226 and as it varies quite a bit from the other versions in things like being near the line I suspect BG has had a hand in it.

Chris, if you would like a scan of it please pm me your email address.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: Lighter
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 10:18 AM

Well sung by the Starboard List around 1977.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 06:00 AM

In original Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, where "Captain Wellfounder's our chief commander"...

~M~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 05:42 AM

Is this what you are looking for?

The Royal Oak

As we were sailing all on the salt seas,
We hadn't been gone months but two or three,
When we saw ten sail, ten sail of Turks,
All men-of-war as big as full as we.

"Haul down your colors, you English dogs!
Haul down your colors and do not refuse.
Haul down your colors, you English dogs
Or your precious lives you will lose!"

Now our captain being a valiant man,
And a well-bespoken man was he:
"Never let it be said that we died like dogs,
For we shall fight most manfully!"

"Go up aloft young cabin boy,
And mount the mainmast atop so high,
For to spread the news to King George's fleet
That we'll run the risk or else we will die!"

Now The fight began about six in the morning,
And on to the setting of the sun.
And at the rising of the next day,
Where we saw ten ships we couldn't see but one.

'Cause it's three we sank and three we burned,
And three we caused for to run away,
And one we towed to Portsmouth harbour,
For to let it be known that we won the day.

If anyone then should enquire
As to know our gallant captain's name,
Well Captain Will Bounder was our commander
And the Royal Oak is our ship by name.

"Haul down your colors, you English dogs!
Haul down your colors and do not refuse.
Haul down your colors, you English dogs
Or your precious lives you will lose!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: MMario
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 05:28 AM

Reminds me of "Royal Oak"

http://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=6927

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 04:53 AM

Quite, Steve; but they are all part of a big family of sea-battle songs, with the common theme of 'seeing the foe sailing by', 'strike your colours or...', engaging them & so on. The enemy may vary -- the "Turkish" element would seem also to relate it to some versions of "Golden Vanity", though 'Spanish galilees' can feature there too; but there is a wide family resemblance among songs of this sort. Should like to know which version the remembered ST one indeed was, of course, and await result of your researches with interest.

~M~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 04:25 AM

It's not Roud 690 Warlike Seamen or any of the other closely related pieces as these are all engagements with a French MOW and neither is it AB but the commonplace 'Come strike your colours' is in 690. It should be from an earlier piece but not Captain Ward. It should be a well-known ballad if it was part of 'Singing Together'. Of course it could easily be a later imitation.

I'll have a closer look tonight when I've more time. I have a largish collection of the ST booklets.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 02:51 AM

Also redolent of the "We sailed to Virginia" version of "Admiral Benbow"?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 02:49 AM

Related to the Coppers' "Warlike Seamen", which is in DT?

~M~

Subject: Lyr Req: Ten Sail of Turks We Did Spy...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Jun 14 - 01:21 AM

moved from another thread...

Subject: RE: Singing Together: BBC Schools booklets
From: GUEST,Chris Bealey
Date: 03 Jun 14 - 08:35 PM

I remember a song which I'm sure was Bbc singing together in the middle seventies.Can only remember some of the words but no title.

Twuz east northeast so near the line, as near as we could lie,
we'd hardly left our loading port when 10 sail of Turks we did spy.
Come strike you colours ye English dogs, strike colours presently,
come strike Your colours ye English dogs or ye will be struck by we.

Any help please.