English Civil War Songs

Subject: English Civil War Songs
From: GUEST,pollaidh
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 06:16 AM

Some friends and I from the Sealed Knot Society are trying to create a list of songs from the English Civil War. We have all the usual suspects, 'Vive le Roy' and 'The Great Boobee' etc... but I was wondering if anyone could suggest some less common songs that we may not have come across yet. We're especially interested in songs originating from the North Wales / Cheshire / Shropshire area, as that is where our regiment was originally raised in the 1640's. Any suggestions for lyrics, tunes & links will be gratefully appreciated. Pollaidh.

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: MMario
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 11:35 AM

This thread Re: English Civil War should get you off to a start. Several of the references given are now on the web in e-text.

url=http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=15886

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 11:36 AM

See old thread on this subject in this Forum. There are many political songs but few about the war itself.

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: GUEST,Kathy Wallis
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 02:58 PM

Two very good, but quite old, tapes which were recorded by Cavalier Music, in the 1970's called Soldiers Muse might help. They come with lyric books. Matin Hazel is the guy you need to talk to. He lives in Plymouth now.

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: rpm
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 09:39 PM

Barely hanging by a thread is the thought of Fairport Convention's "Red and Gold". I don't know Mudcat's particular read on different groups but I know that I like the song. -Bob

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: Eluned
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 09:58 PM

Have you looked into nursery songs and rhymes? I don't know of any particular ones on that war, but there are bound to be some.

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: GUEST,Walrus
Date: 07 Apr 00 - 08:51 AM

I recall reading somewhere that the nursery rhyme "Rock-a-bye baby" started off as referring to the infant Charles II.

Regards

Walrus

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: IanC
Date: 07 Apr 00 - 11:39 AM

I'm told that Humpty Dumpty was originally a cannon in Colchester during the civil war

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 07 Apr 00 - 01:24 PM

David Daude's spoof on Humpty Dumpty as a cannon at Colchester was published in 1956 as I noted in the earlier thread 'Political Satire in Nursery Rhymes'.

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: roopoo
Date: 08 Apr 00 - 02:49 AM

I don't know if any of Strawhead's 17th century songs are from those areas. Could be worth a listen.

mouldy

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: GUEST,pollaidh
Date: 10 Apr 00 - 04:49 AM

Thanks for all suggestions - it'll certainly give us somewhere to start our research.

Yours in the Kinges Cause,

(no guessing what side I fight for!)

Pollaidh

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 10 Apr 00 - 02:44 PM

Ballads relating to the political concerns of the commonwealth period, but not battles of the war, are in H. E. Rollins' 'Cavalier and Puritan', 1923. Other political songs and poems of the period are noted in Joseph Frank's 'Hobbled Pegasus, A Descriptive Bibliograph of Minor Poetry, 1641-1660', 1968.

The biggest single collection is probably the Thomason Collection in BL. There is also 'Ratts Rhymed to Death', 1660, and the expanded 2 volume edition entitled 'Rump Songs', 1662.

See also the original "Fain I would" in Scarce Songs 1 on my website. Other ballads many be found in the broadside ballad index on my website, including "The Lady's Lamentation", 1651, which was later said to be Flora McDonald's lamentation for Bonnie Prince Charlie. See also in my broadside ballad index ZN1021, 1096, 1602, 1712, 1776, 1876, 1877, 2033 and 2847. On King Charles I see ZN475, 705, 839, 1065 and 1578.

Almost forgot Martin Parker's famous "When the King enjoys hios own again" which is, among other places, in Bishop Percy's folio MS. [Tune on my website]

Subject: RE: English Civil War Songs
From: GUEST,oggie
Date: 10 Apr 00 - 05:38 PM

Check out 'Strawhead' - 'Songs from the Book of England'

All the best

oggie (aka Steve Ogden [e-mail])