Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: GUEST,Ewan Kane
Date: 05 Mar 13 - 06:46 PM

My dad used to sing this version of which I can only remember a part of. I think this was from the Lanarkshire coalfields. Hopefully the rest of it will come back to me one day.

Oh bonny's ma lad as he walks doon the street
His lamp in his hand sae cany and neat
His teeth white as ivry
His face black as slaws
Oh bonny's ma miner that evryone knows

The fermers delight is tae reap the gold corn
?
The miners delight is tae cleft the grey rock
ANd win up those black diamomds from under the ground

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: GUEST,Miner Lad
Date: 28 May 09 - 01:52 PM

I've got a lovely recording of Jacqui MacDonald singing 'Miner Lad' on the last Spinners and Friends concert on Radio 2 from around 20 years ago. Beautiful song - wish I could suss the chords to sing and play it myself but I think it really needs a strong female voice.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: maeve
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 09:12 PM

Many thanks. I'll try them both tomorrow.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: Snuffy
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 07:54 PM

It worked OK yesterday, but I got the red letters just now. Jon is having problems: see here

Jon Freeman. pm Posted - 14 Jan 08 - 11:42 am   edit   (id)      
The folkinfo server "died" on me during a routine patch update. I've moved what I can elsewhere but some parts, eg. the abc converter are not (and can not work there) working. I will restore "full services" as soon as I can.

So you can wait till Folkinfo is back up or try the ABC convertamatic at concertina.net

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: maeve
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 08:41 AM

Thanks, Snuffy and Malcolm, for your added information on this.

Snuffy, Am suits me fine- but the ABC converter didn't like something in the new transcription. It got me lots of red letter warnings. Any suggestions?

Thanks again,

maeve

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Jan 08 - 07:27 PM

The Campbell sleeve notes quoted above are wrong in one important detail. 'My Miner Lad' does not appear in Lloyd's pamphlet The Singing Englishman (a full transcription of which can be seen at (http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/tse.htm) but was presumably taken instead from Singing Englishmen: A collection of folk-songs specially prepared for a Festival of Britain concert given in association with the Arts Council of Great Britain. London: Workers' Music Association, 1951 (BL index indicates that the pamphlet was originally issued by Lloyd himself in the same year, reproduced from his own typescript).

Singing Englishmen, as an ephemeral, is pretty rare; COPAC lists copies at the British Library only; the VWML also has one (with a comment in their index noting that piano accompaniments were included, and that some of the songs were modern compositions).

That being so, it would be quite difficult to tell where Lloyd got that particular form of the song. It's likely enough that he didn't say anyway, of course. The Polwarth set I mentioned some 6 years ago may be the same, but that was published nearly 20 years after Lloyd's pamphlet and, unless the Roud Index has missed the detail (I still don't have the book), no source information was given. A northeastern version, we can reasonably assume, and I'd guess that the tune was an Irish import, though such matters are frequently quite complex. The structure is a familiar one, in any case.

The song in that form seems quite rare, though it was common enough in the 'Six Jolly Miners' branch until fairly recently. Back in the 1970s it was practically impossible for inhabitants of Ecclesfield over a certain age to step out of doors without being ambushed by a folk-song enthusiast wanting to 'collect' it (I exaggerate, of course, but not as much as you might think). Their tune was quite a jolly one, though, and unrelated to the Campbell arrangement.

Subject: Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: Snuffy
Date: 13 Jan 08 - 05:20 AM

Maeve,

I think this is just about there - I finally settled on A minor!!

X: 209
T:Miner Lad
M:3/4
L:1/4
S:Ian Campbell Folk Group
N:filename [MINERLAD
K:Am
z2A|
Aee|ede|AAB|A2g/g/|
aaa|(c'b)a|ee^f|g2e|
aaa|c'ba|gge|c2d|
eaa|age|cAB|A2z||

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: maeve
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 05:02 PM

Snuffy, I would so appreciate it if you took time to transcribe the tune again. Thanks also for your clarification regarding my other question.

maeve

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: Snuffy
Date: 12 Jan 08 - 02:20 PM

That track listing seems to be totally capricious in choosing whether to put one or two new lines to mark tracks. The only connection between Cushie Butterfield and Miner Lad would appear to be they are consecutive tracks on the "Coaldust Ballads" album: totally different songs, and totally different tunes.

Listening to my ABC again, it is substantially different in places to the recording (which is in Bb, not Ab). Maybe sometime I can try to transcribe it more accurately.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: maeve
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:56 PM

Hello, Saro. Your "Batley Miner" must be cousin to the "Six Jolly Miners" mentioned upthread. I'd love to hear you sing it!

