Lyr Req: Tavistock

Subject: Lyr Req: Tavistock
From: GUEST,Pippa
Date: 25 Dec 06 - 10:59 AM

I grew up in Devon near tavistock, in a tiny village called coryton just near brentor (the church on the hill) and whilst i know a lot of English songs i would really like to find some from this area in which I grew up but can´t find many at the moment! If anyone has any titles or suggestions as to where I might find some I would really appreciate it.

Subject: Lyr Add: TAVISTOCK GOOSEY FAIR
From: Effsee
Date: 25 Dec 06 - 11:29 AM

From another thread:-
TAVISTOCK GOOSEY FAIR.
'Tis just a month come Friday next, Bill Champerdown and me
Well us traipsed across old Darty Moor, the goosey fair to see
And us made ourselves quite fiddy, us greased and oiled us hair
Then off us goes in our Sunday clothes behind old Bill's grey mare
Us smelled the sage and onion half a mile from Whitchurch Down
And didn't us have a blow-out when us come into the town
And there us met Ned Hannerford, Dan Steer and Micky Square
And it seemed to we, all Devon must be at Tavistock Goosey Fair
And it's Oh, and where be you a-gwain?
And what be you a doin'-of there?
Heave down your prong and stamp along
To Tavistock Goosey Fair


Us went to see the horses and the heifers and the yowes
Us went on all them roundabouts and into all the shows
And then it started raining, and a-blowin' to our face
So off us goes up to the Rose to have a dish of tea
And there us had a sing-song and the folks kept droppin' in
And what with them what knowed us, well us had a drop of gin
And what with one and t'other, well us didn't seem to care
Whether us was to Boliver Tor, or Tavistock Goosey Fair
And it's Oh, and where be you a-gwain?
And what be you a doin-of there?
Heave down your prong and stamp along
To Tavistock Goosey Fair


'Twere rainin' streams and black as pitch when us trotted home that night
And when us got past Merriville Bridge the mare, her took a fright
Well to Bill says I "Be careful, you'll have us in them drains"
Says Bill to me "Cor Bugger", says he, "Why haven't you got the reins?"
Just then the mare ran slap against a whackin' gert big stone
Her kicked the trap to flibbets and her trotted off alone
And when it came to reckonin' 'tweren't no good standin' there
So us had to traipse home thirteen miles from Tavistock Goosey Fair
And it's Oh, and where be you a-gwain?
And what be you a doin-of there?
Heave down your prong and stamp along
To Tavistock Goosey Fair

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tavistock
From: pavane
Date: 13 Nov 08 - 07:28 AM

I just turned up an off-air recording of a BBC Folk Song Cellar program from c1967 with Bob Cann (Melodeon player) singing this song. Does anyone know if he ever recorded it? (Just curious)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tavistock
From: GUEST,Cats
Date: 13 Nov 08 - 08:40 AM

The very best people to contact are Wren Music based in Okehampton. They have all the local archives and are still working around Devon with folk music in all its various forms. They will know exactly where what you want is if they don't have it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tavistock
From: Dave Hunt
Date: 13 Nov 08 - 11:06 AM

Bob Cann was recorded singing 'Tavistock Goosey Fair' by John Howson and issued on the cassette 'Five Generations' issued by Veteran Tapes.VT110. (1988 - quite a while ago!) It also contails a ypoung Mark Bazeley - Bobs grandson - who continues to run the wonderful Dartmoor Folk Festival [http://www.dartmoorfolkfestival.co.uk/[ which conveniently follows on from Sidmouth]

Veteran issue some of the very best recordings of traditional singers and musicians see: http://www.veteran.co.uk/ for a full listing

I have an idea that it was also recorded by Tony Rose, but can't put my hand on that one at the moment

I also have a recording of it on an old 78rpm record - sung by a Mr J.H Scotland (bass) [I think that should have been 'Bass' he sounds half-cut! - or maybe it's just his attempt at dialect - known in the trade as Mummersetshire!!]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tavistock
From: BB
Date: 13 Nov 08 - 02:56 PM

It's on 'West Country Night Out' by us (Tom & Barbara Brown), and available through us here, or through Wildgoose Records if you want to do it by credit card.

Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tavistock
From: pavane
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 01:56 AM

Thanks everyone for the information.

a) Yes, Tony Rose's recording was mentioned in another thread

b) The edition of Folk Song Cellar was the same one on which Sandy Denny sang Green grows the Laurel, which is dated to 1967. (Even longer ago!). I taped it from a broadcast on the English radio in Dubai, c1979.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tavistock
From: Martin Graebe
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 08:11 AM

Pippa

Sabine Baring-Gould, who lived just up the road from Coryton, collected a few songs from John Dingle who lived there. Cecil Sharp met John and his wife Elizabeth when staying with Baring-Gould some years later and collected more songs from them. For the full story see my paper in the current issue of Folk Music Journal which lists the songs and gives full versions of two of the songs, 'Pack of Cards' and 'New Mown Hay'. Another of John's songs, 'Come all you Worthy Christians' is on the CD that Shan and I have recently released: 'Dusty Diamonds' - again on the wonderful Wildgoose label. The cover picture of our CD is a painting of John and Elizabeth Dingle by Chris Molan, based on a photograph taken by Cecil Sharp and which you can see on the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library website.

Tavistock Goosey Fair was written by C. John Trythall and you can hear a great version of the song on the new CD by Bill Murray (2 disc, 35 tracks) published by Wren Music. It is a live recording and features guest tracks from Jim Causley, Moor Music, Matt Norman and lots of other local singers and musicians.

There are, of course, other singers from the area who gave songs to Baring-Gould. As suggested above, talk to Wren Music in Okehampton.

Good luck with your search

Martin Graebe

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tavistock
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 09:24 AM

Tony's version is the last tack on his first (Lost Leader) CD "Young Hunting".

I had the pleasure of singing on the choruses for that LP, way back.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tavistock
From: GUEST,Bill Murray
Date: 09 Dec 08 - 04:17 PM

Tavvystock Goozey Vair, published by JH Larway, 14 Wells Street, Oxford Street, W. in 1912 - words and music by C John Trythall - who was he? I have spent 40 years trying to find out. The best answer that I have been given was from Marilyn Tucker who when I posed the question came up with ''The man who wrote Down pon Ole Dartymoor ''! That is as far as I know, the only other song that he wrote and as Martin Graebe has written above (thanks) is the title of my recent CD of songs and music from the northern slopes of Dartmoor. My own feeling is that C John Trythall was the pseudonym of Mr.Charles Hey Laycock (1879 - 1943)the folklorist, collector of folk songs, pianist at the pub on Sunday lunchtimes, motor cyclist, and all round good chap who purchased a house in Moretonhampstead in 1909. Now Moreton just happens to be almost exactly thirteen miles in the right direction from Merrival Bridge where the terrible accident happened and as the song goes ...''So us 'ad to trudge 'ome thurteen mile fr'm Tavvystock Goozey Vair.''
One of the songs that Charles Laycock collected in Moreton was called ''Little John Bottle John'' it is about a little feller who is enticed to the bottom of the sea by a pretty mermaids singing - are there any other records of this quaint song?