Lyr Req: Friezland Ale

Subject: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: GUEST,Nogs
Date: 03 May 04 - 02:44 PM

I have heard this at several folk festivals and on several CD's, but my Yank ears can't catch a couple of the phrases.
" A pint of sunshine at a swipe, all something, something and something"

"...with half so rich a flavor, for English something and English something in every drop I savor"

"But never roses half so rare, so something something and something"

Many thanks. Srs. Google and Digitrad balked at my attempts to search them. If this isn't in the Digitrad, maybe it could be added?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: nutty
Date: 03 May 04 - 04:37 PM

The words are from a poem of the same name as the song by Ammon Wrigley an amazingly good West Yorkshire poet who lived in Saddleworth (Uppermill).

Friezland is close by .

The song has more than a smidging of the Yorkshire dialect which makes it difficult to transcribe from a tape or CD.

I'm sure someone will come up with the words ...it's a terrific song.

Subject: Lyr Add: FRIEZLAND ALE (Ammon Wrigley/A. Radcliffe
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 03 May 04 - 05:28 PM

Well, "someone" has - and this is what I have on file.
I'd transcribed it from the sheet music edition in a book I borrowed, but no longer have the photocopy of the original. And yes, the transcription takes no account of that lovely and distinctive Saddleworth accent of course!
Anyway, here goes:


FRIEZLAND ALE
(Ammon Wrigley/A. Radcliffe, 1923)


Whene'er I drink of Friezland ale drawn from an old brown bottle,
I feel as if a summer morn were running down my throttle;
A pint of sunshine at a draught, all sparkle, grip and mettle;
There never is a cloudy day when Friezland ale's in fettle.
(Repeat last line.)


The ale-wife meets the morning fair by meadows splashed with clover,
When every breath and every beam is rapture brimming over;
For morning brings her many sweets of subtle taste and witching,
That make a charmèd fairy room of her old-fashioned kitchen.

She goes and gathers in the fields as wild bees gather honey,
Her apron full of pleasant things, the joyous and the sunny;
The smell of blossom in the wind she catches as it passes,
The hunting songs of neighbour lads, the laughter of the lasses.

She catches too the skylark's song and takes each trill and quaver,
The song of throstle down the lane, and throws them into flavour;
The low of cattle on the hills, the smell of grouse and heather
She mixes with her malt and hops and boils them well together.

Now brewery ale is noise and boast and foolish talk and fratchin',
But Friezland ale is mirth and wit and music that is catchin';
With homely sermons quaint and wise and racy old world teaching;
I'd go to chapel twice a day if Friezland ale were preaching.

Now he who drinks that mellow ale grows riper than the cherry,
He walks on daisies all his life, his heart is always merry;
And in his hand you find a grip that tells you he's your brother,
For Friezland ale does parson's work and makes us love each other.


A cracker of a song..... Cheers!
MM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: nutty
Date: 03 May 04 - 05:37 PM

The words of the above are in some respects different from the version I know ...... certainly the verse abour "making a gatepost happy" is missing, as is the one that ends "If e'er I wed I'll take fer't wife a good old Friezland barrel"

Subject: Lyr Add: FRIEZLAND ALE (from Roy Palmer)
From: Mark Dowding
Date: 03 May 04 - 05:56 PM

This is the version that Roy Palmer has in his book "A Taste of Ale" which has your verse in it Nutty:

Whene'er I drink of Friezland ale drawn from an old brown bottle
I feel as if a summer morn were running down my throttle
A pint of sunshine at a draught, all sparkle, grip and mettle
There never is a cloudy day when Friezland ale's in fettle

As white as milk when newly drawn and never milk is richer
With creamy puffs in bunches blown like roses in a pitcher
But never roses half so sweet so dewy, cool and sappy
A mellow can of Friezland ale would make a gatepost happy

You're ten years younger with a pint and if you've two you're twenty
They ne'er grow old on that hillside because they swallow plenty
For Friezland folk they live at home they're decent folk and warty
With ruddy cheeks and double chins and always hale and hearty

A woman's eyes are witching things and sweet they say her kisses
But let my lips meet Friezland ale - the fountain of all blisses
Give me a book, an old clay pipe a pint for quiet drinking
There is no king upon the earth so happy to my thinking

Now brewery ale is noise and boast and foolish talk and fratchin'
But Friezland ale is mirth and wit and music that is catchin'
With homely sermons quaint and wise and racy old-world teaching
I'd go to chapel thrice a day if Friezland ale were preaching

Now he who drinks that mellow ale grows riper than the cherry
He walks on daisies all his life, his heart is always merry
And in his hand you find a grip that tells you he's your brother
For Friezland ale does parson's work and makes us love each other

Cheers
Mark

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: michaelr
Date: 03 May 04 - 09:13 PM

Where and what is Friezland, and how is it pronounced?

