traditional folk songs for women to sing

Subject: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST,sad lady
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 02:15 AM

looking for some suggestions of some traditional folk songs that are good for women to sing - looking to extend ny repertoire (so to speak)

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: Gurney
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 03:31 AM

The cuckoo's nest and the little ball of yarn would help you to make friends...
Many songs in the English tradition are for the ladies, variants anyway. Try some recordings by any of the spendid ladies who sing them, starting with Maddy Prior and June Tabor.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: Hrothgar
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 05:21 AM

Sing anything you like. If anybody says "That's a man's song," spit in his/her eye.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 05:29 AM

Seconded, Hrothgar.

However, where could be a better starting point for traditional song from a woman's perspective than in the repertoire of Frankie Armstrong, much of which is in the DT.

Then look into the work of Sandra Kerr and Peta Webb. Maddy and June too, of course. Just don't refer to them as 'ladies'.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From:
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 07:29 AM

Don't forget our own Jean Ritchie (kytrad).

Seriously, how about

If I Was A Blackbird
If I Was a Blackbird 2
Nova Scotia version of Blackbird

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 07:40 AM

there's quite a lot of threads on this topic, for instance
women's music
trad. women's songs
women's song circle

though as Hrothgar says, you can sing as you like!

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Dec 03 - 03:02 PM

Better still look at the repertoire of traditional women singers.

Louie Fuller
Mary Anne Haynes
Belle Stewart
Phoebe Smith
etc
etc
etc

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 02:01 AM

thanks - I do sing what I like at the moment - just interestedto know wat people think of as traditional womens songs

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 02:07 AM

Silly Sisters are fine art, and choose great songs! Oh, there are so many others too! Please don't be fuddled by that other post, 'cause I was just working out some personal issues... OK?

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 02:22 AM

I wouldn't make a distinction between "women's" songs and "men's", really; the old singers don't seem to have done, on the whole, except where they were associated with specific working or social situations. We know a bit about the former, but not a great deal about the latter: songs that were reserved for "private" groupings, whether based on gender, trade, or other circumstances, tended to escape the song collectors unless they happened to have an "inside" contact.

The perspective from which a song is narrated doesn't in itself define it as "belonging" to one sex or the other, if the demography of the traditional sources is anything to go by.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST,Melanie
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 06:42 AM

'Lovely Joan' is a great song about a powerful woman wno refused to be compromised by a man's sweet talk & turned the tables on him, if that's what you want :-) Also 'The Golden Glove' for a tale of a lass who knew what she wanted (marriage to a certain bloke)and went about getting it by devious but harmless means.

Happy singing!

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST,Pavane
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 07:36 AM

Some songs where the lady is the 'winner':
The Broomfield wager in its various forms
Bold William Taylor (aka and originally The Female Lieutenant)
Sovay, Sovay (the female highwayman)
Basket of eggs

Others:
Sorry the day I was married

I also have a book (My song is my own, I think) of woman's songs, both traditional and contemporary. Once again, it is at home so I can't check it out.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST,A real Shellback!
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 08:01 PM

Not Sea Chanteys!

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: Mudlark
Date: 10 Dec 03 - 09:53 PM

Hard Luck is the Fortune of All Womankind
Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies
Let No Man Steal Your Thyme
The Butcher Boy (Oh, what a foolish girl was I...)
Make Me an Angel That Flies from Montgomery

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: LadyJean
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 12:16 AM

Scottish waulking songs are womens' songs. Made by women. Sung by women. The tunes are fairly powerful. Of course the lyrics are in Gaelic, and I'm betting you won't find any on the mudcat. But there are books out there with waulking songs in them.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: bradfordian
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 08:12 AM

Have a look at a couple of Mick Ryan (UK) numbers which look at life from the female perspective:-
Devil versus the widow,(in the DT)
& Desperate Dan

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 08:34 AM

I sing songs about the poor girls who are left behind when their sailors have gone to sea (but then I would, wouldn't I?) Brisk Young Sailor, My Johnny was a Shoemaker... I also sing songs about how the girls come out on top, i.e. Golden Glove, Polly on the Shore (Coope Boyes and Simpson's version)

Girl Power Rules!

Sal

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: Snuffy
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 09:33 AM

Some great women's songs from Judy Small

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST,Santa
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 11:36 AM

The last few posts are not on "traditional songs for women to sing". I presume that if the original poster had wanted militant feminist modern songs she'd have asked for them.

Having heard singers such as Maddy Prior, June Tabor, Kate Rusby, Alison Younger, Jane Threlfall, Eliza Carthy etc etc I can only say that the traditional songs are there to be sung regardless of gender.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 11 Dec 03 - 05:34 PM

Lady Jean, I wouldn't bet on it! If you type "waulking" in the Mudcat search box, you'll get a rather unusual English-language song about waulking in the DT (it's called "Waulking Song"), and you'll find lots of threads (mostly discussion, but some with lyrics). For instance:
waulking songs
Fulling songs

It's very hard to do justice to the waulking songs and I don't think any performances I've heard match the field recordings of women singing as they work.

You can also find a somewhat similar Irish spinning song called 'S ambo eara on Mudcat.

As I inferred in my links to previous threads, this area is already very well covered on the 'Cat!

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 08:11 AM

Not sure whether 'My Johnny was a shoemaker' counts as traditional, as we know the composer and date, even if it was later collected.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 12 Dec 03 - 12:44 PM

Exsqueeze me?

"This appeared in English County Songs (1893) under Songs of the Sea. It had been printed previously in a collection of southern country songs, Besom Maker and Other Country Folk Songs (1888) by Heywood Sumner. Broadwood states that in printed versions the A appears as A sharp in bars 4, 8 and 14, but she altered it to natural A, as that was "possibly the older form of the tune." Rev. Baring-Gould also collected the tune. It was printed on broadsides which is listed in the Charles Sanderson catalog."

So how does a song become a trad song?

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: LadyJean
Date: 13 Dec 03 - 12:32 AM

Mudcat also has the words to "The Bonny Lass of Anglesea" which is a great song about a strong woman.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: Miken
Date: 13 Dec 03 - 01:24 AM

One of my favorite trad Irish singers is Niamh Parsons whos latest album, Hearts Desire, has some good women's songs on it. "The tide full in" comes to mind, and "A Kiss in the Morning Early", "My Lagan Love" as well.
Mike

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: Skipper Jack
Date: 13 Dec 03 - 11:44 AM

What about:
My Husband's Got no Courage in Him?
The Female Cabin Boy?
William Taylor?

These are just a few that spring to mind.

Subject: RE: traditional folk songs for women to sing
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 13 Dec 03 - 03:04 PM

Good choices Skip.

Sal