Lyr Req: Cornish Kitchen

Subject: Cornish Kitchen
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 12:37 PM

Hi Catters

Does anyone know a song called "In a Cornish Kitchen" please

The only bit I can remember of the lyrics is:

In a cornish kitchen
..............
With the clickerty tock of the grandfather clock
The blue and white china and all.

Does it ring a bell with anyone?

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 05:07 PM

OK, OK, so I'm Stupid Mouse!

Mick has pointed out that I should have put 'Lyr Req' in front of this title. Could a Joe Clone alter it please?

Thanks

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Leraud
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 05:15 PM

Tom and Barbara Brown sing it (website http://www.umbermusic.co.uk/tandb/tandbframe.htm) but they don't appear to have recorded it. You could ask them where they got it from.

Lynne

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Surreysinger
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 06:45 PM

Ern Keast (Mo Keast's husband)sings it - in fact he was singing it down in Dorset last weekend! They live in Bodmin ... I'm sure Cats could probably put you in contact with them....

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: BB
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 06:45 PM

It came from the singing of Mervyn Vincent of St. Issey near Padstow more years ago than we care to remember!

I'll try to find time tomorrow to put the words up on here.

Barbara

Subject: Lyr Add: CORNISH KITCHEN
From: Surreysinger
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 06:50 PM

Found it - there was a previous thread on Cornish songs, and the words were amongst that.....


CORNISH KITCHEN

Why bless 'ee you knows all about it,
Avore I do tell 'ee a word
'Tis a boy and a maid, and a country glade
A story you've often heard,
How the boy lost his heart to the maid
Well the how of it's always the same;
'Tis where I met Nellie, that I wants to tell 'ee
She was tending the butter and craime.

In a Cornish Kitchen, with the log fire glow on the wall;
And the nickety nock o' the grandfather clock
The blue and white china and all:
The floor clean sanded, the table for supper was laid;
Her mother said stay, well what could I say
So I sat beside Jan's little maid.

Old Jan farmed about forty acres,
And I was his better most man;
So twas easy for me, to be seein' of she,
And that's how the courtin' began:
On Easter Day just a year after,
We marched off to church prinkly dressed;
I gived her the ring and all that sort of thing
And the parson chap he did the rest.

We've a Cornish Kitchen, with the log fire glow on the wall;
And the nickety nock o' the grandfather clock
The blue and white china and all:
There's the squab pie steamin', the table for two neatly laid
A chair for me and another for she
What was once farmer Jan's little maid.

I've seen chaps look wish't as a winnard
What you call scared out of their life;
P'raps starved as a baby or poor lived maybe
But'tis most times a troublesome wife:
Of course all the maids ain't like my maid,
What a joy of the world it would be,
If such maids could be found, to have one each all round
An' all be as happy as we.

We've a Cornwish Kitchen, with the log fire glow on the wall;
And the nickety nock o' the grandfather clock
The blue and white china and all:
We've a brave fire burning, the table for three is laid,
That's Nellie and me and the other you see,
Is our own dear little maid.

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 21 Jun 06 - 04:35 AM

Many, many thanks for all the info, especially the words. Isn't it wonderful gentle song? I hadn't realised it was Mervyn's.

Thanks again.

Rhiannon

Subject: Lyr Add: CORNISH KITCHEN
From: BB
Date: 21 Jun 06 - 03:36 PM

That saved me a job, Surreysinger! Thanks!

Just one or two small corrections to what you've given, in the way that Mervyn used to sing it:

CORNISH KITCHEN

Why bless 'ee, 'ee knows all about it,
Before I 'ave telled 'ee a word
'Bout a boy and a maid, a country maid,
A story that you've often heard;
How the boy lost his heart to the maid
And the rest of it's all just the same;
But 'tis how I met Nellie, that I means to tell 'ee;
She was tending her butter and craim.
In a Cornish kitchen with the log fire glow on the wall,
And the nickety nock of the grandfather clock
The blue and white china and all:
There's a floor clean sanded, the table for supper was laid;
Her mother said, 'Stay.' Well, what could I say?
So I sat beside Jan's little maid.

Now Jan farmed about forty acres,
And I was his bettermost man;
'Twas easy for me to be seeing of she,
And that's how the courting began;
On Easter Day just a year after
We went to the church neatly dressed;
I bought her the ring and that sort of thing,
And the parson chap he did the rest.
We've a Cornish kitchen with the log fire glow on the wall,
And the nickety nock of the grandfather clock,
The blue and white china and all;
There's a squab pie steaming, the table for two is laid;
A chair for me and another for she
What used to be Jan's little maid.

Now I've seen her as wisht as a winnard -
What you call peaked out of her life -
With a fever, you see, or a baby maybe,
But never a troublesome wife:
Now I know all the maids can't be like my maid,
But what a wonderful world it would be,
If same could be found for one each all round
And all be as happy as we.
In a Cornish kitchen with the log fire glow on the wall;
And the nickety nock of the grandfather clock,
The blue and white china and all;
There's a brave pie steaming, the table for supper is laid,
There's her and there's me and another, you see;
She's our own little, dear little maid.

