FTX-209 - THE STREETS OF LEEDS

ROWLAND KELLETT

A collection of urban songs, rhymes and stories - contributed by a local man. 22 songs including a local murder and a drowning ballad, a Wassail, a New Year Song, some Christmas Box rhymes, Street Cries, Children's Rhymes and Games, a Prison Song, some Minstrel songs, three of his own composition: THE SILKSTONE DISASTER, THE HUNSLET TRAGEDY and the title song. He also includes some Air Force, Army and Salvation Army songs.

The first 5 songs from Mrs. Taylor of Holbeck, a bench-hand at a wire-works factory, being sung by everyone at the benches before the 1914-18 War.

1. THERE WAS A MAID SO BEAUTIFUL (Canal drowning) (talk before) - 2'25"

2. 'TWAS AT A DANCE HE MET HER (or The Murder of Betty Smith) - 2'42"

3. SWEET SIXTEEN COME SUNDAY - 1'06"

4. THE NOBLEMAN'S LADY - 1'11"

5. HENRY, MY SON (version of the ballad, LORD RANDAL) - 1'50"

6. THE POOR LITTLE SAILOR BOY (talk bef) - 0'41"

7. THE WASSAIL SONG (talk bef) - 2'21"

8. MARY HAD A BABY - 0'20"

9. New Year Song: WHILE GENTLY FALLING THE SNOW (talk bef) - 0'29"

10. Christmas Rhyme: A PIECE OF SPICE CAKE (talk bef) - 0'54"

11. Another Christmas Rhyme: CHRISTMAS BOX - 0'14"

12. 4 Street Cries from parents and in the Hunslet district of Leeds (talk bef): FISHMONGER/ MUSSELS ALIVE/ TEACAKES & PIKELETS/ PEA AND PIE - 1'57"

13. THE YOUNG AVIATOR LAY DYING (to the tune of Tarpaulin Jacket/ talk bef) - 1'46"

14. THE CANBERRA BOMBER SONG (tune of Eton Boating Song/ talk bef) - 1'18"

15. I WANT TO GO HOME (talk bef about the Army) - 1'09"

16. ROYAL ARTILLERY SONG (talk bef) - 1'04"

17. THE ARTILLERY ALPHABET (talk bef) - 1'20"

18. THE C.R.E. (The Company of Royal Engineers Song/ talk bef) - 2'18"

19. SALVATION ARMY SONG (talk bef & aft) - 1'01"

20. Prison Song: I BROKE IN A BANK (or "All the World will be jealous") - 1'17"

21. ONE DAY AS OLD MARY WAS A-MILKING A COW (incl "Bell-bottom trousers"/ talk bef) - 1'46"

22. Story about singer of "I'm a man that's done wrong to my parents" - 0'48"

23. BLOW THE CANDLE OUT (tune of Lincolnshire Poacher) - 1'36"

24. Black Minstrel Song: A BUG AND A FLEA (talk bef) - 0'58"

25. Black Minstrel Song: JOHNNY, WILL YOU WAIT FOR A WHILE? (talk bef) - 1'32"

26. GET AWAY, OLD MAN, GET AWAY (talk bef) - 1'48"

Singing Games:-

27. THREE DUKES (talk bef) - 2'19"

28. LITTLE POLLY FLINDERS (talk bef & aft) - 1'12"

29. DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE (talk bef) - 1'06"

30. POOR SALLY IS A WEEPING (talk aft) - 1'20"

31. THE HILL OF GLASS (talk aft) - 1'36"

Songs composed by Rowland Kellett:-

32. THE SILKSTONE DISASTER (to the tune of Barbara Allen/ talk bef) - 4'19"

33. THE HUNSLET TRAGEDY (tune of Bailiff's Daughter/ talk bef) - 3'43"

34. THE STREETS OF LEEDS (tune by Kellett/ talk bef) - 4'26"

Recorded by Peter Kennedy, London, 1963. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax cassettes 1977.

ROWLAND KELLETT was born at Hunslet in 1916. Both his parents were from Yorkshire, his father's parents originating in Knottingley. On his mother's side the family were related to Freddie Archer, the famous jockey from Lincolnshire.