A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter

Subject: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 12:44 PM

Was wondering if there was more than one traditional tune to the song "A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter". I have a copy of it on a Figgy Duff album. It has very similar words to those in the mudcat database, but the tune here sounds very different to me than the one on the album. Was wondering if both tunes were traditional or if the song on the album had been rewritten more recently. Can try to put the Figgy Duff version of the melody in ABC notation format.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 02:47 PM

There's a tune for it in Edw. Bunting's 1840 Irish collection. Who is Figgy Duff?

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 03:08 PM

Figgy Duff is a folk group based in Newfoundland. Their music has a Celtic flavour seeing that the people of Newfoundland are mainly of English and Irish descent, with some Welsh, Scottish and Basque and they largely retain the speech and customs of their ancestors.

Figgy Duff are Noel Dinn, Pamela Morgan, Dave Panting and Geoff Butler. It's been years since I saw them at Pontardawe Folk Festival Wales. I wonder if they are still active?

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 03:18 PM

Better known as "The Constant Lovers," copies in Bodleian do not cite a tune. More than one song with that name.
There is a very long version in the Bodleian, ca. 1800- Harding B11 (2670), titled "A new Song." Also "The Hard-Hearted Mother."

There might be some ideas in the thread "music to song, Constant Lovers, 42808: Constant Lovers

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: ToryJane
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 05:13 PM

Kate Rusby and Kathryn Roberts do a very pretty duet version of this song on their 1999 CD (entitled "Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts"). It's available through Amazon (unfortunately, this isn't one of the sample tracks you can listen to online from the Amazon site).

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 05:49 PM

Link to an earlier thread.
Try this
...Giok

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 06:44 PM

Thread linked by Giok (47505) is linked at the top of the page. The other main thread, 42808, which I linked, needs to be placed there as well.
See "A Sailor Courted" in the DT and Malcolm's post in thread 42808 where he links to this song in the DT but uses the title "The Constant Lovers," in his post, and also links to "As I was a-walking down by the sea shore," also called "Constant Lovers;" he points out the problem with the name.
The former (A Sailor Courted) is called "The Constant Lovers" in the Bodleian Library. The Contemplator doesn't seem to have the tunes. Two tunes are given in 42808 but neither may be what you are looking for. The DT midi for "A Sailor Courted" doesn't work.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 07:50 PM

The problem with the title overlap there is that at least two completely different, unrelated songs get involved, as Q has pointed out. The song being asked for in this thread is A Sailor Courted a Farmer's Daughter, a.k.a. The Constant Lovers (Roud 993 Laws O41); most commonly found in tradition in England, but also occasionally in Canada, the USA, Scotland and the North of Ireland. I don't know offhand whether or not more than one tune is involved (I don't read music very easily) but, given that it was quite widely printed on broadsides, I wouldn't be surprised.

If the original questioner posts the tune s/he knows as ABC, it ought to be a bit easier to give a considered opinion.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 04:20 AM

There is a humorous Irish parody of the song as well which starts

A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
Who lived contagious to the town of Strathbane

I can't remember the rest of it, but the final line has far too many words in it to scan.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 03:29 PM

The tune that was up at the DT database (didn't realize it was no longer available), wasn't the correct tune I was looking for. You can still find that tune if you do a search for Sailor Courted a Farmer's Daughter using the abc search engine. I also checked the other thread some of you mentioned. It wasn't the correct tune either.

Did my best to transcribe the tune I want to know more about to abc and am including it in this message. I'm not great at transcribing things that I sing into notes, but this should be close enough that someone may be able to recognize the tune. Would definitely like to find out if this a traditional tune or a more modern one. The Figgy Duff album (Figgy Duff - A Retrospective 1974-1993) says the song is 'Traditional - learned from Philip Foley', but doesn't detail whether it's just the words or the the melody as well that's traditional. If anyone needs links to some programs to work with abc on Windows, I have some up at http://www.distasis.com/recipes/music.htm

Any further information on this variant would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

%
X:1
T:Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
B:
C:Traditional (based on Figgy Duff version)
H:
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:C
V:1
%%MIDI channel 2
%%MIDI program 2 01
EEE|DE2|A,A,A,|GA2|ABA|G2E|D1/2C1/2A,B,|G,3|
w:A sail-or court-ed a farm-er's daugh-ter. Who lived con-ven-ient to the Isle of Man.
EEE|DE2|A,A,A,|GA2|ABA|E2D|CB,G,|A,2|
w:Give heed good peo-ple, what fol-lowed af-ter. He long had court-ed, but un-der-hand.
EEE|GA2|BA1/2G1/2E|GA2|BAG|E2D|CA,B,|G,3|
w:One day while part-ing, af-ter _ dis-cour-sing, some-thing con-cern-ing the o-cean wide.
EEE|DE2|A,A,A,|GA2|ABA|G2E|DA,G,|A,3|
w:He said my de-ar, at our next meet-ing, if you con-sent I'll make you my bride.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 03:45 PM

