May Bradley recordings?

Subject: May Bradley recordings?
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 07:51 AM

I would like to have a serious listen to May Bradley recordings( Shropshire/Welsh borders Gypsy singer). Does anybody know how I can set about this, I am trying to find out if a CD exists with all her stuff on. Also I remember reading about someone(Vaughan Williams?) collecting from her mum(possibly not called Bradley?). Can anyone point me to this? And do any recordings exist of the mother?

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 07:58 AM

The Oxford Book of Carols has a version of the Leaves of Life(Seven Virgins) with a tune remarkably like May Bradley's. It was collected from Mrs Whatton and Mrs Loveridge in Dilwyn. Was one of these perhaps May Bradley's mother?

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: GUEST,Jim Ward
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 08:24 AM

May Bradley's mother was Mrs.Esther Smith, who was indeed collected by RVW (and Ella Mary Leather) and published (4 songs)in "Traditional Carols from Herefordshire (1920). This is according to the sleeve notes on a cassette, "The Leaves Of Life", published by the RVW Memorial Library in 1989. The cassette is of field recordings by Fred Hamer and includes five tracks by May Bradley.
I've no idea if this cassette is still available of if it has been re-issued on CD. I suggest you contact Malcolm at C.Sharp House.

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 08:24 AM

There are a few recordings of her - the EFDSS A Century of Song has one, as does Voice of the People (on 3 of them I think - Under The Leaves on vol 11, Willow Tree on vol 12).

There are some Topic recordings too (mainly the same songs from the look of it. Travellers according to Folktrax has her, but my LP of that doesn't - perhaps it was added on CD).

EFDSS has some recordings of her, including talking (see this entry from Folktrax: "LEATHER, Dr & Mrs - Herefordshire collectors -- EFDSS LP-1006 May BRADLEY (daughter of Mrs Smith who sang to Ella Leather rec Fred Hamer - Talk by May BRADLEY rec by Fred Hamer 12/4/66: VWML- 003 1989 cass")


Esther (or Eliza, depending on source) Smith was her mother.

A web-search for "May Bradley" will turn up details for you.

Mick

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: GUEST,bigJ
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 08:26 AM

Greg, There are four tracks by May Bradley (on one of which she talks about her mother) on the 1989 cassette "The Leaves of Life" recordings by Fred Hamer, released by the EFDSS. There's also one track. the song "On Christmas Day" on the EFDSS CD "A Century of Song" EFDSS CD02 (1998).
There may also be something on Peter Kennedy's Folktrax??

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 12:32 PM

I think the Mustrad site has some mention of her, maybe a discography if you're lucky.

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 06:44 PM

The West Midlands online folk magazine The Folk Mag contains a well-informed article on Fred Hamer's collecting activities in Shropshire, including an account of his serendipitous meeting with May Bradley. The article, Fred Hamer in the West Midlands includes the texts and tunes of several of her songs. The article also confirms that Ralph Vaughan-Williams and Ella Leather did actually make a phonograph recording of Mrs Bradley's mother, Esther Smith, singing her carol.

For the record, and from the information to hand, the songs Fred Hamer collected from May Bradley were:-

Published in Garners Gay, EFDS, 1967.
Sweet Swansea (Swansea Jail)
The Outlandish Knight (The Dappledy Grey)
The Blackbird
Down the Green Groves
On Christmas Day
Cold Blows the Wind (The Unquiet Grave)
Under the Leaves (The Seven Virgins)

Published in Green Groves, EFDS, 1973.
Turpin's Farewell to Black Bess
The Willow Tree
McCaffery

According to The discography of Recorded Traditional Music on the Musical Traditions website, the songs by May Bradley which Fred Hamer recorded have been issued as follows:-

(i) On EFDS LP1006 'Garners Gay', 1971.
Outlandish Knight
Sweet Swansea
The Blackbird
On Christmas Day
Cold Blows the Wind

(ii) On VWML cassette 003 'The Leaves of Life', 1988(?).
McCaffery (with comment)
The Willow Tree
Under the Leaves
Talk, about [her] mother
Lily white Hand [?]

(iii) On EFDSS CD02 'A Century of Song', 1998.
On Christmas Day

(iv) On the Topic 'Voice of the People' series, 1998;-
Vol 8 TSCD658 'A story I'm just about to tell'
#22 Calvery [McCaffery]
Vol 11 TSCD681 'My father's the king of the gypsies'
#32 Under the Leaves
Vol 12 TSCD682 'We've received orders to sail'
#10 The Willow Tree

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: greg stephens
Date: 24 Jul 05 - 10:19 AM

Matthew Edward et al: thanks very much indeed for all this very welcome information. Which just goes to confirm my impression, that it's about time someone brought out a CD of the complete recordings of this very important singer, with an truly fabulous repertoire. It will take me a long time to track down all this stuff: C Sharp House will probably have the majority, I suppose. I'd just love to be able to send of the CD, though!

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 13 Dec 15 - 06:00 PM

I'd just found this on YouTube...
May Bradley. On Christmas Day


And there is a 2010 CD available from     http://www.mtrecords.co.uk/mt_rec.htm#brad
        
May Bradley         Sweet Swansea   
MTCD349 + 24 page integral booklet in DVD case   39 tracks, 80 minutes   £12.00
"May Bradley is, in my opinion, one of the greatest treasures of the English tradition and, if it hadn't been for the happy accident of her meeting the song collector, Fred Hamer, a treasure that would have been lost ... This CD contains all the songs she recorded ... There are passages of breath-taking beauty here ... they are utterly thrilling.
Chris Bartram, in Shreds and Patches. "

"For the first time, the complete recorded repertoire of this great Gypsy singer, as collected by Fred Hamer. Includes Sweet Swansea, Long a-Growing, McCaffery, My Blue Eyed Lover, The Leaves of Life, On Christmas Day, The Outlandish Knight and 19 other songs."

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: Vic Smith
Date: 14 Dec 15 - 04:54 PM

Greg,
I have the MT album of May Bradley and I love it. I know enough about your tastes to know that you will love it too.
Vic

Subject: RE: May Bradley recordings?
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 14 Dec 15 - 06:00 PM

:-) I saw Greg today and he knows about the CD
but he doesn't get on to mudcat too often these days.