Recorded by Mike Yates and John Howson

Musicians

Gordon Hall: vocals

Tracks

Side 1

1. In Horsham Town (Roud 490; Laws L12; G/D 2:260)
2. The Royal George (Roud 2529)
3. The Molecatcher (Roud 1052)
4. Teach and Maynard (Roud 8115)
5. Sweet Lavender (Roud 854)
6. Green Brooms (Roud 379; G/D 5:950; Henry H147)

Side 2

7. Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold (Roud 553; Laws N17; G/D 1:176)
8. The Bitter Whaling Grounds (Roud 2000)
9. My Old Wife’s a Good Old Creature (Roud 1263)
10. The Maid of Rye (The Pride of Leicestershire) (Roud 8117)
11. The Horsham Ram (Roud 126; G/D 3:645; TYG 59)
12. Sam Hall (Roud 369; Laws L5)

All tracks trad.

Produced by Jim Ward in November 2000;
Tracks 1-8 are private recordings made at an unknown studio in 1994;
Tracks 9-11 recorded by Jim Ward live at Elsie’s, The Queen’s Arms, Cowden Pound, Kent;
Design and art direction by Jon Dudley

Musical Traditions review by Rod Stradling

Musicians

Gordon Hall: vocals

Tracks

1. Cecilia (Roud 7; Laws N21; Henry H35) (5.38)
2. Plains of Waterloo (Roud 1922; Laws J3; G/D 1:152) (12.33)
3. Where There’s a Will There’s a Way (Roud 13835) (3.04)
4. The Week Before Easter (Roud 154; G/D 6:1198) (10.16)
5. Why Cats Don’t Wash Their Faces Before Eating (Roud 16889) (1.34)
6. Babes in the Wood (Roud 288; Laws Q34) (2.34)
7. Lord Randal (Roud 10; Child 12; G/D 2:209; Henry H814) (9.01)
8. A Dream of Napoleon (Roud 1538) (3.20)
9. The Constant Lovers (Roud 466; Laws K17; G/D 6:1244) (9.12)
10. Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be? (Roud 1279) (5.42)
11. The Farmer’s Boy (Roud 408; Laws Q30; G/D 5:960) (5.14)

All tracks trad. except
Track 3 words Edward Marshall (1883), music Carlo Minasi;

The Hall family home was a singing house and here we have two generations of the family. Mabs learned many of her songs from her parents and her son Gordon was always intrigued by his mother’s ‘quaint old songs’. He realised how important they were and learned many himself. These are two fine traditional folk singers who together sing a remarkable selection of songs from Victorian children’s singing games to ancient ballads.

Recorded by Mike Yates and John Howson;
Produced and designed by John Howson;
Front cover photo by Mike Yates

Musicians

Mabs & Gordon Hall: vocals

Tracks

1. [Mabs, Gordon] Come Write Me Down (Roud 381; G/D 5:980) (1.36) *
2. [Mabs] Studying Economy (Roud 5377) (1.34)
3. [Gordon] The Royal George (Roud 2529) (2.00)
4. [Mabs] Old John Brown (Roud 3354; TYG 43) (0.32) *
5. [Mabs] A Fair Maid Walking in the Garden (Roud 264; Laws N42; G/D 5:1038, 6:1201; Henry H471) (1.55)
6. [Gordon] My Old Wife’s a Good Old Creature (Roud 1263) (3.09)
7. [Mabs] Ginny Jones (Roud 1047) (0.53)
8. [Mabs] Poor Joe the Marine (Roud 1681) (1.34) *
9. [Mabs] Still I Love Him (Roud 654; TYG 33) (1.05) *
10. [Gordon] Salonika (Roud 10513) (2.28)
11. [Mabs] Ripest Apples (Roud 146) (0.31)
12. [Mabs] The Dumb Wife (Roud 434; Laws Q5; G/D 6:1289) (0.43) *
13. [Mabs] We Won’t Go Home Until the Morning (Roud 12448) / Push the Business On (Roud 12981) (0.54) *
14. [Gordon] Sweet Lavender (Roud 854) (2.05)
15. [Gordon] The Outlandish Knight (Roud 21; Child 4; G/D 2:225; Henry H163) (6.38) *
16. [Mabs] William Taylor (Roud 158; Laws N11; G/D 1:169; plus Roud 2649; Henry H48e) (0.47) *
17. [Mabs] Polly Perkins (Roud 430; G/D 6:1212; Henry H132) (2.20) *
18. [Gordon] The Horsham Ram (Roud 126; G/D 3:645; TYG 59) (5.58)
19. [Mabs] Cecilia (Roud 7; Laws N21; Henry H35) (2.44)
20. [Mabs] Cruel Frederick (1.08) *
21. [Mabs] Coming Home Late (Roud 114; Child 274; G/D 7:1460; Henry H21ab) (0.48) *
22. [Gordon] The Bitter Whaling Grounds (Roud 2000) (2.32)
23. [Mabs] Little Mike (Roud 1711) (1.53)
24. [Mabs] Banks of Inverness (Roud 3813; G/D 5:1047; Henry H205) (2.45)
25. [Gordon] Blandford in the Mud (Roud 10512) (1.38)
26. [Mabs, Gordon] A Sailor From Dover (Roud 180; Laws P9; G/D 6:1219; Henry H72) (1.36) *
27. [Mabs] Sweet Mother Dear (Roud 3515) (1.40) *
28. [Gordon] The Molecatcher (Roud 1052) (8.43)

All tracks trad.;
* previously unreleased recording

Sometime around 1990, Gordon Hall set himself the task of recording his songs on five tapes and he gave them the title Warts & Hall. 89 of these songs have been made available in the Sussex Traditions database.