It's a traditional tune; Irish in this case. Basically, it's a variant of the melody used for Anach Cuain and some versions of The Streets of Derry. I don't think I've come across it attached to The Constant Lovers before, but the song may well have picked the tune up as it passed through the North of Ireland, or Philip Foley (I don't know who he might be) may have fitted it himself.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: GUEST,John Moulden
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 05:31 PM

The parody was written by Percy French.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 04:28 AM

Mike Harding did a very humorous version on 'Mrs 'Ardins Kid' as well.

A sail-i-ar courted a farmers daugh-ti-ar, Neiaaarrrggghhh

Anyone else remember it?

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: MC Fat
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 05:49 AM

Think it was a Noel Murphy song.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 08:07 AM

I used to sing it a lot in the 1960 - 70's. Learned it from Dominic Behan.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Jim McLean
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 09:49 AM

I have a Topic EP, TOP 101, dated 1958, by Dominic Behan.He was accompanied by John Hasted on banjo, six and twelve string guitars and the sleeve notes were written by Enoch Kent although he doesn't comment on A SCFD. Dominic sings the 'cod' version.
Jim McLean

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Gurney
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 03:59 AM

I remember it from the 70's, And the definative version in Coventry at that time was Sean Cannon's, which became more andante and outrageous every time he sang it, with extraneous 'Nyaaahhh's and "Water cold-and-wet-and-far-below-and-full-of-dead-dogs-and-old-prams-and-letters......That ends that verse!
Never the same twice. Great fun.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: masato sakurai
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 09:07 PM

The tune mentioned above:

X:1
T:A SAILOR LOVED A FARMER'S DAUGHTER
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:1/8=116
S:Edward Bunting, The Ancient Music of Ireland (1840; Dover, 2000, p. 102)
C:Very ancient, Author and date unknown.
K:Bb
FBB|G2(AF) BB|B3/2~d/ff {e1/4f1/4}gf3/4e1/4|d3/2c/ BB (A/B/)(c/A/)|(F3/2~G/A) F{A/}B{A/}B|
G2(AF) BB|B3/2~d/ff g(f3/4e1/4)|(d3/2c/) B(c3/4d1/4) BB|(B2B)|:def|(g3/2e/c) cde|(f3/2d/B) (B/A/)GB|
(e3/2d/c)B (A/B/)(c/A/)|F3/2~G/ {B/}A(G/F/) BB|G2(AF) BB|(B3/2~d/) (fb) (a/g/f/e/)|(d3/2c/) B(c/d/) BB|(B2B):|]

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 03:06 PM

To answer Skipper Jack's prior question re. Figgy Duff. They unfortunately are no more due to the untimely demise of Noel Dinn
due to cancer. They have not been around as a group for about 4-5 years now. I know Pamela Morgan has done some solo work and some with Anita Best more info through above link.
Great group anyhow.
JohnB

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: GUEST,Mike Walker
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 04:06 AM

I heard it once in the 50's at an conference sung by the then Irish president of the NUS.I've been singing it from memory ever since.
I love these lyrics:
"A sailor coorted a farmer's daughter/that lived contagious to the isle of Man (pronounced mon)
Wid warblin' melodies he did besought her/to marry him before she'd run away off and marry some other sort of a, kind of a man(mon)".

write to [e-mail] and I'll give you the rest of the highly amusing folk song.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Compton
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 04:38 AM

...and before Mike Harding...and almost everyone else, the parody "Sailor courted a farmers daughter"...was on a very early LP by Robin Hall and Jimmy Magregor!...certainly written by Percy French.

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Jane of 'ull
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 01:15 PM

I always liked the Kate Rusby / Kathryn Roberts version, does anyone know what Kathryn Roberts is up to nowadays?

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Mar 09 - 04:40 PM

Percy French wrote this as a parody to a traditional song called "The One Penny Portion", which starts with the line
"A sailor courted a farmers' daughter
that lived convenient to the ISLE OF MAN
Rmark good people what followed after
A long time courting, but underhand"
You will find it "More Irish Street Ballads" by Colm O Lochlainn

Subject: RE: A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter
From: Jim McLean
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 07:15 AM

Compton, Dominic Behan recorded the song before Robin and Jimmie teamed up. They learned the song from him.