Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Trad Tuesday: Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy performed by Mick McAuley and Winifred Horan






Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy is one of the best-known songs from the repertoire of the Copper Family. It was published in the first issue of the Journal of the Folk Song Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, in 1899, and is printed in The Copper Family Song Book and in Bob Copper's book, A Song for Every Season. Bob and John Copper sang it on their 4 LP box set of 1971, A Song for Every Season, that accompanied the book and Jill and Jon Copper sang it on the first Coppersongs LP.


Lyrics:

Adieu sweet lovely Nancy
Ten thousand times adieu
I am bound to cross the ocean
To seek for soemthing new
Come change your ring with me dear girl
Come change your ring with me
That it might be a token of true love
When I am on the sea
And now that I am on the sea
I know not where I am
Kind letters I will write to you
From every foreign land
The secrets of my mind fine girl
The best of all goodwill
So let your body be where it is
My heart will be with you still
There's a heavy storm arising
See how it gathers round
While wepoor souls on the ocean wide
Are fighting for the crown
Our officer commands us
And it's him we must obey
Expecting every moment
For to get washed away
There are tinkers tailors shoemakers
Lie snoring asleep
While we poor souls on the ocean wide
Are ploughing through the deep
There's no-one to defend us love
And keep us from the cold
On the ocean wide where we must bide
Like jolly sailors all
And now the wars are over
They'll be peace on every shore
We'll drink to our wives and our children
And the girls that we adore
We'll call for liquor merrily
And spend our money free
And when our money is all gone
We'll boldly go to sea

Sunday, April 21, 2019

Book Review: The Salt Path by Raynor Winn

Ray Winn and her husband Moth have lived for thirty years on their farm in Wales. They've raised their children there, but a bad investment takes it all away from them. Then Moth is diagnosed with CBD, a neurological disease that will take away his facilities, both physical and mental, and eventually kill him. With nothing left to lose, the two decide to walk the South West Coast Path, a 630 mile track from Somerset around Cornwall's coast to end in Poole in Dorset.
I walk trails in the UK myself though nothing of this magnitude. I tried wild camping (just finding a likely place and leaving no trace) on the Great Glen Way. I lasted one rainy, cold night and immediately mailed my camping gear back to the USA, opting for B&B's and hostels the rest of the way. I have some idea of what they went through walking day after day with heavy packs and all kinds of weather. But there are great rewards, and Ray details them in this lovely story. Surrounded by nature and away from everyday hassles allows one to really look inside one's self and see what you're made of.  From the book:
"Things we thought we would never be able to bear were becoming less jagged, turned into round river stones by the movement of the path. It was still a heavy burden to carry, but just a little less painful to hold."
She also writes poignantly about homelessness in the UK and what it means for thousands of people, mostly homeless through no fault of their own. Ray and Moth have little but they always seem to share what they can with others.
One benefit of walking is the improvement in Moth's health despite the doctor's warnings. His condition is nonreversible, but on the trail, he learns to face his inevitable death and help Ray come to terms with the eventual loss of her loving husband. 
There are many funny moments and beautiful descriptions of the Cornish coast. This is a lovely book and well worth reading. As she and Moth say in the book:
“Do we have a plan?” “Course we do. We walk, until we stop walking, and maybe on the way we find some kind of future.” “That’s a good plan.”

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Trad Tuesday: Dacw 'Nghariad sung by Eve Goodman



This Welsh folk song is recorded as being collected by Mary Davies in 1908 from a village near the Welsh capital of Cardiff. 

Lyrics:
(Am)Dacw 'nghariad i (G)lawr yn y (Em)berllan,
(Am)Tw rymdi (G)ro rymdi (Am)radl (G)idl (Am)al.
(Am)O na bawn i (G)yno fy (Em)hunan,
(Am)Tw rymdi (G)ro rymdi (Am)radl (G)idl (Am)al.
(C)Dacw'r (Am)ty, a (C)dacw'r (G)'sgubor;
(Am)Dacw (C)ddrws y (G)beudy'n (Em)agor.
(Am)Ffaldi radl idl al, (G)ffaldi radl (Em)idl al,
(Am)Tw rymdi (G)ro rymdi (Am)radl (G)idl (Am)al.

(Am)Dacw’r dderwen (G)wych gang(Em)hennog,
(Am)Tw rymdi (G)ro rymdi (Am)radl (G)idl (Am)al.
(Am)Golwg arni (G)sydd far (Em)serchog.
(Am)Tw rymdi (G)ro rymdi (Am)radl (G)idl (Am)al.
(C)Mi (Am)arhosaf (C)yn ei (G)chysgod
(Am)Nes daw (C)‘nghariad (G)i ngy(Em)farfod.
(Am)Ffaldi radl idl al, (G)ffaldi radl (Em)idl al,
(Am)Tw rymdi (G)ro rymdi (Am)radl (G)idl (Am)al.

(Am)Dacw'r delyn, (G)dacw'r (Em)tannau;
(Am)Tw rymdi (G)ro rymdi (Am)radl (G)idl (Am)al.
(Am)Beth wyf gwell, heb (G)neb i'w (Em)chwarae?
(Am)Tw rymdi (G)ro rymdi (Am)radl (G)idl (Am)al.
(C)Dacw'r (Am)feinwen (C)hoenus (G)fanwl;
(Am)Beth wyf (C)nes heb (G)gael ei (Em)meddwl?
(Am)Ffaldi radl idl al, (G)ffaldi radl (Em)idl al,
(Am)Tw rymdi (G)ro rymdi (Am)radl (G)idl (Am)al.

English Translation
THERE IS MY LOVE

There is my love down in the orchard,
Tw rymdi ro rymdi radl idl al.
Oh how I wish I were there myself,
Tw rymdi ro rymdi radl idl al.
There is the house and there is the barn;
There is the door of the cow house open.
Ffaldi radl idl al, ffaldi radl idl al,
Tw rymdi ro rymdi radl idl al.

There is the gallant, branching oak,
Tw rymdi ro rymdi radl idl al.
A vision, lovingly crowned.
Tw rymdi ro rymdi radl idl al.
I will wait in her shade
Until my love comes to meet me.
Ffaldi radl idl al, ffaldi radl idl al,
Tw rymdi ro rymdi radl idl al.

There is the harp, there are her strings;
Tw rymdi ro rymdi radl idl al.
What better am I, without anyone to play her for?
Tw rymdi ro rymdi radl idl al.
There’s the delicate fair one, exquisite and full of life;
What nearer am I, without having her attention?
Ffaldi radl idl al, ffaldi radl idl al,
Tw rymdi ro rymdi radl idl al._