Musicians

Gordon Hall: vocals

Tracks

1. The Sweet Primeroses (Roud 586; G/D 8:1841)
2. It’s of a Pretty Wench (Roud 2538)
3. The Jolly Waggoner (Roud 1088)
4. The Drummer and the Cook (Roud 3136)
5. Boney Was a Warrior (Roud 485)
6. The Maid of Rye (Roud 8117)
7. Some Say (Roud 1394)
8. The Spinning Wheel (Roud 17647)
9. Bonny Labouring Boy (Roud 1162; Laws M14; Henry H576)
10. The County Cavan (Roud 4720; Henry H580)
11. The Seeds of Love (Roud 3; G/D 6:1180)
12. Jan Barleycorn (Roud 164; G/D 3:559)
13. Caroline and Her Sailor (Roud 553; Laws N17; G/D 1:176)
14. The Life of a Shepherd (Roud 2409)
15. Far Away in the Wilds of Australia (Roud 1763)
16. Lavender Street Cry (Roud 854)
17. The Merchant’s Son and the Beggar Wench (Roud 1638)
18. Holmfirth Anthem (Roud 1046; TYG 55)
19. I’m Shy, Mary Ellen, I’m Shy (Roud 25940)
20. Smuggler’s Song (Roud 25475; Henry H494)
21. Oh Dear (Roud 1279)
22. Farmer Giles (Roud 1744)
23. Cecilia (Roud 7; Laws N21; Henry H35)
24. Reynard (Roud 131; G/D 3:499; Henry H38)
25. Arthur Le Bride (Roud 2355; G/D 1:78)
26. My Owd Wife (Roud 1263)
27. Just a Shaver (Roud 9534)
28. Babes in the Wood (Roud 288; Laws Q34)
29. I Loved A Fair Maid (Roud 861; Henry H141)
30. Job and Lazarus (Roud 815)
31. The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife (Roud 160; Child 278; G/D 2:320)
32. Long George (Roud 32687)
33. The 21^st of June (Roud 5650; G/D 1:14)
34. Tarry Sailor (Roud 531; Laws K38; G/D 1:49)
35. Week Before Easter (Roud 154; G/D 6:1198)
36. Joe the Marine (Roud 1681)
37. A Sailor From Dover (Roud 180; Laws P9; G/D 6:1219; Henry H72)
38. Good Ale (Roud 203; G/D 3:590)
39. Barbara Allen (Roud 54; Child 84; G/D 6:1193; Henry H236)
40. ’Twas On The Briny Ocean (Roud 2000)
41. The Death of General Wolfe (Roud 624)
42. Our Bugles Sang Truce (Roud 13899)
43. The Horsham Ram (Roud 126; G/D 3:645; TYG 59)
44. Pace Egging (Roud 614; TYG 53)
45. Pretty Polly Perkins (Roud 430; G/D 6:1212; Henry H132)
46. Martin Came to His Man (Roud 473; G/D 8:1703)
47. Young and Single Sailor (Roud 264; Laws N42; G/D 5:1038, 6:1201; Henry H471, H818)
48. Broomfield Hill (Roud 34; Child 43; G/D 2:322; Henry H135)
49. Trip Unto the Fair (Roud 27901)
50. Hire a Horse and Steal a Gig (Roud 12981)
51. Three Butchers (Roud 17; Laws L4; G/D 2:186; Henry H185)
52. As I Roved Out (Roud 277; Laws O17; G/D 4:791; Henry H152, H793)
53. Studying Economy (Roud 5377)
54. Sunday School (Roud 4614)
55. Fathom the Bowl (Roud 880)
56. Horsham Town (Roud 490; Laws L12; G/D 2:260)
57. The Banks of Inverness (Roud 3813; G/D 5:1047; Henry H205)
58. Ginny Geneva (Roud 218; Laws P30; G/D 2:210)
59. Little Mike (Roud 1711)
60. Twenty Eighteen (Roud 146)
61. Lock Abbey (Roud 2; Laws Q26; G/D 7:1404)
62. Wild Rover (Roud 1173; G/D 7:1480)
63. Talcahuano Girls (Roud 32688)
64. Black Eyed Sailor (Roud 265; Laws N35; G/D 5:1037; Henry H232)
65. Teddy O’Neill (Roud 5207)
66. Gemmima Brown (Roud 1776)
67. Lord Randolph (Roud 10; Child 12; G/D 2:209; Henry H814)
68. The Farmer From Gloucester (Roud 2930; G/D 1:173)
69. John Lawrence (Roud 25960)
70. Mrs Lawrence’s Lament (Roud 32689)
71. Horsham Ale (Roud 32690)
72. When I Was Single (Roud 654; TYG 33)
73. Sussex Molecatcher (Roud 1052)
74. King and Keeper (Roud 853)
75. Old Grey Noddle (Roud 362; G/D 4:815)
76. Molly Malone (Roud 16932)
77. Navvy Boots (Roud 516; G/D 4:787)
78. Trouble and Sorrow (Roud 1386)
79. Cupid’s Garden (Roud 297; G/D 5:970)
80. Hungry Army (Roud 1746)
81. Sam Hall (Roud 369; Laws L5)
82. I Am a Rover (Roud 1112)
83. The Gallant Poachers (Roud 793; Laws L14)
84. Ballad of the Babes in the Wood (Roud 288; Laws Q34)
85. No Sir No (Roud 146)
86. She Died for Love (Roud 60; Laws P25; G/D 6:1169, 6:1170; Henry H683)
87. Old Bob Copper (Roud 32568)
88. Pleasant and Delightful (Roud 660; Laws O30; TYG 51)
89. The Gallant Hussar (Roud 1146; G/D 5:982; Henry H243a)

All tracks trad. except
Track 20 Rudyard Kipling, Peter Bellamy;
Track 53 J.A. Hardwick