I dug a bit more and found the following informational link, part of which I've quoted here:

Ian Campbell- Miners' Songs

"Coaldust Ballads Ian Campbell Folk Group - Sleeve Notes.
My Miner Lad. From The Singing Englishman, a collection of traditional songs compiled for Festival of Britain year by A.L.Lloyd.
Cushy Butterfield. A very popular song in the mining communities of the North East. Words by the Collier comedian George Ridley (1834 - 1864) sung to the tune of the music hall song Pretty Polly Perkins."
*****************

Does anyone know if the "Pretty Polly Perkins" tune matches the "Miner Lad", or is Lloyd's "My Miner Lad" not the same as the aforementioned "Miner Lad"?

(Who's on First? = minor joke alert)

maeve

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: Saro
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:31 PM

For some years I've sung a song which I always call "The Batley Miner" as it was collected in Batley by a friend of mine, Lynn Bolton.
Here are the words:
^^
As I walked out one evening, one evening in the Spring,
I heard a maiden singing, so sweetly she did sing.
She sang about her miner, she sang so pleasantly,
"Of all the lads in our town, the miner lad for me.

There's two of them from Skipton, and two from Drayton town,
And two of them's from Batley, that's a place of great renown.
Six nicer young fellows you never could behold,
They would turn the blackest diamonds into silver and bright gold.

I will build my love a castle, a place of great renown,
Where dukes and lords and princes can never pull it down,
For the King he loves his Queen, the Emperor the same,
And I love my miner lad, oh who can me blame?"

Saro

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: maeve
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:12 PM

I am, by the by, not yet able to make good use of the red midi file posted in that 1st post. I'm continuing to look elsewhere for the tune I want, but would appreciate any help folks would be willing to offer.

The vocalist appears to have been Lorna Campbell, Ian's sister. What a vibrant voice. I found the following site with information on the group:.

The Ian Campbell Folk Group

maeve

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: maeve
Date: 11 Jan 08 - 02:02 PM

I'm looking for the dots for the Ian Campbell version mentioned by Snuffy in the first post of the thread. I used the Folkinfo ABC converter but the tune that results doesn't match the lovely melody I'm listening on the album.

Can anyone suggest where I might find it? I'm learning the song by ear, but I do like to have both dots and live or recorded version to help me remember it well.

Thank you,

maeve

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: Stewie
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 10:44 PM

Masato, many thanks for posting that.

Malcolm, I just had a listen to a song called 'Three Jovial Miners' on a album by Roger Watson and Debby McClatchy ['Radioland' Plant Life PLCO79]. I thought it might be related to the 'Six Jolly Miners' you mention, but it bears no relationship to any above - pleasant, jaunty piece though.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 10:07 PM

Six Jolly Miners was a very common song in England and Scotland, both in tradition and on broadsides; it also turned up occasionally in the North of Ireland and, of course, in the New World.  Steve Roud's Folksong Index makes a distinction between that song and the Miner Lad; they clearly share some verses, but are different enough to be considered to be separate, though related.

I suspect that the set Snuffy posted is from the NE of England, though Scotticised to an extent by the Campbells, but I could easily be wrong; the only published version I'm aware of (with that first line) appeared in Gwen & Mary Polwarth's Folk Songs from the North (1970), which I haven't seen.

Subject: Lyr Add: I LOVE MY MINER LAD
From: masato sakurai
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 09:26 PM

Sure, Stewie. It's "significantly different."
^^

I LOVE MY MINER LAD

Six jolly miners of mining you shall hear,
Have traveled through this country for many a long year,
They have traveled East and traveled West, the country all 'round,
To find out the treasure that lies in underground.

Two came from Auckland, two from Newcastle town,
Two from Durham City, a place of great renown.
The miners are such clever men--their equal can't be found--
They turn a stony rock into a sovereign of bright gold.

You should see a miner lad as he walks down the street,
Dressed in his best clothes, he looks genteel and neat.
His teeth are white as ivory and eyes as black as sloe--
You may easy know a miner lad wherever that he goes.

Sometimes he has money, sometimes none at all,
When he has money it is on his comrades' call.
He calls for liquor planty, pays as the toast goes round--
Here's good health to every miner lad that works in underground!

It's the huntsman's delight in the blowing of his horn,
It's the farmer's delight in the sowing of the corn,
It's the miner's delight to strike the rock in twa,
And find out the treasure that lies down belaw.

I'll build my love a castle, a castle of renown,
Neither lords, dukes nor earls will pull my castle down,
The king loves the queen, the emperor does the same,
And I love my miner lad--who can me blame?

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: Stewie
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 08:25 PM

Masato, if the text is significantly different, would you mind posting it here? I have the CD 'Songs and Ballads of the Anthracite Miners' [Rounder 1502], a reissue of some of Korson's collection, but it is not on it.

