madness, rattleskull and old flute tunes

john clare was a contemporary of mad ned; edward williams, iorwerth, or iolo morgannwg (as well as robert burns and other radicals who spent time in london and elsewhere).

he was an opium* user, like iolo, and also a flute* player, like iolo. (* my mistake - see comments) they both collected folk tunes from their respective areas (northamptonshire and glamorganshire) and were among the first to do so. it is also noteworthy that they belonged to the social class from whom they were collecting, unlike other, later, tune collectors or the earlier music publishers

the enclosing of fields was particulary distressing for clare who ended up in an asylum but the symbolism of the enclosures must also have affected other neo classicists and romantics in their artistic perception as well as in the making of their art. iolo, the great neo classicist, has been dismissed by some as a mere forger and clare as simply being not very good and mad to boot

in hilly-wood. john clare

how sweet to be thus nestling deep in boughs,
upon an ashen stoven pillowing me;
faintly are heard the ploughmen at their ploughs,
but not an eye can find its way to see.
the sunbeams scarce molest me with a smile,
so thick the leafy armies gather round;
and where they do, the breeze blows cool the while,
their leafy shadows dancing on the ground.
full many a flower, too, wishing to be seen,
perks up its head the hiding grass between.-
in mid-wood silence, thus, how sweet to be;
where all the noises, that on peace intrude,
come from the chittering cricket, bird, and bee,
whose songs have charms to sweeten solitude.

pennill gan iolo morgannwg

canu ddwyf a bod yn llawen
fel yr eos ar y ddraenen
bod y draenen yn fy mhigo
canu ddwyf a gatel iddo

here is a tune collected by clare. it is known in wales as, variously, mopsi don, obsidion, upside down



X: 25
T:Welsh Jigg. JC.025
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:240
S:John Clare,Poet,Helpston. (1793-1864)
R:Jig
O:England
A:Northamptonshire
N:
Z:vmp.P. Headford
K:Bb
ABcc2d|c2B cAF|BcB ded|BcB ded|!
ABcc2d|c2B A2A|Bcde2d|cBAB3:||:!
fdf ece|dBd cAF|B2B dcB|A2Bc3|!
fdf ece|dBd cAF|dcB gfe|decB3:||