Friesland, of course, is the North Sea Coast area of Holland and Germany.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 04 May 04 - 12:24 AM

G'day Michaelr,

I was going to ask that ... from the other side of the world, it's hard to get that sort of information!

I note that there is a "Holland" sitting in the middle of England's easy coast ... so a "Friezland" would be little more surprise.

I've always wondered at the little mention given to Friese in discussions of English language - while some linguists maintain that the closest related language to English is, indeed, Friese. We always heard that it was the "Angles, Jutes and Saxons" that streamed into Britain at the request of the Romano-Britons left when Rome withdrew her troops in the 5th century ... but it must have been the Friese who ferried them across ... and the linguistic view suggests that more than a few stayed! Of course, whenever the English set out to fish the North Sea ... the first people they would meet out there would be a lot of Friese, fron straight across the water, so it seems, to me at least, that there would be a common pool of language that served between the English and the Friese ... and a lot of cross-fertilisation - of one sort or anther.

Good butter and good cheese -
Are good English and good Friese! (As they say ... but in Friese.)

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 04 May 04 - 05:53 PM

Pronounced freeze-l'nd, well that's how Will Noble pronounces it and I think he should know.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 06 May 04 - 08:28 AM

Well I'm sure glad this thread has stirred up some knowledge of the variants of this fine song. Now I know why I'd not got round to singing it - I was waiting to get together a complete version that satisfied me!
The version given in Roy Palmer's book, I learn, was transcribed from Will Noble's recording - yet verses 2,3 and 4 certainly differ radically from the "printed" version I originally supplied to the thread, which I always felt sounded a little strange, almost at odds. Hmmm...
And yes, I do recall having heard Nutty's missing verse (the one that ends "...good old Friezland barrel") - was it from the one that Alan sings? I'm sure there must be someone out there who can supply the rest please??

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: GUEST
Date: 11 May 04 - 11:24 AM

Well, here is what I have. I've put lines in caps that are variations of the above. There are a couple new verses. Thanks for the other verses and the clarifications.

Whene'er I drink of Friezland ale, drawn from an old brown bottle,
I feel as if a summer morn were running down my throttle
A pint of sunshine at a SWIPE, all sparkle, grip and mettle
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE GOOD HOME BREWED ALE FOR KEEPING FOLKS in fettle

There is no ale from barley brewed with half so rich a flavor
For English (hops/hopes?) and English (toil?) in every drop I savor
It does not tie the legs of feet, nor set the head a-tuppin'
It makes the plowman feel a king because it's royal suppin'.

IT FLOWETH FROM THE BOTTLES' MOUTH WITH FOAM LIKE CREAM, BUT RICHER
IT BUBBLES UP IN BUNCHES RARE LIKE ROSES IN A PITCHER
BUT NEVER ROSES HALF SO RARE, SO DEWY, COOL, AND SAPPY
A mellow PINT of Freizland ale would make a gatepost happy.

WHENE'ER I DRINK TYHIS MELLOW BREW, WITH MALT AND HOPS IN PLENTY,
I'm ten years younger with a pint, and if I've two, I'm twenty.
THE LAUGHIN' STREAM RUNS DOWN MY THROAT, AND DROWNS TEATOTAL-TAECHIN'
I'D GO TO CHAPEL TWICE A DAY IF FREIZLAND ALE WERE PRAECHIN'

THERE IS A LASS ON YONDER HILL, LIVES AT AN OLD FARMSTEADING
SO FAIR TO SEE I'VE OFTEN THOUGHT I'D TAKE HER TO A WEDDING
BUT WOMEN FOLKS ARE HARD TO PLEASE, AND FOND OF FINE APPAREL
IF E'ER I'D WED I'D TAKE FOR WIFE A GOOD OLD FREIZLAND BARREL.

