FTX-040 - THE FOGGY DEW

SUFFOLK & ESSEX SINGERS

18 songs sung by 4 singers: Alec Bloomfield and Edgar Button have 9 songs, from Framlingham and Leiston, Suffolk, incl. 2 COBBLER SONGS, & 2 variants of THE FOGGY DEW, one as sung at "The Ship", Blaxhall & the other as sung at "The Eel's Foot", Thebburton, near Leiston, Suffolk. Alec was recorded by Peter Kennedy in 1952, Edgar in 1956. Kitty Harvey and Cliff Yeldham sing 9 songs collected in and around Thaxted in Essex. Kitty and Cliff were both taped at Thaxted in 1958.

ALEC BLOOMFIELD, rec by Peter Kennedy, Benhall, near Framlingham, Suffolk May 1952:-

1. THE WILD ROVER - 2'32"

2. THE COBBLER AND THE BUTCHER (Version 1) - 3'03"

3. THE FOGGY DEW (Version 1) - 3'06"

4. YOUNG GEORGE OXBURY - 1'37"

5. BARBARA ELLEN - 4'38"

EDGAR BUTTON, rec by Peter Kennedy, Thebburton, near Leiston, Suffolk July 1956:-

6. BLOW THE CANDLE OUT (talk before) - 2'43"

7. THE OAK AND THE ASH (talk before) - 3'46"

8. THE LARKS THEY SANG MELODIOUS (some choruses omitted) (talk before) - 3'13"

9. THE FOGGY DEW (Version 2) (talk before) - 2'59"

KITTY HARVEY, rec by Peter Kennedy, Thaxted, Essex, February 1958:-

10. SYLVIA (or THE FEMALE HIGHWAYMAN) (talk after) - 4'49"

11. MARY ACROSS THE WILD MOOR (talk before) - 3'46"

12. THE YOUNG BRITISH WATERMAN (DIED FOR LOVE) (talk before) - 3'22"

13. THE SQUIRE OF TAMWORTH (talk before) - 4'48"

CLIFF YELDHAM, rec by Peter Kennedy, Thaxted Essex, January 1958:-

14. THE COBBLER AND THE BUTCHER (Version 2) - 3'18"

15. DOWN IN CIMRED'S GARDEN - 2'03"

16. THE NOBLEMAN'S LADY - 2'18"

17. THE SAILOR BOY (SWEET WILLIAM) - 2'57"

18. THE TREE IN THE WOOD (Verses 4-11 omitted) - (tree/ arm/ branch/ twig/ nest/ egg/ yolk/ bird/ feathers/ bed/ lass/ chap) - 1'34"

Recorded & edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1975.

It was at "The Eel's Foot", before the Second World War that E.J.Moeran, the Irish composer, noted down a number of songs which he arranged with piano accompaniment. This pub, well-known as a folksong venue, was visited by many broadcasters and the pub was heard on the radio, twice, before and after the Second World War.

Alec's "Foggy Dew" was learned at "The Ship" at Blaxhall (on FT-036). The other 4 songs he learned from his father George, a farm labourer at Framlingham (also recorded by Peter Kennedy). As well as Alec, another singer, his uncle, Harry List, can be heard on FT-099 ("Seven Suffolk Singers").

Kitty and Cliff were both encouraged in their singing at Thaxted, a village that took part in the early revival of folk-dancing, by the socialist parish priest, Conrad Noel, and later by his son-in-law, Jack Putterill, who took over the parish.