Jon picked this one up from Nic Jones and says, “There’s something quite Shakespearean about this one. Cross dressing has all sorts of sociological undertones – in this case quite directly about the reversal of courtship roles. Nic Jones sings a roll on the penultimate note of the first line (‘we’ in the first verse for example) that I have been practising for 10 years and still can’t get.” I must say this one caught me out as I was waiting for the murder at the end but unusually, it all turned out nicely. Reinhard has the Nic Jones recording covered on Mainly Norfolk and there’s quite a lot of Mudcat stuff, which you canbrowse, with at least one alternate title of Dog And Gun. I wonder whether this is has any real life event behind it, or is it just pure fantasy. Either way it’s a fine tale handsomely delivered and somewhat the opposite of yesterday’s Tawney song in its attention to detail. Just to add a little twist at the end here’s a link to an American version, although as the title clearly shows taken from the English, still it’s an interesting little variation.
You can buy the August digital album now from all good download stores:
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Sorry folks got my scheduling wrong!! A small technical glitch doing multiple posts at the same time.
This ballad was in the repertoire of the traditional singer,George Fradley from the Sudbury area of Staffordshire. He said he had learnt it from his Aunt Bessie. The ballad is on a tape recorded by Mike Yates in 1984. George was aged 73 when this recording was made and he died a year later. The tape was titled “One of the Best” and released by Veteran Tapes. George was accompanied by Tufty Swift on melodeon. This tape is the only recording of George Fradley as far as I am aware.
I humbly suggest that if you DO go to the, usually excellent, Mudcat link……..only read the first few entries from the likes of Jon……..DO NOT waste your time with the slanging match between two “Guests” that followed………….blimey, that was 2006.
I wonder if they ever met! I thought we Folkies were such gentle people.
Nice. I’ve always been a bit shy of doing this unaccompanied (given that Nic Jones’s guitar is so damn good on his recording) but Jon’s shown it can be done & brought it off rather well. I’ll be listening out for that penultimate-syllable roll from now on!
More about Golden Glove from the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library at the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
There are 234 records of Golden Glove in the Library having been collected all over England by collectors including Frank Kidson, Mike Yates, and Cecil Sharp.
http://tinyurl.com/goldenglove1
We used the Roud number to cross reference against different titles for the song. When searched on Roud No. 141, this produces 253 records, many by the name of Dog and Gun, and collected from the USA and Canada as well as the UK.
http://tinyurl.com/goldenglove2
If you wish to see more detail on each record, change the ‘output’ to ‘record’ and press ‘submit query’.
There are 20 records relating to the song in the Take 6 collection, including a letter from Miss E Prewer to Francis Collinson, offering him the song.
http://tinyurl.com/goldenglove3
We use the Roud index and the Take 6 online collections in the search for information on Jon’s selections.
For more information, or to carry out your own search for songs, please visit http://www.efdss.org/front/access-the-library-online/access-the-library-online/115
If you need any help accessing the library online or have any questions, please contact the VWML on 020 7485 2206 or library@efdss.org.
Strange that they should pick a farmer to give her away….and after all this duplicity I wonder if the farmer suddenly lost his tenancy…….as I’ll bet the old squire was not best pleased!
Keeping to the task in hand I must say I quite liked this folk song.
@Diana………………..thought this was a strange thing for you to say…then checked yesterday and quite understand your reserve.
Muzza I must stop all this idle chatter, I did not realise it was bothering you so much.
I was ready for a killer last verse, where the Squire murders the newleyweds, but instead we get a fairytale ending!!! It cries out for a follow-on song, seen from the Squire’s point of view. Great rendition by Jon.
Thanks Pewter I am now feeling a little happier due to yours and Muzza’s messages.
@Diana…………….ref your comment 11;38 above……just to put the record straight…
I want you to stay as you are and always have been….you are no bother.
I think you mis worded your reply to me.(perhaps before you read my comment from yesterday)…..I am glad that you realized it was not me!
@Muzza: Thanks my dear, I was not aiming my remark at you I was reinterating what had been written as it was so unexpected. Still I will not be intimidated and will continue with my “silly chatter” and if it “bothers” anyone then they do not have to read what is written against my name do they? As long as my friends do, that is all that matters.
Jon now doing a twitter link to youtube for AFSAD songs……
Ha………….reading the comments above……you just never know when we have been trolled….remember the good old days when the camera never lied and there was no Fake news!!!!
HAPPY 68TH BIRTHDAY TO YOU JOHN BURTON……..I hope you are still hale and hearty in hot and humid Canada
Happy Birthday to young John Burton……blimey 72 now….hope you are still clinging to the wreckage
Happy Birthday to young John Burton……blimey 73 now….(and counting!)
Hope that you are not threatened by the fires that are raging across Canada
and that you are still clinging to the wreckage