Farewell to the Green Fields

Farewell to the Green Fields

This CD album by the Dorset traditional singer John Waltham was release in 1992 and is no longer available. While putting together the album A Late Harvest we found that many of the original CDs were no longer playable, so we decided to make this remastered version of the album available as a digital download.

 

Background to the album

All these songs mean something to me – mainly because of the people I heard them from. I’m grateful to them all.

Victoria Mogridge plays fiddle on tracks 1,6,8 and 12 and five-string fiddle, (courtesy of John Dike Violins, Sherborne), on track I 0. Thanks to everybody involved in this recording: my father and brother Alan for the photographs; the many friends who’ve encouraged me to perpetrate such a thing, and especially Mandy, for putting up with me and my singing.   John Waltham

 

Song Notes

Caroline and her young Sailor Bold Norman

House, from Beaminster in West Dorset comes from a long line of traditional singers and has an extraordinary rich treasury of songs.The Hammonds collected from his grandfather in the early 1900s, and his father picked up songs from the likes of the great Charlie Wills. This is one of Norman’s favourites, and mine.

Molly Bawn Lowry

This one, from Jimmy Grant of Meenyanly, (a great singer, poitin maker and a real gentleman), always reminds me of some great nights with a galaxy of singers in one of the finest places I know – lnishowen in Co. Donegal. Jimmy, like many other singers of the ‘big’ songs, is no longer with us. I owe many of them a debt of gratitude, so this is for them, and also my great friend Michael McGonigle who gave me the last two verses and who continues to give me more hospitality than I’m fit to accept!

The Iron Door

Norman House always calls this ‘Cruel Father and Affectionate Daughter’. I’ve heard Frank Harte of Dublin sing this, (with a couple more verses), and the first verse reference to the ‘banks of Shannon’ would seem to place it as Irish, but the House family have been singing it around Beaminster for the past century.

The  Prison across the Way

Les Bow lived in Sherborne.This little ditty, (which he had from his mother), is incomplete, although the essentials are there. I sung it at Les’s funeral, and it is the only time that I have heard applause at such an occasion, but then the song does sum up Les’ attitude to life quite well.

The Trampwoman’s Tragedy

I’ve always loved narrative songs, but even the most lurid of Child ballads would be hard put to rival the comprehensive gloom of this Thomas Hardy poem. I first heard it as a song over 20 years ago, done by Tim Laycock.

The Hills of lnishowen

Around Christmas 1998 I visited Packie Manus Byrne in Ardara, Co. Donegal. He was sat in front of the range with a writing pad. In answer to my question he told me that he was “composing the words of a very old traditional song” for me to take to lnishowen in an attempt to convince the local singers that I’d collected a local song that none of them knew. It is now sung there regularly – its gone into the tradition!

The Outlandish Knight

Was one of the first songs I ever heard, as a child, from our farm Carter, Tom Collard. There wasn’t always a lot of work for horses by then, so we’d take them round the roads to get the steam out of them. While we sat on the cart Tom sang me this and it stuck – especially the bit about the parrot.

Ranters Wharf

I first heard the Yetties sing this John Conolly song nearly 30 years ago and it soon joined my repertoire.The haunting air and supernatural theme blend superbly. My thanks to John for allowing me to use it.

Timothy Briggs

Another Norman House song, poking fun at the clergy, marriage, women and cuckolded husbands. Despite all that it’s not offensive and more than one person with an artificial limb has enjoyed it!

The Nobleman’s Wedding

This Dorset version came to me via a circuitous route involving a traditional singer, a CB radio and a lorry driver. Interestingly, in this version the girl asks for one night with her lover, as opposed to some versions where (illogically, in the context), she demands to spend it with her mother. I prefer this one.

Bruckless Bay

This beautiful, reflective song is another of Packie Byrne’s, to whom I’d like to dedicate it, with my thanks for all the songs he’s given me as well as for his friendship and good company.

Leaving the Land

I met John Greaves at the National some years ago at the time when he was leaving his farm in Yorkshire and I had a nasty feeling we’d have to leave ours in Dorset. After a while talking, (a thing we’re both good at!), John left returning half an hour later with a pencilled scribble.When I got home and read it, I knew he’d put into words exactly what I wanted to say. Thank you John.