FTX-307 "A-ROVING" BRITAIN AND IRELAND

with Peter Kennedy

These 1968 radio broadcasts gave listeners their first taste of some of the more interesting local traditions we were recording on tape in the 50s and 60s, we were meeting great characters on some of the most interesting heritage survival sites. Local songs, ballads and seasonal customs, dialect speech and recitation, dance and drama, children's rhymes and street play are well represented. The first, transmitted on May Day 1968, featured outstanding May celebrations and the last, broadcast on the 26th June, had input from some of the islands around Britain: Orkney and Shetland, the Isle of Man, Sark in the Channel Islands and Barra in the Outer Hebrides.

1. THE ROVING JOURNEYMAN Signature Tune devised by Peter Kennedy: lilted by Paddy Doran (Irish tinker), Tom Turkington playing the reel-time version on fiddle, "The Red Haired Boy", with PK on guitar followed by the Introduction - 1'02"

2.. THE SWEETS OF MAY - rec by PK from the Savage family, Kilcreevy, Co Armagh 1952 but here played by the Gilcurdon Trio 1963 (see FOLKTRAX 373)-2'33"

3. THE EASTCOTE MAY CAROL the custom explained and carol sung by Mrs Coulson, rec by PK, Middlesex 1958 - 2'34"

4. THE SHENLEY MAY CAROL Mrs Perry with talk and carol rec by PK, Loughton, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire 1954 - 2'17"

5.. THE GRAVELEY MAY CAROL (Huntingdon) sung by Shirley Collins with guitar rec London 1966 - 1'36"

6. WE'LL ALL GO A-HUNTING TODAY played on accordion by Billy Bowman then sung by Miles Wilson with Billy on accordion rec by PK Cockermouth, Cumberland 1959 - 1'39"

7.. TALK by Miles Wilson on what makes a good hunting song - 1'17"

8. WE'LL ALL GO A-HUNTING TODAY further verses sung by Miles WILSON with Billy BOWMAN (acc) - 0'57"

9. JOHN PEEL'S ECHO (or THE HORN OF THE HUNTER) sung by Peter Morris rec by PK Cockermouth, 1959 - 1'41"

10. JOE BOWMAN sung by John "Wilse" Dalton of Thirlmere rec by PK Cockermouth 1959 - 2'10"

11. Talk by Wilse Dalton about their local Meet followed by Medley of Hunting Song Tunes played by Billy Bowman (acc) with brother Jack (banjo)- 1'49"

12. LIP STICK Various Children's Playground Rhymes rec by Damian Webb, St John's Junior School, Workington 1960 - 1'19"

13. THE FISH AND CHIP SHIP or LOWER THE FUNNEL sung by PK with banjo - 2'19"

14. THE GYPSY HORNPIPE played on the triple harp with talk about Welsh gypsies by Nansi Richards Jones rec by PK, Penybontfawr, Oswestry, Shropsh 1954- 2'52"

15. CLOG DANCE played on the triple harp with stepping by Hywel Wood - 0'59"

16. LISA LAN sung by Beth Leyshon of Bynea, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire with guitar by Derek Boot - 1'56"

17. DING DONG DEDARO sung by Sean O SE & CEOLTOIRI arr by Sean O Riarda with flute, fiddle, vocals, harpsichord and Uillean pipes rec Dublin 1967 - 1'28"

18. THE ROVING JOURNEYMAN Signature tune introduces the next Programme - 0'54"

19. THE HERRING sung by The Dubliners with introduction by Barney McKenna - PK made their very first recording in London 1965- 1'10"

20. JOHN THE BON or CAN YOU DANCE THE FLORA? Some more May music sung by The Skinners Bottom Gleesingers, rec by PK Redruth 1956 - 0'49"

21. JOHN THE BON (cont.) with talk about the Street Festivals in Cornwall at Padstow, Helston and Truro - 1'27"

22. OSS OSS WEE OSS, THE HOBBY HORSE FESTIVAL rec by PK at Padstow in 1953 - 2'30"

23. THE HAL-AN-TOW sung by members of The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies accompanied by the Town Band at Helston rec in 1955 - 1'02"

24. HAL-AN-TOW sung by The Watersons, a family of folksingers from Kingston-upon-Hull, rec 1965 - 2'10"

25. AS I CAME HOME SO LATE LAST NIGHT (or SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS) sung by Harry Scott, rec by PK, Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire 1958 - 2'55"

26. THE FALL OF THE LEAF (or WHAT'S THE LIFE OF A MAN?) sung by Harry Scott - 2'39"

27. THE JOLLY RED HERRING (song) followed by NO MORE TO ROAM (recitation) by Harry Scott - 2'55"

28. Reprise of THE HERRING SONG by The Dubliners rec 1965 - 1'24"

29. GREENY HILL March played by The Jim Garson Trio (fid, gtr & acc) rec by PK, Dounby, Orkney 1955 - 1'21"

30. Introducing John and Ethel Findlater who talk about their family - 1'46"

31. Extract of THE STANDING STONE BALLAD sung by the Findlaters with melodeon - 1'41"

32. Further talk about the ballad - 1'01"

33. KITTLE MY NAVEL played on the tin whistle by Peter Pratt, Toab - 0'40"

34. THE GREAT SILKIE OF SULE SKERRY sung by John Sinclair, Flotta - 1'40"

35. THE GREAT SILKIE to a composed tune sung by The Highwaymen rec in 1962 - 2'22"