Recorded by Peter Kennedy under the auspices of the English Folk Dance and Song Society

Tracks

Side 1

1. Bob Roberts acc. melodeon: Still I Love Him (Roud 654; TYG 33)
   recorded at The Butt and Oyster, Pinmill, near Ipswich, Suffolk
2. Edgar Button: Blow the Candle Out (Roud 368; Laws P17)
   recorded at The Eel’s Foot, Thebberton, near Leiston, Suffolk
3. Harry Cox: The Foggy Dew (Roud 558; Laws O3; G/D 7:1496)
   recorded at The Windmill, Sutton, Norfolk

Side 2

1. Cyril Poacher w/ chorus: The Nutting Girl (Roud 509; G/D 7:1475)
2. Jack French w/ chorus: The Barley Mow (Roud 944)
   both introduced by the Chairman, ‘Wickets’ Richardson; recorded at The Ship, Blaxhall, near Woodbridge, Suffolk

All tracks trad.

Astonishing field recordings and a film made in Suffolk by Peter Kennedy in the 1950s, a rich record of a community steeped in traditional song and singing.

As early as 1949, Peter Kennedy had begun making field recordings of traditional music in the West Country of England on his own initiative and at his own expense with a factory prototype tape recorder lent to him by a friend. During the time the recordings included in this CD/DVD collection were made, 1953-1956, Peter was working part-time for the EFDSS and part-time for the BBC, and in his free time he engaged in projects of his own and those he shared with Alan Lomax; although Peter undertook his own recording trips to Suffolk in 1952, he and Lomax did not meet up in Suffolk until 10 October 1953, to record singers at The Ship in Blaxhall, then onto Swefling the following day to record Harry List.

Peter had been keen to record traditional music and dance performance on film, and Lomax attended the first day of filming at The Ship in November 1955.

June 1956 saw Peter in the area again, this time recording Phoebe Smith, her neighbour Jim Baldry, Bob Roberts, Jumbo Brightwell and Edgar Button. With this wealth of recorded material, Peter laid the foundations for future research into a region rich in traditional music, dance and song.

Tracks

CD

1. Cyril Poacher: The Nutting Girl (Roud 509; G/D 7:1475) (3.32)
2. Fred Ling: Nancy of Yarmouth (Roud 407) (4.05)
3. Bob Scarce: Newlyn Town (Roud 490; Laws L12; G/D 2:260; Henry H691) (5.00)
4. Geoff Ling: Maggie May (Roud 1757) (2.39)
   all four at The Ship Inn, Blaxhall, 10 October 1953
5. Bob Scarce and chorus: General Wolfe (Roud 624) (6.02)
   The Ship Inn, Blaxhall, 19 November 1953
6. Eli Durrant: The Yellow Handkerchief (Roud 954) (3.27)
   The Ship Inn, Blaxhall, 10 October 1953
7. Edgar Button: He Called for a Candle (Roud 269; Laws K43; G/D 7:1429; TYG 10) (3.21)
   at his house, Flash Corner, Theberton, Leiston, 16 July 1956
8. Edgar Allington: The Herring (Roud 128; TYG 31) (2.41)
   at his house, Brandon, 17 June 1955
9. Jim Baldry: The Northamptonshire Poacher (Roud 299) (2.08)
   at his house, Corner Cottage, Melton, Woodbridge, 10 July 1956
10. Harry List: The Knife on the Window (Roud 32572) (2.15)
    Swefling, Suffolk, 11 October 1953
11. Arthur Smith: The Sailor and His True Love (Roud 660; Laws O30; TYG 51) (3.02)
    The Ship Inn, Blaxhall, 10 October 1953
12. Jumbo Brightwell: Muddley Barracks (Roud 1735) (2.18)
    The Eel’s Foot, Eastbridge, Leiston, 16 July 1956
13. Bob Scarce: Three Jolly Sportsmen (Roud 17; Laws L4; G/D 2:186; Henry H185) (3.52)
    The Ship Inn, Blaxhall, 10 October 1953
14. Edgar Button: Blow the Candle Out (Roud 368; Laws P17) (2.22)
    at his house, Flash Corner, Theberton, Leiston, 16 July 1956
15. Jim Baldry: Hares in the Plantation (Roud 363) (3.10)
    at his house, Corner Cottage, Melton, Woodbridge, 10 July 1956
16. Wickets Richardson and chorus: Fagan the Cobbler (Roud 872) (2.06)
17. Cyril Poacher and chorus: The Broomfield Wager (Roud 34; Child 43; G/D 2:322; Henry H135) (4.59)
18. Jack French and chorus: Good Luck to the Barley Mow (Roud 944) (4.29)
    all three at The Ship Inn, Blaxhall, 10 October 1953

DVD

Filmed in The Ship Inn, Blaxhall, mostly on 19 November 1955, but part of The Nutting Girl and some athmosphere shots were filmed on 10 December 1955. The film includes edited performances.

Here’s A Health To The Barley Mow at the East Anglian Film Archive

1. Arthur Smith: Good Luck to the Barley Mow (Roud 944)
2. Cyril Poacher: The Nutting Girl (Roud 509; G/D 7:1475)
3. Wickets Richardson: Fagan the Cobbler (Roud 872)
4. Bob Scarce: General Wolfe (Roud 624)
5. Step-Dancers & Fred Pearce: Pigeon on the Gate