FTX-423 - "THE CHAIN OF GOLD"

SONGS & CUSTOMS

OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE & THE FENS

Selected from recordings made in the area by Peter Kennedy, including natural dialect speakers talking about local customs, frometty, food, drink, Harvest Homes etc. and singing some of the Plough and Harvest Songs as well as some comics. Then two of the songs sung annually at Haxey Hood on 6th January recorded in 1953 followed by an 83 year old fiddler with local country dance tunes. Finally a group of Romany travellers rec at Friday Bridge, Wisbech in 1956, perform step-dances on a gypsy wagon with harmonica and spoons and their father sings two of he songs most popular with travellers.

1. Thomas Coningsby (82) rec 1956 talks about Whitsuntide in Whaddon, speaks fragments and sings tune of THE WHITSUNTIDE SONG - 3'30"

2. Arthur Abbs (85) talks about Plough Monday at Long Stanton and Morris at Cambridge - 3'04"

3. Tom talks about "Three horse land" and Whip-cracking - 0'43"

4. Tom talks about Cutting long briars and running the girls round the mound - 0'35"

5. Arthur talks about making frometty and Stanton Feast Sunday - 1'19"

6. Both talk about Harvest Homes and singing old-fashioned songs, Arthur sings ALL JOLLY FELLOWS THAT FOLLOW THE PLOUGH followed by further talk about the Harvest Feast known as a "Horkey" - 4'04"

7. THE THREE ROBBERS (Undaunted Female) story of song & fragment - 0'44"

8. Story and comic song THE THRESHING SONG - 1'24"

9. Ernest Jeffrey (75) also rec 1956 sings THE BRISK YOUNG MAIDEN (Undaunted Female) and part of THE THREE BUTCHERS and talk about how he learned song at Christchurch near Wisbech - 5'42"

10. MY TRUE LOVE (THE CHAIN OF GOLD) (talk before) - 4'31"

11. Song: THE GOOD LOOKING MAN - 2'54"

12. ALL JOLLY FELLOWS (2nd version) talk before and after - 5'34"

13. Song: THE SHIP THAT NEVER RETURNED (Henry Work) - 2'53"

14. Harold Covill (50) of March rec 1962 sings BOLD WILLIAM TAYLOR (gives story beforehand) - 2'51"

15. Song: THE HAPPY FAMILY - 1'42"

16. Fred Rooke rec sings his own FENLAND SONG with talk before - 2'05"

17. The Boggins visit Mr Wagstaff at Haxey, Jan 5th 1953, the night before "The Hood" and sing JOHN BARLEYCORN with talk after - 4'59"

18. Another Haxey Song by Boggins: DRINK OLD ENGLAND DRY - 2'42"

19. James Fussey (fiddle), East Halton March 1953: POP GOES THE WEASEL - 0'37"

20. THE DUKE OF YORK'S GRAND MARCH - 2'00"

21. THE DEVIL AMONG THE TAILORS - 0'54"

22. Carol sung while playing fiddle WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED - 1'13"

23. Travellers, Friday Bridge rec 1956: Devonshire-time (harmonica) - 0'30"

24. Talk by Frank Connors (51) about step-dancing, including competition at Newton Abbot, Devon as well as in Norfolk and Suffolk - 1'50"

25. John (19) dancing to gramophone record of BLUEBELL POLKA - 1'18"

26. Percy (13) dancing to harmonica or mouth-organ - 1'01"

27. Nelson (9) as previous - 0'43"

28. Further talk about dancing and calls on Lila (16) - 1'47"

29. Harmonica with spoons - 1'32"

30. Frank dancing to John playing harmonica - 2'46"

31. Talk about his own family of 17 children & 23 grandchildren, travels and trades as well recent arrival of Irish travellers in Lincolnshire - 2'46"

32. Frank tunes up with his mouth while John dances - 1'02"

33. Stepping by Alfie (9) with no music - 0'34"

34. Frank sings BOLD DRUNKARDS (talk bef & aft) - 2'38"

35. DIED FOR LOVE (talk bef & aft) learnt from the Finch's a Yorkshire pot-hawker with 36 children - 3'43"

Recorded and edited by Peter Kennedy. First published on Folktrax CD 2002.