FTX-309 A-ROVING BRITAIN AND IRELAND

with Peter Kennedy

Did you know that May the 29th used to be widely celebrated - known as Oak Apple Day - such as the garland processions which take place at Castleton in the Peak District and by villagers at Wishford in Wiltshire - time to listewn to a famous country singer from Wales, Phil Tanner of Gower near Swansea - way down south to St Marys on the Isle of Scilly to meet the singing busdriver and crew of the lifeboat - a chance encounter with a group of kids street-rhyming in Liverpool - a Dorset gypsy queen is recorded in her wagon as the farmmer tries to pull her off his farm - technical hints from a classical Scots strathspey and reel fiddle merchant - rounded off with a Welsh sea shanty about Cork Harbour

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 - 0'51"

2. DOWN IN YON FOREST The Corpus Christi Carol sung by Shirley Collins with her sister, Dolly, playing a portative flute-organ, introduces Oak Apple Day (May 29th) rec by PK at Castleton, Derbyshire 1957 with talk by Mrs Hall and Ellis Eyre and processional "Garland Day" music and maypole dance by Castleton Town Band - 6'51"

3. GROVELY AND ALL GROVELY Waking up the villagers at Wishford, Wiltshire, followed by the Grovely Oak-apple ceremony in Salisbury Cathedral rec 1951 - 2'31"

4. THE JACQUELINE WALTZ played by Robert Stewart (tinker) on accordion rec by PK Scrabster, Sutherland 1954 & BLOW THE CANDLE OUT sung by Jimmy Gilhaney (tinker of Co Leitrim) rec by PK, at Scrabster, Sutherlanshire 1954 - 3'47"

5. THE HIGH LEVEL HORNPIPE played by Robert Stewart on accordion and THE CANDLELIGHT FISHERMAN sung by PK (with guitar) - 3'25"

6. THE HUMOURS OF BANDON, Country Dance, played by The Jackie Hearst Trio, Newry, Co Down, Northern Ireland 1952 - 1'16"

7. OVER THE HILLS TO GOWERIE (mouth music)Introducing Phil Tanner of Gower, Swansea, S.Wales with talk by Mr and Mrs Bracey rec by PK, London 1954 - 2'11"

8. YOUNG ROGER ESQUIRE sung by Phil Tanner and further talk - 2'52"

9. THE FOUR HAND REEL Phil Tanner (mouth music) - 1'39"

10. THE LITTLE BEGGARMAN sung by The Corries, Roy Williamson & Peter Browne with harmonica, mandolin & tin-whistle 1967 - 2'25"

11. Signature and Intro - 0'57"

12. NINETEEN YEARS OLD sung by Delia Murphy rec Dublin 1960 - 1'57"

13. WE'LL RANT AND WE'LL ROAR (SPANISH LADIES) sung by fishermen at Cadgwith followed by a bus tour with Vic Trenwith, St Mary's, Scilly, Cornwall rec by PK 1956 including THE SAILOR'S ALPHABET sung by him and by Clifford Jenkins with John Thomas (accordion) and chorus of lifeboatmen - 5'34

14. WAY DOWN TO LAMORNA (or WET WET WET) sung by Bill Cameron with accordion - 3'29"

15. THE LIVERPOOL PACKET sung by Bill Barber with chorus rec by PK Cadgwith, Lizard, Cornwall - 0'54"

16. I LIKE AN APPLE (or GEE I LUV IM), I BOUGHT A BAR OF CHOCOLATE, SOMEBODY UNDER THE BED & I KNOW A LITTLE GIRL skipping games played by children in the street in Liverpool rec by Sasha Moorsom 1958 - 2'32"

17. THIS TOWN IS NOT YOUR OWN (composed by Shea Healey) sung by Finbar & Eddie Furey rec London 1968 - 2'39"

18. RAGGLE TAGGLE GYPSIES, SPRIG OF THYME & mouth music fragments sung by Carolyne Hughes (gypsy) rec by PK near Blandford, Dorset 1968 - 4'20"

19. THE BRIG O DEE Hector McAndrew (fiddler of Fyvie) rec Aberdeen 1967 playing Strathspey & Reel followed by THE PERTH HUNT, with explanation of bowing technique, and CHAPEL KEITHACK (Slow Air by William Marshall) - 7'25"

20. HARBWR CORC (ONE MORNING IN CORK HARBOUR), Sea Shanty sung in Welsh by Meredydd Evans with accordion & chorus rec Cardiff 1962 - 1'41"