Music post: Valentine's Day

[resonant]

In honor of Valentine's Day, I have tales of the romantic battle of wits.

The woman sets riddles for the man to answer: Captain Wedderburn's Courtship by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior (from Folk Songs of Olde England)

Here's one story in three tunes. The woman bets the man that she can go to the Broomfield hill with him and come home a maiden:
A Wager, A Wager by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior (from Folk Songs of Olde England)
The Broomfield Wager by June Tabor (from BBC Radio 2)
Broomfield Hill by Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick (from Both Ears and the Tail)

Another story with multiple tunes. The woman tries to escape by taking different forms, but the man can match each one with a form that will defeat it:
The Two Magicians by Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick (from Both Ears and the Tail)
Two Magicians by Steeleye Span (from Present)
And the Magnetic Fields chime in with their own unique interpretation: Wi' Nae Wee Bairn Ye'll Me Beget (from 69 Love Songs)

And here's one where the man's show of wits fails to convince the maiden to have him:
The Gardener by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior (from Folk Songs of Olde England)

All in one zip file, 32MB.

Comments

[pirl.livejournal.com]

Have you ever heard the version of "Captain Wedderburn" from Great Big Sea's "Road Rage" album? Sarah Harmer guests and just sounds fantastic. Let me know and I'll upload it!

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I'd love to hear it!

[silver-spotted.livejournal.com]

what lovely songs! thank you for sharing :)

[vass]

Oh, COOL!

[pirl.livejournal.com]

Here's the link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/lcksfc

Hope you like it!

[she-obstipui.livejournal.com]

Oh, these are awesome! Have you ever heard Kate Rusby's "The Merry Green Broom"? It's another wager song...I don't have it on my computer right now, but I could send it if you liked...

[keight-2001.livejournal.com]

I love english folk music - thank you so much for sharing these

[farwing.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the music! I had a few of these, but not all of them.

[deborah-judge.livejournal.com]

The wager song is really creepy. Good, though.

[sobelle.livejournal.com]

Thank you again for sharing your music!

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, I love these songs and I don't know all these versions! I'd still love to find a digital copy of Dark Ships in the Forest; that was the first place I ever heard The Two Magicians.

[ngaio]

I've uploaded 3 Strawhead albums (and an album of Welsh Cajun music) for icarusancalion and will be making a post soonish to link her, and other interested parties, to them. Thought I'd pop over here and tell you 'cause I know you like trad folk music. Strawhead (who aren't that famous) are three blokes who take original music and play it with all their heart. They use a lot of original instruments (though less now as they get older and the long-woodwind-thing-which-takes-a-lot-of-effort was not so much turning one of them *puce* whilst playing as it was nearly giving him a heart attack on stage) but also one of them is a very good keyboard player (and not so good singer, but they don't often let him solo!). I admit I have a total soft spot for them as they tended to be the Friday evening gig of my hometown's yearly folk festival so I saw them regularly for years.

I'll stop waffling.

Short version: folk music link post going up on my journal soon.

[noneeca.livejournal.com]

oh, beautiful. thanks so much for posting! we studied the question-answer kind of courtship in my third year Celtic Studies, funnily enough. our prof brought in the most well-known song - Scarborough Fair - as an example, but of course there are so many great versions/examples of the stories! until i read the comments, i was all poised to send you the Great Big Sea version of Captain Wedderburn, as it's one of my all time favourites. *g*
cheers! thanks again for the songs!

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

Sorry; it took me this long to get a chance to download.

I think I've heard a variation on this tune somewhere else, but I can't remember where. I like it, though! Thanks.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

It is, isn't it? "And the small birds should all have had their fill."

"Yes, dear, but it turns out it's OK because I won."

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I'd love to hear it!

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I bookmarked it to download when I'm back in the coffee shop o' broadband. Thanks! (And I'm looking forward to hearing Welsh Cajun!)

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I could swear I remember a version of the same story in some retelling of King Arthur that I read as a kid, but I haven't been able to find it. One of the magicians was Merlin, of course. I don't even remember whether there was courtship involved in that one or not.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

How interesting -- I'd never thought to add Scarborough Fair to this list, but of course it's on the same family tree.

[ngaio]

The Welsh Cajun just makes my brain go: Wh..? Bu..? Nyaaa. Cognitive dissonance at its finest!