THE MAN WHO DRINKS GOOD FRIEZLAND ALE GROWS RUDDIER THAN THE CHERRY
He walks on daisies all his life in sunshine bright and merry
BUT OLD KING TIME GOES HAND IN HAND WITH FRIEZLAND FOLKS A-LAUGHIN'
HE KNOWS THEIR HEARTS WILL NE'ER GROW OLD AS LONG AS THEY KEEP QUAFFIN'


Ah! the folk process!
I heard this from the Holme Valley Tradition, but as best I can remember it is identical to the version on the CD "A Century of Song", sung there by Will Noble.

Now if someone can just fill in the blanks about the English things that the singer savors in every drop?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 11 May 04 - 11:36 AM

Can anyone post the tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: nutty
Date: 11 May 04 - 12:29 PM

I found a book of Ammon Wrigley poems in a Holmfirth Book Shop ... a bit beyond my purse at £20 but I did take the opportunity to check on Friezland Ale.
As the original poem had 12 verses it is not suprising that there are a number of different versions of this wonderful song . I don't know anyone who sings all twelve.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 11 May 04 - 02:19 PM

Ah - the folk process...

Thanks to one and all, I think I'm getting close to a satisfying version to sing now. (But nowhere near 12 verses, I hasten to add - the law of diminishing returns striketh again....)

I think the "English blanks" are "hops" and "soil".

Shame not to hear Will Noble over Holmfirth weekend by the way.

Cheers!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: greg stephens
Date: 11 May 04 - 02:48 PM

Friezland is, as said in an earlier post , is near Saddleworth and Uppermill. I'd be grateful for a definitive answer on where it is, as regards counties. I have a strong feeling it used to be in Lancashire, but with the shifting of the Lancashire/Yorkshire borders in the 70's, and also the Greater Manchester creation, I've lost track of this sort of thing in that part of the Pennines.
    So, could anyone tell us for sure (a) where it used to be and (b) where it is now?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: greg stephens
Date: 11 May 04 - 02:51 PM

Incidentally, there is also a Friesland on the Hebridean island of Coll, surprisingly enough. The Coll Hotel is a great place to play a gig, though the midges are a little too fierce for my my taste.

Subject: Tune Add: FRIEZLAND ALE (from Roy Palmer)
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 11 May 04 - 05:09 PM

Here's the tune as given by Roy Palmer.

Mick

---

X: 1
T:FRIEZLAND ALE
M:2/4
L:1/8
S:Book: A Taste of Ale - compiled by Roy Palmer
K:D Mix
A,|FE DC|D/D/ A,2 A,|D> A A G|F<E- E
w:When e'er I drink of Friez-land ale, Drawn from an old brown bot-tle_
A,|D/E/ F2 D| C/B,/ C2 D|E/D/ C2 B,|B,<A,- A,
w:I feel as if a sum-mer morn was run-ning down my throt-tle_
A,|A,/D/ F2 F|E/D/ D2 C|D> A A F|F<F- F
w:A pint of sun-shine at a draught All spar-kle, grip and met-tle_
A,|:F>E (D/E/)F|G>F (E/F/)G|AB FE|E<D- D A, :|
w:There ne-ver is_ a clou-dy day_ when Friez-land ale's in fet-tle_ There

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: nutty
Date: 11 May 04 - 05:46 PM

The tune is pretty close Mick but the tempo is much faster than I have heard it sung. I've not heard the Roy Bailey version but I've never heard Will Noble sing at that pace.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 11 May 04 - 05:55 PM

nutty

The Roy Palmer book doesn't give a tempo, so I didn't include one in the abc. The tempo you heard will have been dependent on the player. In the notation above I think a tempo of 1/4=100 is about what I've heard sung (but it's not a song I've heard a lot, so I'm open to other options on that).

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 11 May 04 - 06:43 PM

Roy Bailey, nutty??? Shoorly you mean Roy Palmer???
On second thoughts a Roy Bailey rendition is an intriguing proposition - a duet with Tony Benn p'raps??......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friezland Ale
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 12 May 04 - 08:36 AM

Grazie Mick!