Tune Req: Shoals of Herring

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 03 Apr 13 - 07:36 PM

Thankss Georgiansilver!
Luke Kelly's (Dubliners) intro verse is slower, as is the Corries': it's open to free interpretation and ornamentation before you get into the steadier rhythm of the rest of the verses, (as is the end section) and probably should not be slavishly copied - but maybe the OP already got answers as the thread is 8 years old!
As Musket has said, it does take a bit of a range of pitch to encompass it!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 03 Apr 13 - 04:59 PM

From the man himself! What could be better?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: GUEST,Musket sans cookie
Date: 03 Apr 13 - 12:42 PM

If my voice is in fine fettle I sing the introduction. If not I don't. I tend to sing the intro loudly with a bit of a crescendo on ocean and deep.

When playing safe I don't. ..

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Apr 13 - 12:31 PM

Luke Kelly's version with the Dubliners starts and ends in a different way to the remaining verses.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 03 Apr 13 - 08:37 AM

MacColl wrote the introductory verse as follows:
"With our nets and gear we're faring,
On the wild and wasteful ocean,
It's there on the deep where we harvest and reap our bread,
As we hunt the bonny shoals of herring."

The tune he used was an adaptation of the main tune taken freely
The last verse is the one that is usually sung "Oh I earned My keep....", but is also taken freely.
It can be heard on the Radio Ballad 'Singing the Fishing' and is found transcribed in 'The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook'.
I anybody has trouble finding the tune for the first verse I'll happily scan it from 'Essential' and send it if they PM me an e-mail address.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: GUEST,David Nuttall, Wakefield
Date: 03 Apr 13 - 05:01 AM

On You Tube......The DUBLINERS are singing SHOALS OF HERRING !! The first and last verses are different and may well be what you are after....hope so !

David

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: GUEST,HanscChristensen
Date: 02 Apr 13 - 10:26 PM

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: Nick
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 12:38 PM

Sooz - it was seeing (hearing?) Bob Fox sing it when I saw him in January which prompted the interest in trying to do it.

It was just that I ran out of notes on the third line of the first verse before I ran out of words which led me to search for a different tune...

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: Nick
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 09:40 AM

Thanks for the response.

Surprisingly, a friend of mine arrived when we were singing last night with a copy of Ewan Maccoll's Antiquities album for me to borrow so I'll find out tonight for myself!

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 08:03 AM

Apart from the actual Singing the Fishing recording, The Exiles did a version on the Topic LP The Hale & The Hanged on which Bobby Campbell took the lead vocal. This was done pretty much in Ewan's original style with the slow intro.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: GUEST,Sooz(at work)
Date: 04 Mar 04 - 07:54 AM

Theres a great version on Bob Fox's latest CD and he sings all the verses the same. Its usually unaccompanied singers who vary the beginning and end but I can't recall a recorded version.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 01:34 PM

The DT version is, well, 'suboptimal'.

This old thread has more discussion and better lyrics. Teribus' post gives the lyrics including first and last verse either exactly as on 'Singing the fishing' or at the very least very close.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 01:33 PM

Well, blow me down! Never noticed that MusTrad had in fact printed the set of lyrics used for the Down fishing wars. A bit harsh to call it 'bowdlersised' though, Giock - this is exactly what Ewan would do himself to many a traditional tune upon which he hung topical lyrics.

The re-released Topic CD the piece is about difinitely has the original lyrics to 'Shoals of Herring'.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 01:26 PM

That set of words is a bowdlerised version of the original. I can send a copy of the original from the EWan McColl and Peggy Seeger songbook if required. PM me.
John

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 12:50 PM

Musical Traditions review of the Topic recording of the Radio Ballad 'Singing the Fishing' which has 'Shoals of Herring' in the original form, together with lyrics here.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 12:42 PM

I've heard it differently. Though the last verse in the DT is not the last verse that is sung differently. The first verse, however, is the one sung differently.

The two verses are sung slower and with a kind of free metre and with a bit of musical ornamentation, but the tune used is basically a free variant of the other tune.

I have searched for an audio with no success.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 12:27 PM

If I recall the versions I've heardall verses are sung to the same melody.

Subject: Tune Req: Shoals of Herring
From: Nick
Date: 03 Mar 04 - 11:11 AM

Can anyone direct me to the tune for the first and last verses of Shoals of Herring?

The tune in the Digitrad is for the bit I know.