Lyr Add: Sword Dance

Subject: Sword Dance
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 01:14 PM

Anyone have the music to go with the following? Abc or mid ok... Thanks! CB

Sword Dancers
It is still the practice, though less in repute than formerly, during the Christmas holidays, for companies of pitmen and other workmen from the neighbouring collieries to visit Sunderland, Durham, &c. to perform a sort of Play or Dance, accompanied by song and music.

Their appearance is hailed by the children with great satisfaction, and they receive liberal contributions from the spectators.
The dancers are girded with swords, and clad in white shirts or tunics, decorated with a profusion of ribbands, or various colours, gathered from the wardrobes of their mistresses and well-wishers.  The captain generallly wears a kind of faded uniform, with a large cocked hat and feather, for pre-eminent distinction; and the buffoon, or "Bessy," who acts as treasurer, and collects the cash in a tobacco-box, wears a hairy cap, with a fox's brush* dependent.
The music is simple, and not devoid of harmony: its peculiar beauty depends, perhaps greatly, on the force of early associations.
The party assemble promiscuously, and the captain forms a circle with his sword, round which he walks, and sings; each actor following as he is called upon.

Six actors I have brought,
Who were never on stage before;
But they will do their best,
And the best can do no more.

The first that I call in,
He is a squire's son;
He's like to lose his love,
Because he is too young.

But though he be too young,
He has money for to rove;
And he will spend it all,
Before he'll lose his love.

The next that I call in,
He is a taylor fine;
What think you of his work?--
He made this coat of mine.

So comes good master Snip,
His best respects to pay:
He joins us in our trip,
To drive dull care away.

The next that I call in,
He is a sailor bold;
He's come to poverty
By the lending of his gold.

But though his gold's all gone,
Again he'll plough the main,
With heart both light and brave,
To fight both France and Spain.

Next comes a skipper bold,
He'll do his part right weel;
A clever blade, I'm told,
As ever poy'd** a keel,

Oh! the keel lads are bonny bonny lads,
As I do understand;
For they run both fore and aft,
With their long sets in their hands.

To join us in this play,
Here comes a jolly dog,
Who's soberevery day,
When he can get no grog.

But though he likes his grog,
As all his friends can say,
He always likes it best,
When he has nought to pay.

Last I come in mysel,
I make one of this crew;
And if you'd know my name,
My name it is True Blue. ***

The Dance then begins in slow, and measured cadence; which soon increases in spirit, and at length bears the appearance of a serious
affray.  The Rector, alarmed rushes forward to prevent bloodshed; and, in his endeavours to separate the combatants, he receives a mortal blow, and falls to the ground.
Then follows the lament--the general accusation - and denial.

Alas! our rector's dead,
And on the ground is laid;
some of us must suffer for't,
Young men, I'm sore afraid.

I'm sure 'twas none of I--
I'm clear of the crime;
'Twas him that follows me
That drew his sword so fine.

I'm sure 'twas none of I--
I'm clear of the fact;
'Twas him that follows me
That did this bloody act.

I'm sure 'twas none of I,
Ye bloody villains all!
For both my eyes were shut
When this good man did fall.

Then cheer up, my bonny bonny lads,
And be of courage bold;
For we'll take him to the church,
and we'll bury him in the mould.

Captain.--Oh! for a doctor, a right good doctor,
                 A ten pound doctor, oh!

Doctor.-- Here am I.

Captain-- Doctor, what's your fee?

Doctor-- Ten pounds is my fee; but nine pounds, nineteen shillings, and eleven pence,
              three farthings, will I take from thee.

See here, see here, a doctor rare,
Who travels much at home;
Come, take my pills--they cure all ills,
Past present and to come.

The plague, the palsy, and the gout,
The devil within, and the devil without--
Every thing but a love-sick maid--
And a consumption in the pocket.

Take a little of my nif-naf,
Put it on your tif-taf.
Parson, rise up, and fight again,
The doctor says you are not slain.

The rector gradually recovers, which is the signal for general rejoicing and congratulation.

