FTX-405 - HERCHARD OF TAUNTON DENE

Village Traditions - Somerset

16 songs from men, whose forebears sang to the ballad-hunter, Cecil Sharp in the early part of the century: Sid Richards, Fred Crossman, "Jimmer" Andrews, Edwin Thomas, Reg Gulliford, Walter Sealey and George Bunston, with some melodeon and harmonica solos. Also includes "The Old Tune" of the Minehead Hobby Horse Team, collected by Cecil Sharp, played on melodeon by Peter Kennedy, and some actuality of the Horse recorded by Peter in 1952, as well as some gypsy hornpipes, also collected by Sharp, played by Jim Small on harmonica.

1. THE TREES THEY DO GROW HIGH - tune played on melodeon - Sid Richards, Curry Rivel - 1'10"

2. Sung - 3'15"

3. THE VALETA WALTZ - melodeon - 2'15"

4. Talk - local music - 0'51"

5. THE GREEN MOSSY BANKS OF THE LEA - 4'15"

6. SCHOTTISCHE - melodeon - 1'17"

7. THE SWEET PRIMEROSES - 2'56"

8. THE SWING POLKA - melodeon - 1'23"

9. THE QUEEN OF THE MAY - sung by Fred Crossman, Huish Episcopi, Langport - 1'45"

10. THE SHEPTON HORNPIPE - Jim SMALL (harmonica), Cheddar - 1'29"

11. LORD LOVEL (Child #75) - Fred Crossman - 2'57"

12. Talk - country singing & travelling fiddlers on donkey or pony - 1'43"

13. BARBARA ALLEN (Child #85) - 2'00"

14. Harmonica: GYPSY HORNPIPE - Jim Small - 1'13"

15. I WISH I WERE IN MINEHEAD, JOHNNIE (Hobby-horse "Old Tune") - Peter Kennedy (melodeon) - 0'43"

16. MASHERING-A-DIDIE-O - "Jimmer" Andrews, Minehead (talk bef) - 2'26"

17. RIDDLE-COME-A-DINKY-DOO (The Ferryman's Daughter) (talk bef) - 2'21"

18. THE COAL BLACK SMITH (Child #44 "Two Magicians") (talk bef) - 2'38"

19. HOBBY HORSE in street - Jack Webber (mel)/ Ken Gubb (drum), Minehead 1952 - 3'08"

20. HENRY THE POACHER - Edwin Thomas, Allerford - 2'27"

21. THE LOST LADY FOUND - 1'42"

22. SEARCHING OF YOUNG LAMBS - 1'24"

23. THE MILLER'S LAST WILL (with sound of fist on table) - 2'48"

24. FORTY LONG MILES - Reg Gulliford, Coombe Florey (talk bef) - 3'06"

25. THE BLIND BEGGAR'S DAUGHTER (Laws N-27) - Walter Sealey, Ash Priors (with talk) - 3'53"

26. HERCHARD OF TAUNTON DENE - George Bunston, Hambridge Green - 1'52"

Recorded & edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax cassettes 1980.

#1-8. SIDNEY RICHARDS, born 1877, was 75 when recorded and still working as a farm labourer. His first song was noted by Cecil Sharp from his uncle Harry and published in FOLK-SONGS FROM SOMERSET. In Sharp's original notation he notes the variations in the last phrase of the tune (See Sharp: ENGLISH FOLK- SONG: SOME CONCLUSIONS p. 25).

#11-13. FRED CROSSMAN, born 1822, 70 when recorded, like his father was a fruit and vegetable gardener. #9 was also published in FOLK-SONGS FROM SOMERSET under the title: AS I WALKED THROUGH THE MEADOWS.

#14. JIM SMALL can be heard on FTX-138 (4 songs, 9 tunes on harmonica and 5 Cheddar Carols) and on FTX-327 (18 Morris, Sword & Country Dance tunes on harmonica).

#15 & #19. MINEHEAD HOBBY HORSE - FTX-216 (Documentary with Alfie Webber).

#20-23. EDWIN THOMAS, aged 72 when recorded, a gardener, born at Dulverton, lived all his life in Somerset.

#24. Sharp noted songs from the mother of REG GULLIFORD, who was born 1907. WALTER SEALEY was born in 1890.