Annotations, Part II

[Amy Wilson]

Fond greetings, all!

Here is part deux of the period-song historical notes from "Reliquary of
English Song:  1250-1700," edited by Frank Hunter Potter (G. Schirmer, 1915,
1945).

Cheers,
Catelin the Patient


The Hunt is Up -- 1491-1547 (time of Henry VIII)

'Among the favorites of Henry VIII, says Chappell [a famous collector of
English songs, apparently], is "one Gray, what good estimation did he grow
into with the same King Henry, and afterwards with the Duke of Somerset,
Protector, for making certain merry ballads, whereof one chiefly was 'The
hunte is up, the hunte is up.'"  It is not certain, though it is considered
highly probable, that the tune here given is the one above mentioned, for any
song intended to arouse a sleeper in the morning, even a love-song, was called
a "Hunt's up," the term being equivalent to the French word aubade.  And this
tune itself is found in various versions.'


You Gentlemen of England -- Words by  Martin Parker* (fl. reign of Charles I,
1625-1649); tune, time of Elizabeth (1533-1603)

* note:  The sheet music lists him as "Packer," and the notes list him as
"Parker."

'The ballad now known as "You Gentlemen of England" is an alteration of one by
Martin Parker,  a copy of which is in the Pepys Collection.  It is in black
letter and entitled "Saylers for my money; a new ditty composed in the praise
of saylers and sea affayres; briefly shewing the nature of so worthy a calling
and the effects of their industry; to the tune of The Jovial Cobbler." 
Instead of "You Gentlemen of England" it begins, "Countriemen of England."

'Martin Parker lived in the reign of Charles I, so that the words are much
more modern than the tune, which dates back to the time of Henry VIII or
earlier.  It was these words, however, which gained the song its popularity,
for the old words seems irretrievably lost and the tune has always been
referred to as "You Gentlemen of England," ever since Parker's words appeared.
 It is one of the lastingly popular sea-songs of England.

'All attempts to find the original words of "The Jovial Cobbler" have failed,
but the tune is believed to be as old as the reign of Elizabeth.  There is
another ballad, "The Jovial Cobbler of St. Helen's," but it has quite a
different meter.  There are various versions of "You Gentlemen of England" in
Riston, with some 15 different verses, from which those in the text are
selected.'


The Three Ravens -- time of Elizabeth (1533-1603)

'This is one of those songs which are undoubtedly much older than the period
when they are first printed.  Its earliest appearance in print, so far as we
know, was in 1611, as "Country Pastimes," but it is much more archaic than the
music of that period.  Whether this is one of the songs which is a common
heritage from the Scalds is of course uncertain, but Mr. Duncan [Edmundstoune
Duncan, another 19th-century expert on English song] says that there is a
Danish version of it, as well as the comparatively well-known Scottish one,
"The Twa Corbies."'

More to come...  :)