Captain--

You've seen them all call'd in,
You've seen them all go round;
Wait but a little while--
Some pastime will be found.

Cox-green's a bonny place,
Where water washes clean;
And Painshaw's on a hill,
Where we have merry been.

Then, fiddler, change thy tune,
Play us a merry jig;
Before that I'll be beat,
I'll pawn both hat and wig.

A general dance concludes the performance, to the old and favorite tune of,
"Kitty, Kitty, bo, bo!"

*Query- if this was not formerly meant to represent the Lion's skin of the ancient heros; and this is not the only classical allusion used by the Sword Dancers, for a "Bessy" on the borders of Yorkshire, was heard to sing:
"I've liv'd among musick these forty long years,
And Drunk of the elegant spring"
There can be little doubt that Helicon was the original reading.
 

**Puoy, Puy, or Pouie, a long pole with an iron spike at the end; used in propelling keels in shallow water.--Fr. appui. Brockett's Glossary. The Puoy on the Tyne is the Set on the Wear.

*** AT this part, the "Bessy" sometimes considers it necessary to give some account of his own genealogy, viz:
My father he was hang'd
My mother was drown'd in a well;
And now I' se left alone,
All by my awn sel.

-source: The Bishoprick Garland or a Collection of Legends, Songs Ballads &c.. Belonging to The County of Durham. London: Nichols, and Baldwin & Cradock. 1834.
 
 
 

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 04:38 PM

It's not in Cecil Sharp's book, "The Sword Dances of Northern England" vol. 1. It looks like another jolly mummers play/sword dance, only this time the Doctor actually succeeds! Usually he's a charlatan and it takes the magic of the Fool to raise the dead to life again. I love to collect such stuff- where did you find that book?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 04:42 PM

Found it at my second home....Library of Congress DC .....I sent it round to the morris list for comment too nothing yet...

Conrad

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: Manitas
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 06:29 PM

Conrad,

East Saxon Sword Dancers (of whom I have the honour of being Captain) sing something very close to the first verse of the song you have given before commencing the dance.

Have you checked Ivor Allsop's book aka the Green Book?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: Barry Finn
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 09:55 PM

The Waterson's recorded a few Sword Dance intro songs (can't remember on what LP's though). The 1st one you listed is close to the chorus of one they've done (I think they call it Ye Noble Spectators, but I could be wrong). The chorus is:

We are six actors bold, never came on stage before And we will do our best & the best can do no more.

it sings of the villians being conqered in the end by Samson:

When they were all merry carousing with wine
He pulled down the house & slew all in one blow
And that was an end to them all.

It doesn't seem that they'd be the same tune though.

Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: Wolfgang
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 04:32 AM

Good memory, Barry,
here's Ye noble spectators by the Watersons. I think it would be very difficult to fit the Waterson's tunes to Conrad's lyrics.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 05:18 PM

Found! Ok I am ready for a break...must be all that liquid nails used in working on the artcar (glued 30 more barbies on the cab roof of the truck via magnet...) I found the book had both tunes !@!@!@!# so now the tunes you did know you can know! Just go here midi, abc, notation.... http://www.geocities.com/matalzi/priests12.html#Sworddancers

Conrad

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 06:27 PM

This is also on another list where Conrad subsequently noted he found two tunes in the back of the book, the two noted in the 1st paragraph below.]

My reprint edition, 1969, of Sharp's 'Bishopric Garland' has, on pp 85-6, some tunes said to be from 'From Topliffe's Melodies &c.', the first of which is entitled "Sword Dancers", and the second is that of "Kitty-bo-bo".

