Dame Durden

Subject: Dame Durden's Valentine's Day Party
From: RiGGy
Date: 15 Feb 07 - 10:16 AM

I was at a Valentine's sing and sang this one, as I know of no others that mention the specific day. DO YOU ??

http://www.thecopperfamily.com/songs/coppersongs/dame.html
Our version leaves out the second line of kisses.

How come Kitty gets multiple mentions and there's no 5th maid ??

Mysteries of Old England . . .

Riggy

Subject: RE: Dame Durden
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 15 Feb 07 - 11:28 AM

The one I feel sorry for is poor old Humphrey, with nowt but his flail for company...

The only other Valentine's song I know is in Hamlet:

Tomorrow is St Valentine's Day
aAll in the morning betime
And I a maid at your window
To be your valentine

Then up he rose, put on his clothes
And dupped the chamber door
Let in a maid where out a maid
There ne'er departed more

Quoth she, "before you tumbled me
You promised me to wed..."
"So would I have done by yonder sun
An thou hadst not come to my bed."

When I did the play, oour director got a music scholar to find an appropriate contemporary tune, and it worked really well - I still sing it sometimes.

Subject: RE: Dame Durden
From: Abby Sale
Date: 15 Feb 07 - 11:52 AM

Wall, you asked the right person...

That's the one I sing, too. But there are choices if it's only the DATE you want, not the commemoration:

1.      On the fourteenth of February we sailed from the land,
        In the Bold Princess Royal bound for Newfoundland,
        With 40 brave seamen for our ship's company,
        From the Eastward to the westward and so sail-ed we.

               The Bold Princess Royal (see DigTrad)

        Note, however that this song, as many others, comes with a variety of dates, there's a reasonable suggestion that sailors at sea would change the date to be the one their own ship sailed.

Or:

        Ye loyal fox hunters, attend to my song,
        If you'll give your attention I'll not keep you long;
        In eighteen eleven, the date of the year,
        The fourteenth of Fe-b'ry, as soon doth appear,
        When the hills and the valleys did oft times echo,
        And respond to the sound of a loud "Tally-ho!"

                "The Fylingdale Fox Hunt," in Frank Kidson, Traditional Tunes, (Yorkshire & South of Scotland); 1891; p.137.

Or:

        Last Valentine's day, bright Phoebus shone clear,
        We had not been a hunting for the space of one year.
        I mounted Black Clover, that horse of great fame,
        For to hear the horn blow and the words "Tally ho! ho!"

                "Last Valentine's Day" from Popular Songs of Sussex (collected by Lucy Broadwood.)

But the conception that one is in Love just may be related to what may be "too much of a coincidence." Feb 14 is also Trifon Zarezan - "Viticulturist's Day" in Bulgaria. This is an ancient holiday there, dating to ancient Grecian times. There are plenty of songs celebrating wine and it is thought that a good healthy celebration of wine may often lead to love. Or to something similar.

I like to sing "The Vintner" to celebrate.

Subject: RE: Dame Durden
From: GUEST,The black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 16 Feb 07 - 07:47 AM

"Valentine" is near the top of my list of favourite Morris tunes.