As you see, not much different, except for the beginning of the third verse, which ends up with a completely different meaning, and more in keeping, I think, with the mood of the song.

We love it - it's a beautiful song, and if people find it overly sentimental - and some do - I feel sorry for the fact that they can't appreciate its very sincere sentiments, in the best sense of the word!

Barbara

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Surreysinger
Date: 21 Jun 06 - 04:48 PM

Glad you managed to clear that up Barbara - I can't claim to know the words myself, I just found them on another thread. Strangely enough when I read them through I didn't think that the last verse sounded quite like the words that I remembered Ern Keast singing last weekend. I don't know his source, but knowing the family background I would assume with some certainty that it must be the same as yours!! Can't say that I've found it over sentimental on the few occasions I've heard him sing it, and I can understand why you love it!!
Irene

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 21 Jun 06 - 06:43 PM

Many, many thanks for all the information and words.

I have to agree with Barbara about this song. I loved it when I first heard it (in Padstow I think). It's a very gentle love song and I'll be proud to sing it.

Now I have to TRY and remember all the tune!!!

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: GUEST,Mingulay at work
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 05:35 AM

Joy, don't remember hearing it in Padstow but Geoff Boughton sings it, or did. It was me who aked for the words in an earlier thread which someone was kind enough to post. Can't remember who wrote it now, not Mervyn, but it's not traditional.

Pete

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 06:03 AM

Ah yes, now I remember it WAS Geoff. Great song. Do you sing it?

RHIANNON
________

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: breezy
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 06:36 AM

Mo Keast learned it from Mervyn as Tom and Barbara

Mo still performs it, and does it very well.

as she does 'The bells of..' and others

i hasten to add she dont sound like ern

or look like 'im come to that

maybe she'll be at the 6th July at the Swan Wadebridge do

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 08:26 AM

Breezy: Is that the lady known as "Little Mo"?

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Hawker
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 08:51 AM

yes it is - and ern could be called Big ern!!!
Cheers Lucy

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: breezy
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 11:40 AM

prove it

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Surreysinger
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 02:07 PM

Mo is well qualified to be called "Little Mo" - easily lost in a crowd, but also easily found again and distinguishable by her laugh!! Strangely enough I've never heard her sing the song, although I've heard Ern sing it quite a number of times.. And I do so agree, Breezy - she looks nothing at all like Ern (grins hugely!)

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: BB
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 02:39 PM

Geoff also would have learnt it from Mervyn. I have no idea who wrote it, but we could get into the question of what is traditional...

Barbara

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Surreysinger
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 03:51 PM

My immediate reaction to that suggestion is to run for cover and hide... quickly!! :-)

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 04:36 PM

I don't care WHO wrote it - it's a cracking song!

Actually I do care, as I always give credit to writers if I perform a song of theirs and get permission to sing it if possible (not possible in this case if it's Mervyn, of course).

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Surreysinger
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 05:56 PM

The following is the information contained on the website an-daras.com which contains both a midi file and notation for the tune.The link is as follows@

http://www.an-daras.com/music/m_tuneindex_p_cornishkitchen.htm


Cornish Kitchen Words English

From the singing of Ern Keast, Bodmin 1979 obtained from (late) Mervyn Vincent. Popular in North Cornwall Folk Clubs circa 1979.

Music by Frederick Dale

Sung by Edith Serpell and Charles Saunders

Published by J H Larway 14 Wells Street Oxford Street London

(price 1/6):

Now I'm intrigued to find out who Edith Serpell and Charles Saunders were.....

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Hawker
Date: 22 Jun 06 - 06:34 PM

I'm afraid Ern is the only one who can prove it Breezy! But anyone standing next to Mo could be called big (she says cleaning it up a bit) - even little old me!
Cheers, Lucy

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: BB
Date: 23 Jun 06 - 09:07 AM

Still doesn't give us who wrote the words, though, nor when it was first published. Frustrating!

Barbara

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: Surreysinger
Date: 23 Jun 06 - 07:01 PM

As Homer would have said .... "Doh!" I didn't quote enough of the entry (don't think I noticed the rest of it) which reads as follows:

"In Misc music box in R.I.C. Courtney Library. Words By John Tremayn"

I've tried Googling the names of the singers - other than establishing that Serpell seems to be a longstanding Cornish surname, I've not managed to track anything else down... as you said, Barbara - frustrating !!! The original thread on Cornish songs did cover this one - and suggested that, although the publishers in question still exist, they were unable to track the song down.... more frustration!!

Subject: RE: Cornish Kitchen
From: BB
Date: 24 Jun 06 - 11:36 AM

Thanks, Surreysinger. If ever we get round to recording it, that'll save us a deal of time!

Barbara