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10 Jul 07 - 01:32 PM (#2098893) Subject: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Lady Mondegreen Hi there I'm researching this song and it's many variants, spin offs and relations. Does anyone know the origins of the name 'Masery' and how it should be pronounced? I've found very little indeed on the www and have heard a couple of conflicting opinions: one such is that this is an archaic spelling of Mary and the 's' should be silent, and another that it is related to Margaret and should be pronounced as written. Any ideas? Also, I'm trying to find out what melodies have been used for this ballad and I'd be really grateful if someone could point me to the most historical tunes known. Sheet or sound files would both be useful! Thanks. Lady M |
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10 Jul 07 - 01:39 PM (#2098905) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Leadfingers Try A PM to Saro = C M R do a very good version ! |
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10 Jul 07 - 01:43 PM (#2098911) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Susan of DT This is Child #36. The main entry in Child has Masery, as you have. The version in the appendix calls her variously Meassry and Messry. I assume these are all related to the Lady Maisry's we see in other ballads. |
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10 Jul 07 - 01:44 PM (#2098913) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Lady Mondegreen Thanks only I'm afraid I have no idea what any of your acronyms mean so could you translate your reply into whole words please ;-)I only just joined the list so my mudcattish is a bit basic! |
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10 Jul 07 - 01:47 PM (#2098915) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: katlaughing I've been here almost ten years and I didn't get it, either, Lady M! Welcome to the Mudcat. This looks like the start of an interesting thread. kat |
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10 Jul 07 - 01:52 PM (#2098918) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Lady Mondegreen Yes I've got all the child lyrics and appendices and several other versions and tunes including the Norwegian ballad the Nightingale, Kempion etc. I'm after specific information about that women's name (in it's several variants) if I can find anything. There are many other names substituted in other versions for all the characters, but it's this particular name that draws a blank! I've heard several versions of the song but I'm really only interested in the oldest collected melodies for the Child ballad or any of it's close relatives. Thanks |
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10 Jul 07 - 02:17 PM (#2098946) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Bill D sadly, this does not have many tunes associated with it. I only know of 3-4 tunes, and they are sort of lively and 'bouncy'...the best tune for it I ever heard was written by a woman who never heard one of those. It was sort of stark and scary....I can kinda hear it in my head, but don't have it written anywhere. |
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10 Jul 07 - 02:36 PM (#2098966) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Abdul The Bul Bul Good version of it on James Reynard CD "Strange Histories". The Loathsome Worm and the Mackerel of the Sea is the way he lists it. The rest of the CD is good stuff too. Al |
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10 Jul 07 - 03:16 PM (#2098999) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: GUEST,IS You mean James Raynard, not Reynard. He has heavily anglicised it. |
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10 Jul 07 - 08:12 PM (#2099290) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Malcolm Douglas Only one traditional text of this ballad survives (the 'two' texts in Child are the 'original' and the slightly altered Skene MS transcription of it), and no tune is known for it. A few people have recorded arrangements, with texts altered to suit their tastes and set to tunes of their own making or borrowed from elsewhere. James used an unrelated tune from Playford that took his fancy; rather good, I thought. Mind you, it was me who explained to him what was happening in verse 4. Note that 'Kempion' / 'Kemp Owyne' / 'Laidley Worm of Spindleston Heughs' (Child 34), although it involves a similar transformation, is a completely different story and shouldn't be confused with Child 36; or, for that matter, with 'Allison Gross' (Child 35) or 'The Lambton Worm'. |
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10 Jul 07 - 08:50 PM (#2099306) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Susan of DT PM = Personal message. Since you are a member, you can send and receive these on your personal page, see links across the top of the page. CMR = Craig Morgan Robson, a singing trio. Saro is the mudcat handle of Sarah Morgan of the trio. |
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11 Jul 07 - 03:21 AM (#2099504) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: GUEST Mike and Jackie Gabriel had a crackiin tune for it which I still think of singing but never get round to .
-Joe Offer- |
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11 Jul 07 - 03:25 AM (#2099505) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: The Borchester Echo It's only Child #36, not one of the Prof's greatest hits. James RAYNARD has vastly improved it. |
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11 Jul 07 - 03:50 AM (#2099516) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: GUEST,PP "Allison Cross" or "Allison Gross" (charted higher at Child #35), as sung by Lizzie Higgins, has some lyrical similarities with #36. |
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11 Jul 07 - 03:55 AM (#2099517) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: The Borchester Echo OT alert: I found a song called Juniper Gentle and Rosemary as a teenager run away for the summer to 'work'/busk in Cornwall and did it to death. Until I discovered FJC had not only found it before me but that it was his #1 chart topper. /OT alert |
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11 Jul 07 - 07:20 AM (#2099640) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Abdul The Bul Bul Silly me, tis as you correct, Raynard with an a. I have made the mental adjustment. Can't think where I got "Reynard" from, I'm completely foxed. Al |
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11 Jul 07 - 02:51 PM (#2100061) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Saro Hi Lady M. Craig Morgan Robson have recorded a version of the Laily Worm. It is an anglicised version of the one in the Oxford Book of Ballads, and the tune is my own....oh dear, I think I hear the folk police knocking on my door as I type. Let me know if you are interested in more information about this... Saro |
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11 Jul 07 - 04:24 PM (#2100163) Subject: Lyr Add: LAILY WORM From: Roberto The only recording I've listened to of this ballad: Laily Worm Spriguns, Revel, Weird and Wild, Decca 1976, Japanese edition UICY-9516. Sing your song you laily worm That you will sing to me I never sang the song before But I will sing to thee Sing your song you laily worm That you will sing to me I never sang the song before But I will sing to thee O when I was seven years old Me mother she would die My father married the worst woman The world did ever see She's turned me to a laily worm That lies at the foot of the tree My sister Maisery she's made The mackerel of the sea And every Saturday at noon The mackerel comes to me She combs my hair with a silver comb And washes it in the sea It's seven knights I have killed Since I lay at the foot of the tree And if you weren't my own father The eighth one you would be Sing your song you laily worm That you will sing to me I never sang the song before But I will sing to thee Sing your song you laily worm That you will sing to me I never sang the song before But I will sing to thee And he's sent for his lady gay As fast as send could he "Where is my son and my daughter That you sent away from me?" "Your son is in the Kings high court Serving for meat and fee Your daughter's in the Queens court As you know well to be" "O you lie, you lie you ill woman So loudly do you lie My son he is the laily worm That lies at the foot of the tree You lie, you lie you ill woman So loudly do you lie My daughter Maisery She is the mackerel of the sea" Sing your song you laily worm That you will sing to me I never sang the song before But I will sing to thee Sing your song you laily worm That you will sing to me I never sang the song before But I will sing to thee And he's sent to the greenwood For whins and for hawthorn He's sent for his lady gay And there he did her burn Sing your song you laily worm That you will sing to me I never sang the song before But I will sing to thee Sing your song you laily worm That you will sing to me I never sang the song before But I will sing to thee |
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11 Jul 07 - 05:24 PM (#2100226) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: Bill D I have a version by Graham & Eileen Pratt..(he wrote the wonderful "Black Fox", about a fox chase where the fox wins) |
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11 Jan 16 - 08:52 AM (#3764541) Subject: RE: Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea From: GUEST Why is it a Mackerel? could it be some other sea beast? |