[From here, my note to the other list, repeated"}
That is, I believe the earliest recorded folk play. (The earlier Revesby/ Raresby play is modeled along the lines of a folk play, but isn't really 'folk')

The two verses starting "See, here, see here a doctor rare" are derived from a song with music in 'Pills to Purge Melancholy', V, p. 311, 1719-20 (originally in 'Pills', IV, 1706), where it starts "See, sirs, see here! a Doctor rare". The 'Pills' heading is: 'The Mountebank Song. Set and Sung by Mr. Leveridge, in a New Play call'd Farewell to Folly', which is not quite correct. I've now lost my ancient notes tracking this, but according to my memory the song wasn't in Motteux's play, but was sung as an interlude with it. The play was given at Drury Lane Theatre in 1705 and published in 1707. [Some other folk plays contain a bit more of the 'Pills' song. In others the doctor's lines are based on a similar song "The Infallible Doctor", commencing 'From France, from Spain from Rome I come', dating from 1686, and in 'Pills', III, p. 31, 1719-20. The model for these mountebank doctors' songs is in a manuscript of a court entertainment of 1618, 'The Anti-Masque of the Mountebanks', much of which is reprinted in John Wardroper's 'Love and Drollery', #220, 1969]

Re: 'elegant spring' may have been originally been 'Helicon spring', if so, it later turned into 'elecampagne', an extract of the roots of which was used as a tonic or stimulant. We find it in later folk plays as 'elecome pain', 'elegant paint', and 'Hallecumb pain' among the doctor's medicines (of which two drops can restore the dead to life - R. J. E. Tiddy's 'The Mummers Play'). [Cf. also 'Waters of Absalon' in the cante-fable "Little Dicky Milburn/ Whigburn"]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 10:48 PM

Click here for the music and notation Conrad

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: GUEST,CraigS
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 11:13 PM

There was a collection of songs (printed book) in our local library which had a written (ie. with music) version of a mummer's play of this kind, and a tune which was played before the play began, which was used by the sword dancers of Kirkby Malzeard about a hundred years ago (you need a big atlas to find this place, near Ripon, North Yorkshire). I went to see if I could get it, but it's no longer there - if people don't borrow them they get sold off or pulped nowadays. Sword dancing was once widespread across northern England, but is now confined to the NorthEast and a couple of sides in the Sheffield area (who unlike everyone else traditionally dance on Boxing day). You might find another copy of the book still exists somewhere.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 01:34 AM

Animaterra has mentioned one of Cecil Sharp's volumes, and there are 2 more, so that's probably the best place to start looking for folk/ sword/ mummers' play tunes (these names seem to be indifferently applied) .

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 03:17 AM

Cecil Sharp collected music at Kirby Malzeard, but I don't know if that's published. At any rate the 'calling on song' from there is given with music in Broadwood and Fuller-Maitland's 'English County Songs'. The dance was said to be to the tune of "My love she's but a lassie yet". However, Conrad's text above commences with what seems to be what B&F-M call the Prologue, and they gave no music for it (saying it was of a Morris Dance character). They also gave some verses (without music) of another version from nearby Ripon. The prologue is given as:

These are six actors bold,
Never came on stage before;
And they will do their best,
And the best can do no more.

[This looks like the begining of Conrad's above, but it continues:

You've seen them all go round,
Think on 'em what you will;
Music strile up and play
"T'aud lass fra Dallowgill."

And that's all, whereas the first 8 verses of the 'Bishoprick Garland' text seem to be a different 'calling on song'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: Snuffy
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 09:13 AM

The Lass of Dallogill is used for two of the 5 sections of the North Skelton Sword Dance: the other two tunes used are The Keel Row and The Oyster Girl. (all using ABAB format rather than AABB).

I suppose Conrad's lyrics could be shoehorned into these tunes, but it's not a comfortable fit.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Sword Dance
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 01 Dec 00 - 03:35 PM

I goofed in counting up the number of verses in the calling on song. All 12 verses to the break are the 'calling on' song. 1 introductory verse, 2 verses each for 5 characters, then 1 verse introducing the singer, 'True Blue' himself, the Captain in the play. But we aren't told who play the rector and doctor, and no others seem to have parts in the play. In the 2nd sung part there are apparently 3 that say they didn't kill the rector, but we don't know who those 3 are. From the description we can't figure out who's who.

In an 'idealized' folk play the six would be hero, villain (killed, then revived), doctor, clown (main singer?), wooer and maiden. This play lacks the wooing of the maiden part, but that's not exceptional.