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
From: masato sakurai
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 07:58 PM

There's another version titled "I Love My Miner Lad" collected also by George Korson in his Minstrels of the Mine Patch: Songs and Stories of the Anthracite Industry (1938; Folklore Associates, 1964, pp. 282-283; words only).
~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: SHE LOVES HER MINER LAD
From: Stewie
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 07:12 PM

Snuffy, thanks for posting this. By coincidence, I am using an American version, collected by George Korson in Pennsylvania, for a North American mining song project that I'm working on. It held up pretty well with only minor changes to what you have posted. The perspective is changed to the third person and the most significant textual change is 'We'll build him a castle'.

Certain words in the text gave away its British origin, but I was unaware of the Yorkshire text. Some time ago, it did a DT/Forum search on the song but, for some reason, it failed to reveal the DT text.

I might as well post the American text, albeit no much different from above:
^^
SHE LOVES HER MINER LAD
(Traditional)

Bonny's her lad as he walks down the street
With his hat in his hand all canny and neat
His teeth white as ivories his eyes black as sloes
Oh she loves her miner lad everyone knows

Sometimes he has money, sometimes none at all
But he'll share what he has be it ever so small
No laddie is better, no laddie so kind
And he'll stand by his word when he has spoken his mind

Oh the huntsman's delight is to blow his loud horn
And the farmer's delight is a-reaping the corn
But the miner's delight is the pick in his hand
And he'll claim all the coal that lies under the land

We'll build him a castle of finest renown
That ladies and masters will never pull down
The king loves his queen and the emperor the same
And she loves her miner lad, who can she blame

Bonny's her lad as he walks down the street
With his hat in his hand all canny and neat
His teeth white as ivories his eyes black as sloes
Oh she loves her miner lad everyone knows

Traditional. Collected by George Korson.

Source: transcription from Men of the Deeps 'Coal Fire in the Winter' Atlantica Music 02 506600.

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: MINER LAD
From: Snuffy
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 01:20 PM

The DT has a version of MINER LAD collected in Yorkshire, and it is in MMario's list of Missing tunes. I have a version sung by an un-named female voice of the Ian Campbell folk group. Like the Yorkshire version it is in four verses, but only two of them are in both songs. This one appears to be Scottish. Does anyone know where it came from - my CD is a 'Best of Folk' compilation and gives no information at all apart from Trad. Arr Campbell - not even a recording/publication date.
^^
MINER LAD

Oh bonny's my lad as he walks doon the street
Wi his lamp and his hand all canny and neat,
His teeth white as ivory, his eyes black as sloes,
Oh, I love my miner lad, everyone knows.

Sometimes he has money, sometimes none at all,
But he'll share what he has, be it never so small.
My laddie is blithe and my laddie mair kind
And he'll stand by his word when he's spoken his mind.

The huntsman's delight is to blaw the loud horn,
The farmer is happy a-reapin' the corn,
But the miner's delight is the pick in his hand,
And he'll win all the coal that lies under the land.

He'll build us a castle, of highest renoon,
That lairdies and maisters will never pull doon.
The King loves his Queen, and the Emperor the same,
But I love my miner lad. Who can me blame?

MIDI file: MINERLAD.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 120 (500000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: Ab
TimeSig: 3/4 18 8
Name: Miner Lad
Text: S:Ian Campbell Folk Group
Start
0960 1 70 090 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 70 127 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 77 090 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 77 127 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 75 090 0479 0 75 000 0001 1 77 090 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 70 127 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 70 090 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 70 090 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 70 127 0959 0 70 000 0001 1 77 090 0239 0 77 000 0001 1 79 090 0239 0 79 000 0001 1 80 127 0479 0 80 000 0001 1 82 090 0479 0 82 000 0001 1 82 090 0479 0 82 000 0001 1 85 127 0479 0 85 000 0001 1 84 090 0479 0 84 000 0001 1 82 090 0479 0 82 000 0001 1 77 127 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 79 090 0479 0 79 000 0001 1 80 127 0959 0 80 000 0001 1 77 090 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 82 127 0479 0 82 000 0001 1 82 090 0479 0 82 000 0001 1 82 090 0479 0 82 000 0001 1 85 127 0479 0 85 000 0001 1 84 090 0479 0 84 000 0001 1 82 090 0479 0 82 000 0001 1 77 127 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 77 090 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 79 090 0479 0 79 000 0001 1 80 127 0959 0 80 000 0001 1 77 090 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 77 127 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 82 090 0479 0 82 000 0001 1 82 090 0479 0 82 000 0001 1 80 127 0479 0 80 000 0001 1 77 090 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 75 090 0479 0 75 000 0001 1 77 127 0479 0 77 000 0001 1 70 090 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 70 090 0479 0 70 000 0001 1 70 127 0959 0 70 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X: 209
T:Miner Lad
M:3/4
L:1/4
S:Ian Campbell Folk Group
N:filename [MINERLAD
K:Ab
z2B|
Bff|fef|BBB|B2f/g/|
abb|(d'c')b|ffg|a2f|
bbb|d'c'b|ffg|a2f|
fbb|afe|fBB|B2z||


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